I don't think I can put into words how pleased I was with Tye Tours, but I will try…read more I brought 10 college students to Manchester to witness firsthand the campaign atmosphere leading up to the New Hampshire. We hoped to attend campaign events throughout the state. And we could not have done it without Mel and Tye Tours! Mel was willing to drive our group to all corners of the state at odd times of the day, sometimes adjusting his personal schedule. He always kept the drives interesting with fascinating trivia about New Hampshire and New England in general. He was a sweet man who got to know the students and offered them candy along the ride. On one instance, Mel went above and beyond anything I could have expected. A student became ill at an event and had to be transported to the hospital. Mel drove the rest of the group from Concord back to Manchester, then returned to Concord to wait with me in the ER while my student was treated. He then drove us all back to Manchester, accepting no additional money for the extra 4 hours of work. Mel is not just good at his job; more importantly, he is a good man. I would highly, highly recommend him and Tye Tours.

We just returned from the 7-day Tour of New England. Everything was great! Mel made the driving…read moreinteresting with his knowledge of the history and geography. He went out of his way to find out what we wanted to see and to include those sites in our travels. His choices for meals were outstanding. We hope to take more of Mel's tours.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour…read morethe Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist! We have set the dial to 1906 in the town of Groton MA. Located about an hour outside of Boston & perched on top of Gibbet Hill in Groton, are the cryptic ruins of The Bancroft Castle. Many people think that you have to jump the pond & go to Europe & other continents to see castles. Not True. Here in America we have many castles; ironically they just aren't being promoted. This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard about or been to before. THE HISTORY: In 1906 General William Bancroft constructed his castle on top of Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts. This place was a gift for his wife. It was originally intended to be a bungalow & more additions were going to be added to create a large castle. Unfortunately he didn't have the funds to complete his vision. In 1918 it became a sanitarium & in the 1930's the bungalow became an entertainment venue. On July 4 1932 the fireworks celebration went haywire & the bungalow caught fire. All that remained were the exterior stone walls. Since 2000, The Castle & it's trails became a protected open space for the city of Groton & open to the public. Great News for us! There is free street parking below the Castle on Lowell St . There is NO PARKING from DUSK TO DAWN otherwise you can Park there. There is also a sign with a notice that this is a Tick area. Take all precautions with DEET or other spray, long sleeve shirts & tucking pants into socks & shaking out of clothes etc. You can visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/tick-borne-disease-prevention for the latest tick guidelines. Also just stay on the main cleared path & with precautions & spray you should be Fine. I wouldn't picnic here because of the ticks even though it's a beautiful spot. It's only a short walk up the hill to The Bancroft Castle. IT'S BEAUTIFUL! You will see meadows, trees, green grass, a beautiful Castle & a white structure in the distance. You can get right up close to the stone structure of Bancroft Castle. It offers a clear open window to the natural setting on all its sides & above too. After your exploring adventure, come on down the hill & it's only a few minutes drive to see that white building. It is The First Parish Meeting House built in 1755 in Groton. Happy Traveling. AND IT'S ALL FREE! It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Cool little structure to check out if you find yourself in Groton. Easy hike from main road- May…read moreeven see skins wild turkeys and cows

The city's historical section is loaded with Cape- and Colonial-style buildings from the 18th…read morecentury, and the commercial focal point is Market Square, where the tall white steeple atop the North Church is the town landmark. The streets radiating from the square bustle with shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants. Boston is an hour away, and the White Mountains a 90-minute drive. Portsmouth's restaurant scene is diverse and growing, as is the region's cultural scene. And there is no shortage of fresh lobster rolls and fried clams.

