New Hampshire
Take a Ride on the Oldest Floating Post Office in the U.S.
If you don’t do anything else: Take the mail boat lake cruise
“You have to take a trip on the mail boat because not only is it nostalgic, but it gives you an up close and personal view of the lake,” Nix says. “You get to go out to the islands and have kind of a little bit of a picture of what it’s like to be living out on the islands in the summer.
The mail cruise leaves from the dock at Weirs Beach, in the town of Laconia twice daily, at 11 am and 2 pm, rain or shine, every day except Sunday. The two-hour cruise is extremely popular with visitors, so it’s important to purchase tickets ahead of time to make sure that you don’t get left at the dock. The dock is right along the Weirs Beach boardwalk, also where the train leaves, so you can’t miss it. The mail cruise is not the only lake cruise option, but it’s certainly the most distinct. Where else can you ride along with a mail carrier, while taking a ride around a pristine lake?
Passengers board the Sophie C and ride along the delivery route, while taking in the sites of the lake—pontoon boats, massive summer homes, tiny lake cottages, and fish birds soaring overhead. At some stops, they just throw the mail bag off at the dock, but at others, Sophie‘s visit is a social event. Island residents, like Bear Island’s Barabara Laround, often come to the dock to say hello. “You get to meet people on all of the different islands, and it’s just fun,” Nix says. Barbara’s husband likes to stand at the dock and receive a line to help the deckhand out.
During the voyage, passengers are invited to fill out and mail postcards right on board, complete with Sophie’s own unique, collectible cancellation stamp, and purchase shirts and hats. The morning and afternoon routes are different. In the morning, the boat is scheduled to stop at Loon Island, Bear Island, Three Mile Island, and East Bear Island. In the afternoon, Camp Lawrence, Birch Island, Sandy Island, Cow Island, and Jolly Island are scheduled, but some islands are not even inhabited every day. Throughout the route, the Sophie C can be spotted and waved to as it passes by.
Tiny Loon Island only has one house, and the property has been in the same family for six generations. On a pretty day, don’t be surprised to be greeted by the current owner, and he may even dive in the lake as you pull off. “It’s a tradition,” Nix says. “The islanders like to jump into the wake because of the agitation of the water and how it feels against the skin.”
Three Mile Island has a distinct teenage vibe, but in an old-school kind of way. The property, including a lodge and 47 cabins, has been owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club since 1900, and campers can be found lounging on the dock when the sun’s out. “The island kids love to come down to meet Sophie so they can get a nice ice cream treat,” Nix says. When islanders go to town to shop, they have to put everything in freezer bags to keep it cool, so on hot days, it’s difficult to transport even today.
New Hampshire
Is Hannaford open Christmas Day 2025? Target? See what’s open and closed in NH
How to save time while grocery shopping
Cut grocery shopping time in half with these tips.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
Cooking your Christmas dinner and missing that one key ingredient? In New Hampshire, you might find it difficult to locate an open grocery store on Dec. 25.
New Hampshire state laws don’t restrict grocery stores from opening on Christmas Day, which falls on a Thursday this year.
But while most businesses are allowed to open, many still opt to close in observance of the December holiday. You should check a shop’s hours or call ahead before heading over.
Here’s what to know about New Hampshire grocery stores on Christmas Day.
Are any grocery stores open on Christmas in NH? Market Basket? Hannaford?
Several grocery store chains, like BJ’s Wholesale Club, ALDI, Market Basket, and Costco, will be closed on Christmas. Target, which sells groceries, will also be closed on Dec. 25. So will Walmart and Trader Joe’s.
Most Hannaford locations in New Hampshire, like those in Portsmouth, Dover, Nashua, and Manchester, will be closed on Christmas Day.
Most Shaw’s locations will be closed on the holiday, as well as most Price Chopper and Market 32 stores.
All Price Rite locations, including the Manchester store, will be closed on Dec. 25, according to a company spokesperson.
Additionally, Whole Foods said all of its stores will be closed on Christmas.
While more New Hampshire grocery stores will be open on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) than on Christmas Day, many chains will operate with limited hours.
