Top 10 Reasons New Hampshire Is The Best State In America

Here are the top ten reasons why New Hampshire is the best place in all 50 states. (Don't be silly, of course New Hampshire is in the United States! It's located between Vermont and Maine)

10. The Isles of Shoals

The Isles of Shoals are a group of islands located 6.5 miles off the coast of New Hampshire (and Maine) including Star Island, which hosts conferences at the Oceanic Hotel and Gosport House. All you can hear is seagulls. That's it.

9. No Sales Tax

Shop 'til you drop from The Merrimack Outlets to the North Conway Outlets and all malls and grocery stores in between. New Hampshire doesn't have a sales tax, which means our neighbors to the south, west, and east love to use us for our lack of taxation on most goods.

8. The 16 Mile Coastline and Beaches

Seacoast Roaming Reporter / Via i1.wp.com

The New Hampshire coastline may be small, but it's beautiful and full of pristine beaches, great surf spots, and plenty of room in the sand for the whole family. From New Castle to Seabrook, the water may be cold, but the views are out of sight! There's also no shortage of seafood restaurants and surf shops.

7. Manchester

Mike Spenard / Via commons.wikimedia.org

The state's largest city and 10th largest in New England, has great restaurants and bars and its home to The Currier Museum, Manchester Monarchs hockey, New Hampshire Fishercats baseball, UNH Manchester, NH Institute of Art, St. Anselm's College, and well-known businesses like Dyn, GYK Antler, and WMUR-TV. Adam Sandler, Seth Myers, and Sarah Silverman are natives of Manchester, NH.

6. Maple Syrup

Christopher Hubble / Via pollyspancakeparlor.com

There's no better maple syrup than the kind that comes from New Hampshire maple trees. No one does it better than Polly's Pancake Parlor and guess where they're located? In Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. Enough said. Psst... Go ahead, order your maple syrup online.

5. The White Mountains

The White Mountains offer amazing activities all year long. Swim in Chocorua Lake, Climb Mount Washington (tallest peak in northeast U.S.), ski or mountain bike Canon Mountain, visit Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery, or bring the entire family to Story Land for the day. Take the Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln to Conway for a scenic drive. You won't be sorry.

4. Lake Winnipesaukee

Dartmouth Hitchcock / Via dhproviders.org

Lake Winnipesaukee is the state's largest lake and the third-largest lake in New England. It's a popular vacation destination throughout the northeast United States. Go swimming, water-skiing, tubing, fishing in the summer months, or take a ride around the lake on the Steamship Mount Washington. In the winter try ice-fishing or ice-skating! The Native Americans named it Winnipesaukee, which means 'beautiful water in a high place' and they were not wrong.

3. The University of New Hampshire

UNH Photographic Services

The University of New Hampshire is located on southeast New Hampshire near Great Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It's one hour north of Boston and home to almost 15,000 students and over 200 degree programs. UNH is arguably the most beautiful campus in America, but there's simply no competition come Autumn. Besides the picturesque campus, the university has some of the best research in all of higher education, including projects with NASA, NOAA, and the USDA to only name a few. The UNH Wildcats are part of NCAA Division 1 athletics and are competitive in every sport year after year. Alumni include John Irving, Jennifer Lee, Mike O'Malley, Marcy Carsey, Alice McDermott, Chip Kelly, James van Riemsdyk, and Carlton Fisk. By the way, UNH also has a law school in Concord and an urban campus in Manchester.

2. The New Hampshire Primary

New Hampshire Public Radio / Via nhpr.org

New Hampshire is the first state in the nation to host a presidential primary. Every four years politicians and news outlets set up camp here. It's a great place to learn about politics and if you're here long enough, chances are great that you'll meet the next president of the United States.

1. Portsmouth

Lisa Nugent, UNH Photographic Services / Via unh.edu

The small city of Portsmouth is located on the Piscataqua River at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. Settled in 1623, Portsmouth claims to be the third oldest city in America. There are many world-class restaurants, a plethora of bars, tons of amazing art and talented musicians, and a beautiful downtown that's made for walking. Portsmouth is also home to musician Ronnie James Dio, TV personality Tom Bergeron, poet Celia Thaxter, and William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Portsmouth is a great town for craft beer. When you're here make sure to visit Earth Eagle Brewings, Stoneface Brewing Company, The Liar's Bench Beer Company, Great Rhythm Brewing Company, Beara Irish Brewery, and The Portsmouth Brewery. Not into beer? Portsmouth also has an award winning chocolatier, Byrne & Carlson and many coffee shops.