Take home some of the mouthwatering cuisine served daily at the Publick House Historic Inn by visiting the famous Bake Shoppe. (You’ll recognize it by the heavenly scent of home-baked goods that wafts out the door.) There’s a selection of sweet treats, decadent desserts, relishes and jams, and baked-fresh-daily breads, pies and cakes. Take home bread pudding, old-fashioned raspberry-filled cookies, apple butter, strawberry rhubarb jam or the inn’s famous to-die-for pecan sweet rolls. In the to-go refrigerator, you’ll find comfort food items including chicken pot pies, cornbread sausage stuffing, butternut bisque, mini lobster cobblers and crab and tomato dip. You’ll also want to browse the collection of New England cookbooks and gifts that celebrate the historic inn and this vibrant region of the country.

The shopping in the Mount Washington Valley is as eclectic as the region itself, ranging from one-of-a-kind boutiques selling unique handcrafted items to shop-til-you-drop outlet centers featuring the most popular name brands. Pick up some local art in Franconia, NH, stroll in and out of intriguing emporiums in North Conway, visit the world’s longest candy counter in Lincoln, NH, go antiquing in Bethlehem, NH or pop into The Brick Store in Bath, NH, the nation’s oldest continuously operated general store. Take home craft beer at the region’s many breweries or wine from local vineyards. From maple syrup (of course!) to fine arts and fashion, the region features great variety and down-home customer service in its many shops and stores. Click above to visit our website or call our friendly concierge at 800-337-3563 for more info on first class lodging and exciting events to plan your next adventure!

If shopping to you means seeking out items beyond the ordinary, then the artists and artisans of the Greater Merrimack Valley have several options for you to consider. At the Canal Street Antique Mall in Lawrence, 50-plus dealers offer unique furniture, collectibles, vintage clothing, hardware and more in an equally unique old mill building. At the Crafty Yankee in Lexington, choose from gorgeous Simon Pearce glassware, adorable baby clothing and other one-of-a-kind items. Visit the gift stores or online shops offering the finest handcrafted gifts and artwork at the New England Quilt Museum and the Brush Art Gallery & Studios. And mark your calendar for the Holiday Open Studios at the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, this year on Dec. 3 and 10.

There’s no excuse to leave The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village without a treasure! And there are so many shops to choose from for those take-home treasures — from the tiny handmade dishes at the Artful Gift Shop to the real dinosaur bones and shark’s teeth at the Ancient Fossil Shop and natural gemstone beads at the Absolute Bead Shop. Take home a glittering crystal tree or cathedral, a bejeweled trinket box, a colorful dreamcatcher. Check out the plush animals and science toys at the Ageless Toy Shop. Or, visit the Geode Center, pick your own geode and see what’s revealed when it’s sliced in half. Over at The Past Antiques Market & Museum, over 90 dealers offer two floors worth of antiques, collectibles and crafts.