Squamscott River, Exeter, New Hampshire
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 Exeter has a very long history. The town was incorporated in 1638, and today hosts a wide variety of well preserved historic buildings. The American Independence Museum is located within walking distance of the Amtrak station, and boasts two rare drafts of the U.S. Constitution as well as an original Purple Heart, awarded by George Washington to soldiers demonstrating extraordinary bravery. History buffs will truly enjoy a tour of the museum, the 18th century Ladd-Gilman House, and Folsom Tavern.
A stone church in Exeter.
The extraordinarily beautiful Exeter Inn, built in 1932, features the renowned Epoch Restaurant and is a truly upscale and classy way to spend the night in the Exeter area. Patrons can indulge in a short walk to the center of downtown Exeter to enjoy such entertainments as the historic Bandstand, a variety of shops and restaurants, and museums. Adjacent to the bandstand is the Inn by the Bandstand, another historic establishment built in 1809 and featuring nine antique furnished guest rooms.
Exeter is yet another excellent jumping-off point to enjoy all of the sights of the New England coast as you continue along your Amtrak Downeaster Adventure.
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
- Amtrak Downeaster Adventure – Durham, NH
Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “Squamscott River Exeter, New Hampshire” by sskennel on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Exeter stone church” by RGallant on Flickr Creative Commons.
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One Response
My husband has done a lot of intrepid train travel around the world in countries where there are a lot more trains than we have here in the US.
Most people know about the advanced trains in Europe. But what many don’t know is that India has the most developed train system in the world. It was established by the British. Which brings us back ’round to your post and New England – established by the British.
What I don’t like about that part of the country is that if you’re a tourist they’re polite. But if you move there from somewhere else they aren’t the most welcoming people in the world.