Reader:  I would like to make a reservation for Moose watching in Pittsburg, or Moose Alley.  Do you have a number I can call?

Lisa:  I just spoke to the North Country Chamber of Commerce.  They can be reached at (800) 698-8939, http://www.northcountrychamber.org/.  They gave me the name of an individual that does moose watching tours in the region.  His name is Paul and he can be reached at the Mohawk Valley Camping Area at 603-237-5756.  He's located in Colebrook but I think he does tours of the whole region.  If you can't reach him at that number, you may leave a message for him at the Chamber of Commerce office and they can pass along your information.  I hope this helps.  I know there is a Moose Festival coming up in another week so there will be a lot of people up there for moose viewing.  You picked a great time to come!  Have fun.

Reader:  Having been unable to find hours of operation on the website, I phoned Sunapee State Park at this number - 603-763-5561 and received a message so garbled that not a word of it was understandable.

Lisa: The hours of operation for 2008 are below:

The park is open weekends only starting Memorial Day weekend (May 24 - 26), then full-time, 9:30am - 7:30pm, from June 21 through September 1, 2008, weather permitting. Lifeguards are on duty daily from June 21 through September 1.

Reader:  My family is planning on visiting NH for an ATV ride. Where in NH can we stay so we can ride from the park? Is Jericho Mtn. State Park complete yet?

Lisa:  I do believe that Jericho Mountain State Park has some trails open at this time (although perhaps not until Memorial Day Weekend).  I don't think they have a campground open yet though.  I would check with the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce to be sure.  They can be reached at 603-752-6060. 

There is a great campground in Warren where you can ride from across the street.  It's called the Scenic View Campground.  I am told that you can't ride in the campground itself but there is a place onsite where you can park your ATV's and ride from there.  Their website is: http://www.scenicviewnh.com

You may also want to check with the NH Department of Trails:  http://www.nhtrails.org for information on other trails throughout the state.  Happy trails!

Reader:  A few years ago, Yankee Magazine printed an article about a hill in NH covered with daffodils blooming in the spring.  Can you tell me where it is?  Thank you very much.

Lisa:  I've heard about this over the years and I believe the hill can be found in Danbury, NH next to the Elementary School.  However, the person who was responsible for planting all the spring bulbs, third grade teacher Mrs. Mary Jane Ogmundson (along with her entire 3rd grade class) is no longer teaching at the school.  "Daffodil Hill" is technically still there, but over the years the bulbs have faded (as daffodils tend to do if they are not pulled up every year or re-planted).  The school attempted to continue the tradition of planting the bulbs but the cost and time involved prohibited them from continuing the program.  However, over the years, Mrs. Ogmundson, who was known as the "Daffodil Queen", managed to plant over 100,000 bulbs during her time at Danbury Elementary.  15,000 were planted in the final year, four years after the third grade teacher moved on to another school.  It may still be worth a trip - in May - to see the bulbs in bloom, but there are no guarantees, since no one is maintaining them at this time.  I hope that answers your question!

Reader:  We will be visiting NH in mid-May.  We have a day and a night completely free and would like to experience NH at it's fullest.  We will be flying into Manchester and Mt. Washington is our final destination.

What is "castle in the sky"?  What do you suggest, please?

Lisa: The "Castle in the Clouds" (http://www.newhampshire.com/nh-attractions/castle.aspx) is actually a resort/estate that offers 45 miles of hiking trails. The views at the top are really beautiful. I don't know what you like to do so I'll have to give you some general information. If you like to hike and be in a natural outdoor setting, I would definitely recommend the Flume (http://www.newhampshire.com/nh-attractions/flume-gorge.aspx). That's one of the best natural attractions in our state.

