Edition #4, 19 November 2007

Hello, my name is Cynthia, a New England mermaid. Thank you for visiting my current article on coastal New England. A new article will be posted here every other Monday. Please visit me on a regular basis, and tell others about this site. I love to meet new people.

If you missed any of my previous articles, you can find links to them here.

Speaking of water, let's talk about the beaches. The main beach features plenty of sand, a band shell, public information, and a first aid station. Parking is metered along Ocean Boulevard.

The state beach and park, along route 1A, is located by the Hampton Beach bridge. There is plenty of parking at $10 per car. A snack bar, picnic area, convenience store, and rest rooms are available. The white sand of the beach is soft and the kids will love the little pools of water that appear at low tide. Campers can utilize the full RV facilities of the park.

North Beach, also off of route 1A, features a bathhouse, lifeguards, and limited metered parking. It is also handicap accessible.

Coming to the area from out of town? If so, you will appreciate the number of fine hotels and motels in the area. Many are close to the ocean. There are a number of great restaurants in town, too many to list here. Check out the links below for the specifics.

Hampton Beach is widely known for its Seafood Festival, held the weekend after Labor Day. Approximately 150,000 attended the event this year. The festival features free parking and shuttles, arts and crafts, live entertainment, fireworks, skydivers, and of course plenty of food. There is a Kiddie Land for the young ones, and a road race with categories for all ages.

Other notable events during the year include the annual Penguin Plunge in February, the Catamaran Regatta in June, the Sand Sculpting Competition, Miss Hampton Beach Pagent, and the Children's Festival. For more information on Hampton Beach, be sure to visit www.hamptonbeach.com and www.hamptonbeach.org.

In closing, I would like to wish everyone a very safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Find out how you can do your part to Keep Oceans Clean!

Love,
Cynthia