July 8                                      New Castle, New Hampshire

Tuesday morning was hotter and steamier than previous days.  We were glad to move north to cooler climes.  The wind was variable but stayed below 12 knots and our cruise to New Castle was without incident.  Located at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, the Town of New Castle is only a few miles from Portsmouth.  We did not want to repeat our journey last year to Portsmouth against strong currents. We decided to stay at Wentworth by the Sea Marina.  It was an excellent choice with beautiful docks, great assistance, and many other amenities including a courtesy car.

Above the marina does the magnificent Wentworth Inn, an imposing white structure with a red roof resembling the great hotels in Georgia and Hilton Head.  The grounds were pristine with flowers in large beds and lush shrubbery scattered among the huge granite outcroppings.  With six restaurants, pools, etc., Wentworth Inn would be an ideal place to vacation.  We regretted we would be there only one night.

Using the courtesy car, we went into Portsmouth for supplies and were able to see some of the gorgeous residential areas of the city.  Blocks and blocks of beautiful stately homes lined the tree-lined streets.  Flowers were abundant with huge bushes of hydrangeas in shades of blue and pink dominating the landscapes.

At the local Ace Hardware, we encountered a guy who mentioned working for a Fort Worth company and spending considerable time in our city.  He remembered it best for a great barbeque place.  He recalled it being in a red building on Belknap Street.  David asked if the waitresses were “good-looking girls” and he enthusiastically replied, “Yes, that’s the one!”  They had a long conversation about The Pit and the merits of its barbeque and wait staff.  MEN!!

We barely made it back to the boat before the rain began.  Dinner was on board as we prepared to depart the following day.