We also have a list of 10 Things to Do in the White Mountains: http://newhampshire.com/explore-nh/10-things-white-mountain.aspx

And, 10 Things to Do in the Lakes Region: http://newhampshire.com/explore-nh/10-things-lakes-region.aspx

Depending on whether you'll have children with you, there are other activities that I would recommend. I do think Lake Winnipesaukee is one of the most scenic places in the state, outside of the White Mountains (where you will already be heading anyway). So, if I had to recommend something outside of the White Moutnains, it would be a trip to Lake Winnipesaukee. You can take a train ride around the lake (http://newhampshire.com/nh-attractions/winni-railroad.aspx), a boat ride across the lake (http://newhampshire.com/nh-attractions/mt-washington-cruises.aspx) or some shopping at the Tilton Outlet Stores, http://www.tangeroutlet.com/tilton. Wolfeboro is also a great little town on the edge of the lake.

You could do a tour of covered bridges. There are many located throughout the Lakes & White Moutain Regions: http://newhampshire.com/covered-bridges/bridges-listed-by-town.aspx.

If you have specific interests, it might be easier to point you in the right direction. If you like hiking, I can recommend some good hiking trails. But I would need to know if you'll have children with you, as some of the hikes lead to sharp drop offs and I wouldn't recommend them for kids. Also, if you have kids, you might want to try a place like Gunstock or Attitash's Alpine Slide.

Here is another page that will give you some ideas: http://newhampshire.com/explore-nh/nh-101.aspx

Most important, enjoy your stay in New Hampshire! Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Does New Hampshire have any active gold mines?  It's not exactly one of the states you think about when you think about gold panning.  But, you might be surprised to know that there is gold in them there waters.  Don't get all crazy.  The gold is not enough to get rich on but you might find flakes in the water and gold panning is a fun recreational activity.

Reader:  Can you tell me anything about Surry Mountain Gold Mine?  Is it still active?

Lisa:  Surry Mountain Gold Mine appears on a historic marker in the Monadnock Region in Surry Village, near Gilsum, New Hampshire.  The sign indicates that mines that yielded small amounts of gold, silver, mica, lead and copper were mined along the ridge of Surry Mountain.  However, the mine is no longer an active mine. 

But, if you are interested in panning for gold in New Hampshire, the best place to try is the Wild Ammonoosuc River in the heart of the White Mountains.  Gold has been found here for a couple of hundred years, a leftover gift from the ice age. 

Just be careful that you enter the river in public areas and do not tresspass on private property.  Be sure to get acquainted with the laws for panning in the White Mountain National Forest (panning is ok; dredges are not). 

Reader:  I am looking for a nice Inn restaurant/tavern to spend New Years Eve. Something casual.  I would like to have a nice dinner and then have cocktails in a casual place and stay the nite and have breakfast.  Do you have any recommendations?

Lisa:  Depending on what part of the state you'd like to come to, there are various places that are celebrating New Years in a casual environment. 

In Manchester, I would recommend the Radisson Hotel on Elm Street.  They have a place called JD's Tavern downstairs (or you could hit a number of spots within walking distance that offer casual dining and
celebration), plus breakfast in the morning at Cafe on the Park (also downstairs).  It's not an inn, but most of the inns are located in more remote regions.

http://www.radisson.com/manchesternh

We have built a page that shows all of the places that are offering packages for New Year's Eve.  It's broken down by region and can be found at http://www.newhampshire.com/new-years-eve/celebrations-2008.aspx.  This page is currently being updated as we get information. 

Enjoy your holiday!

Reader:  I would like to get more information about the upcoming primary.  Do you know how I could find out how many new voters plan to participate in the primary this year?  And also, if I could compare this number to comparable stats from previous presidential elections? 

Lisa:  I would check with the St. Anselm Institute of Politics in Manchester.  I believe they keep track of Primary statistics.  I'm not sure that they can tell you how many voters plan to vote in the Primary, but they might have conducted polls to project figures like that.  But if anyone would have this sort of information, it would be the St. Anselm Institute of Politics.

Here is a link to the Institute:  http://www.anselm.edu/nhiop/