E-Bike By The Sea: Scenic Tour of Beaches, Harbors & Hidden Gems

One of the best places on our route with the best views. North Hampton Beach is calm, peaceful and there are views of swank Little Boars Head and the Isles of Shoals.

Great place for pictures. There are eight islands located six miles off Rye’s coast had become a fishing mecca for native peoples for years as well as Portuguese fishermen starting in the 1500s and by the early 1600s European fishermen had established permanent settlements there that thrived until the 1800s.

Will stop here briefly and talk about the captain John Smith Memorial about his 1614 visit to the area.

Odiorne State Park was a “true wilderness” until about 400 years ago. The first people to discover Odiorne Point were the Abenaki and Penacook Native American tribes. They referred to Odiorne Point as “Pennaway” and only stopped in the area when passing through. During this time, they took advantage of the plentiful resources all around. This included fishing on the coast and digging in the sand for clams and mussels. Permanent settlement began in the 1600’s. In 1623, an Englishman by the name of David Thompson sailed on a ship named the Jonathan, that planned to settle along the coast of New England. This ship would be the first to settle in New Hampshire on Odiorne Point. Years later in 1660, John Odiorne joined this settlement and went on to acquire many acres of land and shoreline including what is now the state park and would later be named after John Odiorne. Also located on this site are multiple forts and bunkers that date back to the Civil War.

Eat a lobster roll

We’ll stop at the mouth of the Piscataquis River and talk briefly about the five military installations, light houses and islands in the Atlantic ocean .

Charles Prescott of Erie, PA died leaving $3 million to his sisters Josie and Mary Prescott in Portsmouth, NH. They used the funds to build Prescott Park. The Prescott sisters, are directly responsible for the creation of what is now known as Prescott Park. Prescott Park includes over 10 acres of fountains and waterfront gardens along the Piscataqua River. There are a number of historic warehouses that were preserved from destruction such as the Sheaf Warehouse that outfitted the USS Ranger captained by John Paul Jones.

The Wentworth-By-The-Sea has been a historic landmark in New Castle since it was built by the Campbell family in 1874. Local beer tycoon Frank Jones, expanded the hotel after he bought it in 1879 and owned it until his death in 1902. The hotel housed the delegates to the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905 that ended the Russo-Japanese War. The exclusive luxury hotel, had visitors such as Prince Charles, Roosevelts, Kennedys and a host of other celebrities. In the 1980s, the hotel closed its doors with the uncertainty of ever opening again. With the downturn of the economy, the hotel went into complete disarray.