I'm disabled with a fractured spine and the city won't give me a parking permit so I can park where…read moreI live like others can. I was laughed at by their workers when I explained I cannot walk a 1/4 mile to get to my car cuz it caused immense pain. Their stance was since I don't pay the utility companies myself becksse im disabled living on a budget that I don't deserve to be able to drive. They are fining me 15-30$ everytime I park on my street yet leave others alone, they also said because I don't have a handicap plate then I'm not really disabled and am faking it even though I had emergency surgery scheduled a month ago and had to cancel it because my doc said me having to walk like that after getting a fusion will destroy his work so city of Nashua has made it so I have to keep crushing nerves ahd my spinal cord risking paralysis because I cannot get my surgery now due to their refusing to give me a parking permit. The worse part for me is having my pain and suffering laughed at and looked down upon and treated like I'm better off dead cuz I'm just a scumbag disabled person, treated like I don't deserve to even own a car. I didn't do this to myself, I was hit by three different drivers that were sleeping at the wheel and lost everything I worked very hard for in life.. then to be treated like I'm not even an insect on their windshield because I'm poor now just feels so damn low. I had to quit my job as well cuz I was trying to work part time but I cannot walk a half mile a day to get back and to my car. So in perspective even Nicole at the mayors office told me they would help and to hang on for a call... instead they never called but did decide to tack on more cash to the fines they know I already cannot afford. Also Nicole telling me that I'm not really disabled if I don't have a handicap plate and in essence saying I'm faking and saying that somehow if they give me a parking permit to park where I live then they'll have to give a permit to 87k people that ask.. I fail to see how 87k people are applying for a permit to Park on my small road where I live. Maybe I need to just sign over my ssdi check to the city of Nashua since they don't feel I deserve to eat, have a job, to get surgery to mend my l5 that's split into two pieces Crushing my spinal cord and nerve root ganglion from l3-s1 which is extremely painful but the city of Nashua has openly decided I shouldn't even get my medical care cuz I'm just a poor nobody and not an athlete which is apparent cuz of neighborhood I moved to cuz my father just died few months back and I had to help my mom sell the family home. THANKS CITY OF NASHUA FOR LITERALLY DECIDING TO KEEP ME FROM SURGERY THAT IS URGENT AND FORCING ME TO SELL MY CAR AND MAKE ME QUIT MY JOB CUZ TO THE CITY US DISABLED PEOPLE ARENT REALLY PEOPLE, we are just scumbags they get to decide our life path and even medical care.

Foster Square, renamed for the General whose statue resides here is located in Nashua NH…read more Surrounded by trees on this corner in a residential neighborhood where the General's family home stood. The statue shows the General standing proudly with field glasses in his left hand and his saber in his right. Super mustache, sir! The plaque at his feet reads, "Major General John G. Foster. Born 1823, Graduate West Point 1846. Served with distinction as Captain in Mexican War at Contreras, Churubusco and Molino Del Rey. Attained rank of Major General in Civil War for distinguishes service in the capture of Savannah, Georgia and for gallant and meritorious service in the field during the war. Died at Nashua, September 2, 1874." Stop by and pay tribute to this officer. [Review 10440 overall, 207 of 2019.]

At the top of the Main Street hill past the bridge over the Nashua River and where it splits to…read moreConcord Street and Amherst Street. This monument has definite pride of place. The monument was dedicated in 1889 and is a column of New Hampshire granite (this is the Granite State) and at the top is a figure of Victory, dressed in classical Roman garments and holding an American shield and a laurel wreath. Bronze statues of a soldier and a sailor, as well as bronze reliefs showing the reconciliation with the South, the sinking of the Alabama by the Kearsarge, and the Goddess of Liberty decorate the base of the monument. A sculpture of a saddle covered in cavalry gear is located at the front of the structure, and a sculpture of Civil War-era weapons is located at the back. The inscription reads, "A tribute to the men of Nashua who served their country on land or sea during the War of the Rebellion, and aided in preserving the integrity of the Federal union. A.D. 1861-1865. Erected by the City of Nashua, A.D. 1889" Parking is limited. Further reading here: https://archive.org/details/accountofsoldier00nash [Review 18572 overall - 106 in New Hampshire - 2094 of 2022.]

Groton meets my freshly butchered meat, best ever steakhouse, kayaking and hiking needs…read more Five stars.

