The Monadnock
Region is a place to explore the back roads. Every
bend in the road opens a new vista. With Mount
Monadnock as a backdrop the views in some places
compare with something by Currier and Ives.
It offers campers an opportunity to spend a
vacation or a weekend in an area that typifies small
town New England: Village greens, some with a
bandstand for evening concerts; white church steeples
poking above the trees, and villages where the pace
slows and everyone can savor life as it used to be.
The center of it all is the attractive little city
of Keene. Its broad Main Street is decorated with
floral displays. A variety of museums in Keene and
places such as Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey, and Peterborough
provide a look into the past.
Most visitors plan a stop at the Cathedral of the
Pines in Rindge, an outdoor shrine honoring the men
and women who have died in the service of their
nation.
Seated on pews in the shade of tall pines, the
visitor is inspired by a view of "The
Mountain" beyond the altar which is built of
stones from every corner of the world. Some come from
dignitaries who were inspired by the cathedral's
beauty.
Youngsters will want to spend an afternoon at The
Friendly Farm in Dublin to picnic and pet the farm
animals. They can watch chicks being hatched, see a
working bee hive and young animals nursing.
See Chesterfield Gorge and walk pathways through
the deep cuts in the rock formations.
Antique shops, summer theaters, and music
festivals are plentiful.
Stop at Granite Lake Pottery in Munsonville, where
there is a large selection of handthrown stoneware.
In summer, take a hayride, or go for a winter
sleigh ride at Silver Ranch in Jaffrey.
The Monadnock is an all season, small town, slow
paced place to camp. In the spring it all comes into
bloom and you should visit Rhododendron State Park in
Fitzwilliam. Summer brings fishing, swimming,
boating, auto racing, and dog racing at nearby
tracks, flea markets and craft displays.
The fall season is spectacular as anywhere in the
state, again with "The Mountain" enhancing
the scenery.
Winter brings the cross-country skiers to the
woodland trails, and the skaters to the many ponds in
the region. All of it midst the beauty of scenery fit
for a Christmas card.
