If you’re overdue for a little retail therapy you might consider continuing south on Route 16 from the US-302 junction toward North Conway (pop. 2,069), one of the cornerstones of New England’s factory-outlet circuit. City dwellers be warned: Horrible flashbacks to your commute may result if you venture into the shopping mall zone, where half-hour (or longer) crawls along a five-mile stretch of highway are not unheard-of on holidays, weekends, and afternoons, or during summers, springs, and autumns.
Besides factory-outlet stores, North Conway is also home to New Hampshire’s most popular scenic railroad, running steam engines throughout summer and during the fall color season. Based out of Conway’s downtown depot, the Conway Scenic Railroad ($10 and up depending on trip; 603/356-5251) runs historic trains south to Conway, through Bartlett, and all the way to Crawford Notch via the historic Frankenstein Trestle, with special excursions available in addition to these frequent trips.
Although all the tourists may well drive you away from North Conway, the town does have some good places to eat and drink, like Horsefeather’s, a lively bar with a good restaurant on Main Street right across from the depot. If this is a bit rowdy (as it can be during Red Sox–Yankees games), head up the street to Elvio’s Pizza, where you can get slices or full pies, submarine sandwiches, and big salads, plus wine and beer.
There are lots of accommodations on and off Route 16, from old cabin courts to anodyne motels, but the most interesting place has to be the Cranmore Inn ($60 and up; 603/356-5502), a quick walk east of Route 16 at 24 Kearsarge Street, which has been welcoming travelers since 1863.
