We returned to our van and faced about 4 hours of driving to our next hotel, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, though the trip was broken up with a number of stops. The first was at our hotel, where we efficiently loaded our luggage and checked out. Next up was lunch in Cape Neddick, Maine, just a few miles north of the New Hampshire border.
Our last hot dog stop was a bit underwhelming which may have dampened expectations for Flo’s Hot Dogs, which had been in operation for more than 60 years. Noah and I stood in line while Amanda, Emmie, and Eilidh hung out in our illegally parked van along the side of the highway. I was the only one who ordered hot dogs in the “House Special” style, which included Flo’s sweet and tangy relish, green relish, mustard, onion, and celery salt.
Noah and I stood in line at Flo’s for our hot dog order.
The hot dogs were fantastic, whether loaded like mine or only featuring ketchup like Amanda’s and Emmie’s. We happily ate them in the car before taking the backroads into New Hampshire, where we’d identified a few places to stop in the town of Portsmouth.
Portsmouth traffic was ridiculous but once we found a parking spot, it was easy to get around the downtown streets. We picked up a couple of books from a bookstore I remembered visiting 17 years earlier, purchased a box of chocolates at a well-rated chocolate shop, and tried a few cheeses at a local cheese store.
We stopped in downtown Boston for dinner at Shake Shack, which has become a staple on our recent domestic vacations. While we waited for our Shake Shack order, we walked to a nearby Away Luggage store, where we purchased a new suitcase for Amanda to match the one I have (and really like.) Pleasant outdoor space and perfect summer weather made for a solid stop before we were back on the road to Plymouth.
