I'm going to be flying into and out of Manchester, NH in September and would like to get a few ideas on:

1. Where to stay. Doesn't have to be in Manchester, but perhaps within an hour or so.

2. Dining. No seafood unfortunately...any ideas would be very welcome.

3. Sites to see. Not looking for theme parks. Any old towns? Any historical sites? Anything along the coast?

Any help at all is very much appreciated. I've never been to this part of the country and am looking for stuff to see and do. Thank you for any and all help!

WRT to sites:
Cantebury Shaker Village:
http://www.shakers.org/
Fascinating museum about 40 min north of MHT

Strawberry Banke(Portsmouth, NH)
http://www.strawberybanke.org/
c. 1 hour drive from MHT

if you have the time drive up to lake district very nice and scenic. about 2 hrs north.

Drive north on I-89 for a couple of hours and enjoy a day exploring classic New England: Hanover, NH, (home of Dartmouth College), Queeche Gorge, VT, and Woodstock, VT.

What sort of place do you want to stay in? Chain hotel? B&B? Fancier inn?

Dining... Manchester itself doesn't do much for me but I'm not there that often. Probably the nicest place nearby is the Bedford Village Inn. (You can also stay there.) Are you going to be travelling in any particular direction? I can probably give you some ideas for the seacoast and the Monadnock area.

Check out www.state.nh.us (http://www.state.nh.us) for some ideas. County fair? Outlet shopping? Rocky/sandy seacoast? Hiking? Historic villages? Apple picking?

I hope you enjoy your visit!

I'd like to stay in a Marriott property (Courtyard, Marriott) to earn some points. I'd love to find an old town area that has shops and eateries and the like. A little history or scenery along the coast would be nice as well. I thought about driving up to Portland, ME but that seems to be too far.