A step back in time at Strawberry Banke

Brian and I went on a mini-vacation to Portsmouth, N. H., a locale Brian picked because he wanted to tour a bio-mass plant there. Portsmouth is really a fabulous place, with a population of only about 20,000; cheek-to-jowl with Kittery, Maine and with a bustling downtown and nightlife.

We were not able to visit the plant this time, but we stayed at a great place, the Portsmouth Harbor Inn and Spa, which is actually in Kittery; went to two breweries, Red Hook and Portsmouth (run by the people who originally opened the Northampton Brewery) and -- my favorite thing -- visited Strawberry Banke, a "living museum" of Portsmouth history.


The museum, which is comparable, I guess to Sturbridge Village, a destination I haven't visited since I was in sixth grade, consists of 42 buildings, most of them homes on their original foundations and in various stages of being restored to their original look. They range in period from the mid-1600's to the mid-1950's, the latter being MY favorite era.


I like antiques and ye olde stuff, but I really like vintage stuff, such as Depression-era glass and other 50's furniture and dishware, including items that are on the edge of transformation from being just old and dated-looking to retro. So Strawberry Banke was a little slice of retro heaven!


We had an excellent, no-nonsense tour guide named Polly who showed us around and then left the group to their own devices. There were role-players in period dress, including this lady outside the 40's-era corner store.


There was a Victory garden and a great exhibit of posters promoting home vegetable gardens and running a tight ship at home as being patriotic in war time. (I thought I would annotate the following suggestions for women the way my blogging mentor Tom Devine annotates stuff over at his blog.)

I don't know if I'm THAT kind of wife, but I'm TRYing.


I think I failed to sense Ana's and Nicky's shock at various things and now they're both huge horror movie buffs.


I would have to say I'm unfailingly polite to service people having been a waitress myself.


I'm all about ATTRACTIVE leftovers.


I usually avoid cooking things that have drippings, except for bacon in the microwave. Can you believe they used to save the drippings for use in weapon-making? That's what they mean by "the dealer" here.


Joining whole-heartedly in some community projects is on my to-do list.


No comment.


There was also a wonderful Victorian children's garden with beautiful little details like this tiny mermaid.



I liked how some things looked a little bit unkempt and also how some of the exhibits throughout the grounds said "please touch." Strawberry Banke, I salute you!


Me and Dad in Jersey City.