Rye is my favorite coastal town in New Hampshire. It boasts 3 state parks and plenty of places to sit quietly and watch the waves. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been to Rye over the years or all of the fun I’ve had there. I decided to dig out some older images for this post, as well as the ones I took last week. Going back to 2004…
I love writing the place and date in the sand. It is a great way to remember and is washed away when the tide comes in, leaving a new slate for the next person. I’ve been to Rye in all seasons and have never been disappointed.
I had more photo adventures in 2011.
This handsome fellow was very excited to go out duck hunting
Including a trip to the Isles of Shoals. Only 4 of the 9 islands belongs to Rye, the rest belong to Maine.
And now back to the present. I chose Rye for this week because there have been numerous sightings of snowy owls in the area and I wanted to get a shot or two before they take off back to the arctic. My blogging friend, Martha from Therapeutic Misadventures, and I headed out early to see what we could find. We did get to see a snowy, but she was perched on a roof and didn’t seems to have any inclination to move. When we drove by several hours later, she was still just hanging out…
We walked around Rye Harbor State Park and checked out the sights…
Great use for an old dinghy. I’ll bet it is gorgeous in the summer!
From there, we made our way towards Odiorne State Park. There is a pull off/parking area just before you get to the state park. It is an easy walk to the cove named Sunken Forest. When the tide is out, people love to build cairns. I have been there in late summer and there were 100’s of them…
Winter storms wash the cairns away and wash up all kinds of things.
Martha, getting the shot!
Ice formations in the tidal pools
There is something almost eerie about the bare branches
Our last stop of the day was at Odiorne State Park. It is an incredible place, rich in history. It is the site of the first settlement in New Hampshire. There are excellent trails for hiking as well (trail map).
Then we went into the Seacoast Science Center…
I would not have wanted to dive in this suit!
An anemone in one of the aquariums has a hold of a starfish
They have an awesome touch tank for the child in all of us…
You can be sure I’ll be back in Rye when the summer comes! To learn more about Rye, visit the town’s website or the state’s website.
Touring NH 
What great shots from the past and present! Is that Petey’s in the harbor back in 2011? Love your habit of writing the date in the sand.
Yes, it is Petey’s circa 2011. They have added a lot of things on the building since then! I have lots and lots of date in the sand pictures from all over!
I just realized that I’ve never been to the coast in winter. You got some great shots so it was a worthwhile trip!
I’ve been there in all seasons. Winter isn’t my favorite but you should definitely go at least once. Seeing the snowy owl alone was worth the trip!
Wonderful pictures, especially the swan. It looks like a place you could keep going back to and always see something new.
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Thank you. I really love Rye and I usually do find something new every time I go.
Wonderful photo essay Laura. You perfectly captured my vision of the New England coast. The snowy owl shot is great. Apparently, last year we had a snowy owl hanging around East Beach here on SSI, and it caused quite the uproar. Unfortunately, it moved on before we had a chance to see it. ~James
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We have had a huge influx of snowy owls this year. I was on Plum Island on Christmas day and saw 4 different owls – quite a sight. Hopefully you’ll get to see the next one that visits SSI! Rye is definitely a quaint coastal town, everything from fishing boats to lighthouses. When you get up to visit, we’ll have to take a ride over there!!!