Sometimes you just need a weekend away! To celebrate George's birthday, I surprised him with a fishing trip and road trip to Portsmouth, NH. With how crazy life can get, it’s nice to escape to spend time with the people you love. Portsmouth is a charming New England town rooted in American heritage, and to this day has one of the oldest working ports in the United States. Walking around to see beautiful and older houses, it is evident the town has a unique historical background while thriving off of locally owned restaurants, adorable boutique shops and vibrant nightlife. If you're looking for a place that is on the water, a fun place to visit, and close to Boston...Portsmouth, NH is the perfect destination.
After work on Friday, we drove to Portsmouth which only took about 50 minutes (plus a few stops because I tend to get motion sick in car rides, not fun!). We ended up staying at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Portsmouth Seacoast, about a five-minute drive from downtown Portsmouth. The room and accommodations weren't fancy, but everything was really clean and the location was hard to beat. We were both starving from the drive so we had dinner at a small pub in the center which had live music and good comfort food.
Saturday was the day we were most excited for...fishing!! Full transparency, this was my first time really going fishing so I had no idea what to expect. The whole bait and worm thing really freaked me out but thankfully we didn’t’ need to use bait! I booked Al Gauron’s four-hour deep-sea tour from Hampton, which brought us to great spots for catching Mackerel. The captain and crew were really knowledgeable, changing locations when the fish weren’t biting and offering tips for catching, jigging and casting. Not bragging or anything but I caught the biggest Mackerel and George caught several fish as well! We ended up buying a cooler to take the fish home to cook.
During our stay we also ate at some amazing restaurants, Martingale Wharff or Saturday’s dinner and SALT Kitchen and Bar for lunch on Sunday. Both had incredible seafood, really friendly staff and fun settings. The oysters at SALT Kitchen and Bar wear so mouthwatering and delicious! There are so many restaurants to choose from in Portsmouth, see below for additional recommendations.
We really loved our trip and can’t wait to visit again! If you have any further questions feel free to DM me or check out Portsmouth here! I’d also love to hear any additional recommendations you might have.
Hotels Recommendations
Fairfield Inn by Marriott Portsmouth Seacoast (for those looking for a cheaper, yet clean hotel)
Wentworth by the Sea (definitely on the higher end, we didn’t stay here but walked around the property and got lunch here!)
Other great options can be found here on Go Portsmouth NH
Delicious restaurants and places to eat
SALT Kitchen and Bar (amazing lunch and beautiful venue)
Martingale Wharf (delicious seafood, stunning view)
The Clipper Tavern (comfort food)
Portsmouth Brewery (we didn’t eat here but saw amazing reviews)
Cup of Joe (yummy coffee/soft drinks, also a restaurant)
Other yummy restaurants can be found here
Things to do
