Tag Archives: Hampton Beach

Happy 3rd Anniversary

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Back on July 11th, Tary and I took the day off to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. It was a beautiful sunny day and I’m glad we got to spend the bulk of it focusing on just the two of us.

After dropping off the boys at daycare, we started our day together at the Pheasant Lane Mall to buy some new shoes for Daniel. Running errands isn’t exactly what you’d like to do while celebrating an anniversary but sometimes being a parent requires squeezing in required tasks. The other consolation is that we did it together. There was a new crepes store in the food court that I wanted to try but they weren’t going to be ready soon so I settled for a pretzel dog and Tary bought nuggets from Chick-fil-A.

We then headed to the new Merrimack Premium Outlets. We were surprised at how quickly we arrived. It’s certainly a lot closer than the Wrentham Outlets and it’s tax free!!! I liked that there was plenty of parking. I also liked how the plaza was a big circle with stores on each side of us. I liked the open roof design which let light and fresh air in while providing some additional shade. It was a little confusing that there were no designated stores for kids or babies (e.g., Baby Gap, Baby Polo, etc.) but we quickly figured out that they were located in subsections of their parent stores. We will definitely come back here when looking for a bargain.

Next we drove for about an hour to Brown’s for lunch. I ordered a quart of steamers for $13. I’ve never really eaten steamers before but it was really fun to eat. First you rip off the “beard”, dip the body in cup of water that was used in steaming the steamers, and then you drown it in the clarified butter. Mmm!

Tary ordered a plate of fried clams and scallops with a side of fries and coleslaw. She also added an order of crab cakes and more fried scallops for us to share. The fried scallops was delicious but it’s weird how there’s something about them that always makes me feel full.

After lunch we headed to Hampton Beach. Being that it was a weekday, it was fairly easy to find a metered parking spot along the main strip. I sat on the beach while Tary enjoyed a dip in the water. I didn’t really want to get wet because we had to pick up the boys later in the afternoon and I didn’t want to go home to shower first.

We then walked along the water hand-in-hand. It was a really warm day and it felt good to get my feet wet. There were lots of other people playing in and around the water as well.

One thing that stood out was how much the area has been updated. The new facilities are clean and modern. I liked how the parking area takes credit cards. Who carries change anymore? I also liked the new posted signs that help guide you back onto the highway.

We walked along the strip enjoying the sights, sounds, and people. Tary was really happy to see a Hawaiian shaved ice stand and paid for an order. She then proceeded to tell me how much she loved them as a kid. I bought some fried dough from another vendor and we sat and enjoyed our desserts. I love seeing my wife that happy.

After a nice time relaxing on the beach, we returned home to pick up our boys from daycare. It was such a great day and I was glad that I was able to spend it with my lovely wife. The past 3 years have been amazing and I am incredibly blessed to be married to such an amazing woman. I love you Tary!

Hampton Beach

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The stars aligned. The weather was perfect. It was the weekend and we didn’t have any other plans. We were finally able to go as a family to the beach!

On Saturday, June 30th we took the kids to Hampton Beach. I was surprised at the lack of traffic around the beach but maybe it was because of the route that my phone’s GPS led us on. The main strip was packed so we continued past until we saw a retaining wall to our right. I pulled over and found another less crowded beach just beyond the wall.

I parked the car and fed the coin-operated meters. It was a little expensive at 25 cents for 7 1/2 minutes ($2/hr). I used all of the change in my car and we only had enough for just over an hour.

Once on the beach we set up our new Kelty beach cabana. It was easy to set up with its 3-pole design. The wind made a little trickier because the wind kept blowing the material around. I’m really glad we bought it. It was spacious, provided lots of shade, and had good ventilation.

Now that Daniel is a little older and is more self-aware, he is very cautious about unfamiliar surroundings. So it was unsurprising that he did not like being in or near the water at all! Instead he was content sitting just outside of the cabana and filling his bucket with wet sand.

I brought Matthew toward the water and helped him stand in it. He definitely didn’t mind the cold water rushing over his feet. He also enjoyed rolling around inside of the cabana.

It was a relaxing time. It felt a little rushed since we could only stay for about an hour. But I’m glad we got to take the kids to the beach.

It has been several years since I last visited Hampton Beach but I was impressed with whatever updates were made in and around the area. It was remarkably easy to find our way back home. Once we packed up, we double-backed along the strip, took a right at the Route 95 sign, and followed the road for about 15 minutes to the highway. It was such a pleasant experience; I can’t wait to go back there again!

Mommy and Daniel Playing with the Sand