Have a SkyVenture in Nashua, NH

2008-05-07

Drive time
1 hr., 57 mins./112.4 miles

Take I-95 S crossing into NH. Take Exit 2 for Rte. 101 toward Exeter/Hampton. Merge to 101 W toward Manchester via Exit 7. Take the Everett Turnpike South exit toward Merrimack/Nashua. Turnpike becomes U.S. 3 S. Take Broad Street (Exit 6) toward Hollis, then Rte. 130 E ramp toward Nashua. Turn left onto Broad Street and slight right onto Amherst Street.

Touring tips

• If you’re looking for local brews, head to Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewing Co. (185 Main St.), which offers an extensive selection of homemade specialty beers.

• If SkyVenture gives you an itch for bigger and better things, check out www.skydivenewhampshire.
com and sign up for a real jump.

Because this is New England, you have to figure that every day of the summer won’t dawn bright and sunny. There will be some clouds, some rain and some days that aren’t exactly perfect for the beach.

Those will be the perfect days to pour the kids into the car and head down to Nashua, NH for a visit to SkyVenture.

SkyVenture (3 Poisson Ave.) gives visitors the chance to fly with no plane, no parachute and no worries about free falling thousands of feet to concrete. The trick is an indoor vertical wind tunnel, like the ones used for training by skydivers, that allows you to float above a trampoline floor.

You start with a 20-minute training class and all the gear you need is provided. You just need to weigh less than 250 pounds, be at least 3 years old, be in good physical health (no hard casts or previously dislocated shoulders) and not be pregnant.

Two one-minute sessions in the flight chamber (equal to three dives from 13,000 feet) cost $48 for adults and $43 for kids ages 3-11. Pricey maybe, but unless you’re an offspring of Evil Knievel this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So, what else to do in Nashua when your two minutes are up? There’s plenty.

• Taste of Downtown Nashua is set for June 4 beginning at 6:30 pm with tickets at just $30. This is the second longest-running food and beverage event in the state, giving participants the opportunity to sample the culinary offerings of downtown’s fine restaurants. Stroll through downtown and enjoy live entertainment, food from the best chefs around and desserts from local bakeries and chocolatiers! (603-883-5700)

• The Nashua Pride is the local minor league baseball team, which plays at Holman Stadium. If you miss your Sea Dogs on your weekend away your can score tickets for just $7. (www.nashuapride.com)

• ArtWalk Nashua takes place downtown on Saturday afternoons when galleries open their doors and art lovers can get involved in their own crafty projects. (cityartsnashua.org)

• Riverwalk along the Nashua River gives a view of the city from the eyes of the Native Americans who first lived here. It’s a great place to enjoy the outdoors while strolling with an ice cream or a cold drink.

If you’re looking for dining options in Nashua, the list is lengthy. You can have pizza at Bertucci’s ($8-$18), Asian food at Chen Yang Li Restaurant ($5-$16), pub food at Joe’s American Bar & Grill ($8-$20) or enjoy the bistro atmosphere at Michael Timothy’s ($8-$28).

Stay at the Sheraton (603-888-9970), Crowne Plaza Hotel (603-886-1200), Courtyard by Marriott (603-880-9100) or Holiday Inn (603-888-1551).

— Karen Beaudoin