On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….
Want to give your loved ones a taste of New Hampshire this year? We’ve compiled 12 off-beat, one-of-a-kind gift ideas. (And no, you don’t need to give 12 of No. 12.)
1. A Falcon on a Fir Tree
Glen Whelden admires a Harris hawk on his gloved arm at Monadnock Falconry in Temple.
Donna Whelden photo
Monadnock Falconry in Temple offers the opportunity to take a walk with a Harris’ Hawk and a Master Falconer. In “Falconry 101,” a 60-minute lesson that includes hands-on instruction in some basic falconry principles, including how to “catch” a flying bird. Price: 1-4 participants: $150; 5-8 participants: $200.
Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel in Jefferson offers dog sledding adventures. But during the off-season, you can “get up close and personal” with the nearly 80 sled dogs who live at this working kennel. Guests can meet the dogs, pet them and “hear their stories,” according to the website. The hour-long experience can be tailored to your desires, and is $25 a person.
Have any knitters on your list? How about some alpaca wool yarns from Purgatory Falls Alpaca farm in Lyndeborough. $25 for natural yarn to $100 for rug yarn. (Also available, shawls and scarfs, $75 to $100).
Terrapin Glassblowing Studio in Jaffrey offers no-experience necessary classes in glass blowing ($25 for family group classes to $125 per person for hour-long classes). “Our mission is to keep the magical art of glassblowing alive in the Monadnock Region.” Classes take place in the Flame Shop.
Bet no one else will give them this. Dunks Mushroom Products and Foraging sells mushroom jerky and other items made from the many varieties of mushrooms grown att their Brentwood farm. ($9). Or how about coffee made with caga, matsutake or lions mane mushrooms ($18 to $20)? Also available are mushroom-themed prints, T-shirts and hoodies ($20 to $35).
For those friends and relatives from away who’ve never seen a moose and don’t believe in their existence, how about a gift certificate for an evening moose-spotting tour next summer? Mt. Washington Valley Moose Bus Tours in North Conway (www.mwvmoosetours.com) and Gorham Moose Tours (https://gorhammoosetours.org) offer evening trips, and both boast a success rate of 93% to 97%. ($35 to $49)
7. Goats a-Bathing
Jenness Farm
Jenness Farm sells soaps, salves, body spritzers and other products made from their own goats’ milk and produced at the Nottingham farm, in such fragrances as Cape Cod cranberry, bay rum, New Hampshire lilac, Vermont maple and “Bug Off.” They use 8 pounds of goat milk in each 32-pound batch they produce, according to their website. $6.
Tamworth Distilling is known for its distinctive varieties of small-batch, “scratch-made” spirits. This year, they’re offering Saison de Frai brandy – “infused with smoked trout.” ($65). “Trout roe is added as a final touch, preserved in the apple brandy, creating an experience similar to boba tea,” they explain on their website. “With one sip your taste buds will reel in notes of sweet maple, apple, and an aromatic finish of trout.”
For years, a looming, leering statue dubbed “Creepy Santa” was the mascot of a family-owned Christmas tree business in Manchester. If you’re a fan, you can buy “Creepy Santa” ornaments, cards, tshirts and more, thanks to the demented genius behind Wickedjoyful.
Manchester’s Double-A baseball team, the Fisher Cats, sells specialty hats and tees that celebrate the Queen City’s culinary heritage. A limited supply of “Manchester Chicken Tenders” hats, jerseys and T-shirts are available on the team’s website.
This soy candle ($35 on Etsy) promises “the sweet smell of historic docks and seacoast charm” when you light it up, but what does that actually smell like? Is it the amazing aroma of garlic and grilling meats at the corner of Bow and Market streets? The pungent saltmarsh smell of the South Mill Pond at low tide? Onions outside Moe’s on Daniel Street? Those all trigger Portsmouth memories for us, but we’re not sure this candle is going to capture any of them. (And maybe it shouldn’t?)
12. Top of the World
(Well, OK, top of the Northeast.) If money is no object, how about “the ultimate alpine adventure?” Spend a night at the Mount Washington Observatory, 6,288 feet above sea level. At $1,349 per person, the trip includes “a full day of sightseeing and alpine adventure,” followed by a hearty dinner with staff scientists in the heated weather station. The trip includes round-trip transportation in a “deluxe” snowcat, lodging in the bunk room, a tour of the weather station, meals, and educational programs. The highlight is “the opportunity to experience Mount Washington’s famous winter extremes.”
