The Monadnock Region - Currier & Ives Country

Mount Monadnock in the town of Jaffrey is easily the biggest attraction to this area. One of the world's most climbed mountains, the summit offers a spectacular view of six other states on a clear day. The mountain has 40 miles of trails and an elevation of 3,165 feet. Nearby Pack Monadnock in Temple is lesser known but offers a ten-mile hike to the top and a 2,000 foot climb in elevation, including a steep climb on the last mile. On a clear day you can see the Boston skyline from the summit.

Rock walls surround properties. Gazebos, churches with white steeples, centuries' old town halls and meeting houses line main streets. Antique shops are sprinkled about. The mill villages of Harrisville, Temple, Stoddard, Wilton and Hillsborough can be found here, almost untouched by the years. The town of Swanzey is home to four covered bridges. You won't find many hotels in the area; there is more of a country inn atmosphere around here.

And the area has been touched by the arts as well. Here is where you'll find the MacDowell Colony, the nation's oldest artist community, in the town of Peterborough. The colony has nurtured the muse of Mark Twain, Willa Cather and Louisa May Alcott, and the classic Thornton Wilder novel "Our Town." Also in Peterborough, you'll discover cultures from around the world at the Mariposa Museum. A short drive away, Keene's Colonial Theatre is a venue for a variety of performances throughout the year, from classical music and film to theatre and comedy.

The Yankee Magazine and the Old Farmer's Almanac are both published in Dublin. The town of Mason is home to Pickity Place, the 1786 cottage that inspired the illustrations in "Little Red Riding Hood," Parker's Maple Barn, known for their maple syrup made the old-fashioned way, and Uncle Sam's boyhood home.

Where will these meandering roads lead you?

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