From knitting baskets to bicycle baskets to picnic and pie baskets – and other uses you have never imagined -- Peterborough Basket Company and its factory outlet store on Grove Street in Peterborough are ready to serve your basketry needs. Hand-made Peterborough baskets are made from Appalachian white ash, the same hardwood that baseball bats, snowshoes, and axe handles are made from. The wood is harvested from Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, and the baskets’ solid brass nails prevent rusting. All of the baskets are made on site at the factory in Peterborough, and the factory store has great bargains and wonderful gift ideas. Factory outlet store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Closed most holidays. Phone: 603-371-9020

Altar of the Nation

Cathedral of the Pines at 10 Hale Hill Road in Rindge is a simple, inspiring monument to patriotic sacrifice. Two hundred acres of pine forests and formal gardens give way to panoramic views of neighboring mountains. Sibyl and Douglas Sloane founded the Cathedral of the Pines in 1945 as a memorial to men and women who had sacrificed their lives in World War II. They envisioned that their cathedral without walls would welcome people of every faith in a spirit of unity and mutual respect. Within this property is the Altar of the Nation, built with stones from all 50 states, the Parthenon in Athens, the Coliseum in Rome, and some American battlefields. Open daily from May through October for tours and private meditation. Phone: 603-899-3300.

Brand-Name Labels Find a Second Life With You

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Particularly if you are in the company of a like-minded friend, browsing and shopping at a great consignment shop is as much safari as shopping. Consign of the Times Clothing Boutique at 800 Turnpike Road in New Ipswich is place where you are very likely to find just what you need to clothe the women, children, infants, teens and even the dogs in your world. The shop carries only brand-name and designer clothing currently in style for women and children such as J. Jill, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Chiccos, Limited, BCBG, Coach, Tahari, American Eagle, Old Navy, Gap, and more. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday. Phone: 603-878-4500.

Chocolates in Monadnock

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Vacation is time for indulgence, and New Hampshire has a chocolate and martini road trip that can guide you through some fabulous flavors of both of these intoxicants. In the Mondanock region, a good place to start is the town of Walpole, home to L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop and Café at 47 Main Street in Walpole. The cafe offers an extensive variety of pastries and drinks in a serene environment. It's also the location of Burdick’s chocolate and pastry production facility (603-756-2882). Also in Walpole, stop at Bellows House Bakery for one of its famous Whoopie Pies and other prize-winning baked goods (800-358-6302). Drift over to the nearby town of Marlborough to visit Unbridled Chocolates at 135 Main Street (603-876-4700). Be sure to taste the rich, handmade Belgian chocolate bonbons, and browse the selection of natural herbal chocolates.

Cottage in the Forest

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The sweet little cottage at Pickity Place on Nutting Hill Road in the town of Mason has stood for more than 200 years (historic note: Pickity is the setting for Little Golden Books’s 1948 version of “Little Red Riding Hood”). These days, the cottage is a place to enjoy peaceful gardens, a greenhouse shop, and elegant gourmet luncheons accented with herbs and edible flowers. Lunch is served every day and the menu changes monthly. Phone: 603-878-1151.

Hannah’s Here to Help With Creative Shopping

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Hannah Grimes Marketplace on Main Street in Keene is a education center and incubator for New Hampshire products, crafts, and artwork. For visitors, the Marketplace is a great place to browse for local foods, including maple syrup, children’s books, and luxuries from fancy shampoos to original art. Think about your gift shopping for the next several months, and go explore what Hannah has to offer. Hours: Store Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 11a.m.- p.m. Phone: 603-352-6862.

Milk and Salsa, But Not in the Same Bowl

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Stonewall Farm on Chesterfield Road in Keene is a farm with an organic attitude, and the public is welcome to come and check it out. The farm showcases local vendors such as Cheshire Gardens of Winchester, which produces preserves, mustards, vinegars, salsas and sauces. Visitors are welcome daily from dawn to dusk for milking, educational events, and shopping at the farm stand and gift shop. Phone: 603-357-7278.

Pewter in Process

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Hillsborough Center retains the atmosphere of a 19th century New England town, with its central Common, surrounded by buildings that once housed taverns, a blacksmith shop, and a post office. This is the workplace of pewtersmith Jon Gibson, owner of Gibson Pewter on East Washington Road. Watch Gibson create pewter objects in the 200-year-old barn where he apprenticed as a boy. More than 100 traditional and contemporary pieces are for sale. Phone: 603-464-3410

Pull Up a Book and a Toadstool

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The three Toadstool Bookshops at The Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene, (603-352-8815), Lorden Plaza on Nashua Street in Milford (603-673-1734), and 112 Depot Square in Peterborough (603-924-3543) are a haven for book lovers. Browsing is encouraged, rewarded, and addictive. The stores are sociable too: the Peterborough store hosts live music and the Milford store is the home of a classics reading group.

Warm and Colorful Artwork

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The Sharon Arts Center on Grove Street in Peterborough offers fine art galleries, a fine craft store, and even a school of arts and crafts. The craft store is a warm and colorful excursion into beautiful, highbrow textiles, pottery, jewelry, glass art, wooden objects, and more from regional and national craftsmen. Phone: 603-924-2787.