If you’ve ever wanted to visit “picture perfect quintessential Currier and Ives” New England, visit New Hampshire. English explorer John Smith named the state North Virginia, which King James later revised into New England. As you would expect in the Heart of New England, it’s filled with gorgeous scenic byways and authentic small towns. Mount Washington, the highest peak in the East, presides over the White Mountain Trail and the Kancamagus National Scenic Byways, where “on a clear day you can see forever” as you look over four states from the mountaintop. Lake Winnipesaukee, America’s first summer resort, has retained its traditional character and quaint charm. Remember the movie On Golden Pond? It was filmed there. In between these great attractions, you can savor unique cuisine and traditional New England cooking, interesting heritage, dense forests, and sparkling lakes. The Made in New Hampshire program includes handmade products, unique creations and local foods. New Hampshire’s history, beginning at Strawberry Banke is intriguing, especially how it interconnects with the early history of the region. At Canterbury, visit a Shaker Village and in Webster, New Hampshire Bowl and Board. Enjoy the grandeur of the luxurious Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods where the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were formed in the wake of World War II. Once every four years, New Hampshire gets its due on the world stage, as voters in Dixville Notch go to the polls at midnight on election day, to cast their votes for President of the United States. It’s been said that “so goes New Hampshire, so goes the nation.” We’ll see how long that proves true.