Are liquor stores open on Christmas in New Hampshire?
All 67 of New Hampshire’s state-run liquor stores will be closed on Christmas this year, according to the N.H. Liquor Commission.
Will convenience stores be open on Christmas? What about pharmacies?
Most businesses, like gas stations, restaurants, and pharmacies, are allowed to open on Christmas.
Certain Cumberland Farms, CVS, and Walgreens locations have opened on Dec. 25 in previous years.
However, many shops still close on certain holidays to give employees time with their families. It’s best to call ahead and check.
Melina Khan of USA TODAY and Margie Cullen of the USA Today Network contributed to this report.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire 6-year-old tests positive for cocaine, cannabis; mother faces multiple charges
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A New Hampshire woman was charged with child endangerment and witness tampering after her daughter ingested a THC gummy and later tested positive for cannabinoids and cocaine, according to officials.
The incident prompted a police investigation after the state Division for Children, Youth and Families notified the Nashua Police Department Nov. 3.
According to a release shared by Nashua Police Department, detectives learned the 6-year-old had been hospitalized following the ingestion and that her mother, Paige Goulet, allegedly told a witness not to cooperate with investigators.
DRUG-LACED CANDY DISGUISED AS KIDS’ TREATS FUELS NEW HALLOWEEN SAFETY WARNING FOR PARENTS: POLICE
The Nashua Police Department took custody of Goulet and formally charged her. (Nashua Police Department)
“While at the hospital, the juvenile victim tested positive for the illegal drugs, cannabinoids, and cocaine,” the release said.
“Detectives learned that Goulet had told a witness not to cooperate with the police investigation, and detectives determined that Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her juvenile daughter.”
Goulet, 30, was arrested Monday by Meredith police on a felony warrant for tampering with witnesses involved in the Nashua police investigation.
GUATEMALAN NATIONAL FREED WITHOUT BAIL IN THC GUMMIES CASE THAT SENT 12 MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS TO THE HOSPITAL
Nashua police determined Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her daughter. (Wang Zhao/AFP/GettyImages)
She was taken into custody by Nashua police and formally charged.
She is facing charges of tampering with witnesses and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the release.
FLORIDA PARENTS ARRESTED AFTER 4-YEAR-OLD TWINS ALLEGEDLY SHOT THEMSELVES
Paige Goulet was taken to the Nashua Police Department and charged with witness tampering and child endangerment after her daughter’s THC gummy ingestion. (Google Maps)
Goulet was released on $300 cash bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Nashua District Court Jan. 7.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Meredith and Nashua police departments for comment.
New Hampshire
It’s been 50 years since turkeys were reintroduced to N.H. A survey will check on the population. – The Boston Globe
In recent years, the survey has helped identify about 910 flocks on average, with about 16,488 birds reported per year.
Those numbers can fluctuate based on winter conditions. The birds are more likely to congregate at backyard feeders during winters with heavy snow and limited food, driving up reported numbers. On the other hand, when birds can easily get the food they need in the wild, reports tend to decrease, according to Daniel Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist and turkey project leader at New Hampshire Fish and Game.
He said the state has been conducting the survey for about 20 years. This year, the survey started in December and will run through March.
Right now, the turkey population in New Hampshire includes about 48,000 birds, Fish and Game estimated.
But just over 50 years ago, there weren’t any turkeys in the state at all. In fact, Ellingwood said, turkeys had been absent from New Hampshire’s landscape for about 125 years — starting in the 1850s and lasting until a successful reintroduction effort began in 1975.
Populations were diminished to the point of disappearing because of human activities like hunting and deforestation.
Then, in 1975, the state launched a successful effort to bring the turkeys back.
“A single flock from southwest New York was captured and translocated to Walpole, New Hampshire in ’75,” Ellingwood said. “That population took hold and began to expand.”
That first flock included about 25 birds. In the following years, other flocks were relocated to New Hampshire, and the turkey population began spreading to other parts of the state.
At this point, the birds have made a remarkable recovery.
“The population is largely stable and healthy,” Ellingwood said.
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
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