Groton is a quaint little town situated in the North-northeast section of Massachusetts. The…read moreAmerican Indians who lived here thousands of years ago called this area "Petapawag" meaning "swampy land" - and you'll notice when driving through that there are a lot of wetlands in the area. The town itself doesn't have much going on. You won't find any malls or movie theaters or McDonalds or a Stop & Shop. Storefronts are zoned to look old-timey. You'd never know the Citizens or Bank of America located downtown were banks, except for the small signs out front. The town hall is gorgeous. Looks small from the outside, but inside every department is clearly marked and everyone inside is very polite and helpful. Groton is a rich town - and their taxes certainly reflect this! Homes, even two-family homes, are zoned to look like one-family dwellings from the outside. This keeps the quaint nature of the town intact. When you mention Groton to people, they generally know if from one of two things: The Lawrence Acadamy, which is the most expensive private high school in America, or Gibbet Hill, which is known as an excellent restaurant in town. If you like nature, Groton is your place - there's a huge bike path through town (part of the old Boston & Maine railway) as well as many lakes and ponds and forest to explore. Groton has grown over the years, but knows to keep itself looking as it should instead of bursting at the seams with modern stores, etc.

Open seasonally, this is a unique NPS park as a site representing the industrial revolution,…read morefactory working conditions, and an early but prominent labor strike, led by female workers. When I went, the visitor center was undergoing renovations, but I could still tour a few of the open buildings, which were well worth it. We started with the boardinghouse. Young women from local farms were early workers who lived on site in an era when women hadn't worked before. I found the information thorough representing both the pros and cons of women having their own income and Lowell being one of the first towns women could open their own bank accounts, they were experiencing life outside their family's farms for the first time interacting with new people to the terrible working conditions and slashed pay forcing the women to stand up for themselves as a collective. It wasn't just a simple "workers good factory bad" but had quotes from many of the workers and the array of experiences. Next door is the factory itself. There is a very thorough exhibit on the entire history of Lowell from its founding based on its ability to harness the river power to its decline based on the rise of other power sources and cheaper sites and labor in the south to its revival based on changing industries. The exhibit was very informative and visually interesting. We didn't even have time to look at everything because it was close to closing time, so leave at least an hour to go through it. There were two videos to engage with, and hearing interviews from former workers was very insightful. When we went, the machine demo was not available, so there was no fee. A tour guide explained how the machines work, so even without them actually running, you could understand the noise, the safety risks, the unbearable heat they worked in, and the fabric fibers in the air they breathed in constantly. Small gift shop on site, and they offer other buildings and tour types on different days, so it's best if you can pick a day for one of the boat tours or when some of the other buildings are open. Personally, I thought what we experienced was still really interesting and worth the visit. NPS sites generally put on a great presentation.

Overall a great stop, several different areas make up the park (I included some extra pictures of…read morethings we saw while walking). The 1st Spot was the main visitor center- Very nicely done and very friendly Rangers that gave us an overview of the area. The displays are very informative and helpful. A lot of stuff to see while walking, a train, a fountain, canals, murals (not part of park). We went to the second area, a very friendly young Ranger at desk, she explained what we could see within the buildings. This area was also beautifully done with some of the best restrooms that we have seen. Top of the line !!! The machines were running upstairs to give you a general idea of the noise & chaos that the workers endured. There were videos of actuall workers who told their story which really brought the history to life. There is a trolley that will take you to a third part of the Park (we ran out of time) so missed out on that location. Overall a great representation of an era,of a time of industrial development and the people who made it possible. We visited on a holiday weekend so downtown was pretty empty and street parking was easy (and free due the day). I can see where parking could be confusing on normal days. The second location was very confusing as the building is located where they converted surrounding buildings into apartments. The parking lot in front had restrictions and we just parked on street to be safe. Most of the Rangers working were friendly & helpful except for a group of three that we encountered on factory floor. We just missed a demonstration I am guessing (there were no other visitors that around), but as we walked up, they broke off their conversation and walked away. No acknowledgement at all, which was strange as usually they greet you at least. This incident, parking and the Boarding house not being open (sign said it was) put a slight tarnish on the whole visit. Definitely recommend as the history is fascinating, the areas we saw are well done, and most of the Staff are super helpful & friendly.