Blue skies and foliage over Durham, NH.
The Amtrak Downeaster Rail begins in Portland, Maine and ends in Boston, Massachusetts. In between there are stops in Old Orchard Beach ME, Saco ME, Wells ME, Dover NH, Durham NH, Exeter NH, Haverhill MA, and Woburn MA. For this series of articles I will expound upon the merits of each stop along the Downeaster Amtrak tour.
The town of Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire, and the Amtrak train drops you off right on campus. The town lies beside the Great Bay at the mouth of Oyster River. Visitors can check out the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to learn about upland hardwood forests, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh and mudflats. Explore the 19th century gundalow replica or wander through the native gardens surrounding the center. Birders can watch such local species as Great Bay’s wintering eagle population, migratory warblers, waterfowl, and osprey.
Adams Point - Durham, NH.
The Durham Historic Association manages a museum dedicated to the long history of this coastal town. Hiking enthusiasts can enjoy the trails along the Adams Point Wildlife Management Area.
While not the most bustling of Amtrak stops along the Downeaster Adventure tour, Durham is quaint and picturesque, and worthy of an afternoon of exploration.
Past articles in this series:
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Overview
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Portland, ME
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Old Orchard Beach, ME
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Saco, ME
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Wells, ME
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Dover, NH
Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “Blue Sky” by iLoveButter on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Seat with a View” by Robyn Gallant on Flickr Creative Commons.
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One Response
I recently took the Amtrak Downeaster train service from Boston to Portland, ME. This service is separate from regular Amtrak in that it is run by the State of Maine, which leases the equipment from Amtrak and operates the trains itself, so there are a few differences from regular Amtrak.
Good things about Amtrak Downeaster:
- For public transportation between Boston and Portland, ME, you have a choice of Downeaster service or bus service, both of which end up in the same terminal at Portland (the Portland Transportation Connector station or “PTC”). I took Downeaster up and bus back. Downeaster cars were definitely more comfortable, with more space in the seat even when the train is full.