Tailgate

If it's a beautiful fall Saturday on the coast, there can be no finer event than a tailgate for UNH football. We did this last weekend and we had a great time. There were 10 of us, mostly UNH grads, although Johns Hopkins and Marquette were representin'. We had two grills, lots of chairs, a "tent" and more beer than 10 people could drink in one afternoon (although we gave it a good try). Burgers and wings were our hot meals, with veggies, potato salad, chips and cookies to round it out. Unfortunately, it was a noon game, so we really didn't see the beginning of the game as we quaffed beers and ate food. The radio blasting from our truck kept us appraised of the game progress as UNH whupped up on Dartmouth. We went in at half-time and here's a clue - don't bother buying tickets if you're going to spend the first half tailgating. We did get to see enough of the third quarter to realize that the tailgating was way better than the football. So, bring friends, a spare football or Frisbee and enjoy the fun that is tailgating. Out there in the fields below the stadium, there's a kind of insanity that can only be attributed to folks having too much fun with alcohol.

Rays or Petes

When you're cruising down A1A, you have a number of choices for which clam shack you're going to eat at. In Rye, there's Ray's and Pete's. We (my SO and I) gave Pete's a try a few weeks ago. Even though it was a mid-week Wednesday after Labor day, there was still a wait. You could get seats in the bar, but it was a bit smoky (get with it NH, follow MA and go smoke free), so we waited for a table in the main dining room. It was a bit noisy, but service was rapid and they did have Isle of Shoals Pale Ale on tap. For appetizer, I had their clam chowder, which turned out to be a good basic chowder, without an emphasis on spices (targon or anything) and with plenty of clams. For the main course, we went fried, because what else are you going to have at a clam shack? The fried shrimp (small) and scallops were good, although the shrimp had little flavor. They were served on a big pile of fries, cut from fresh potatoes. One meal would have been plenty for the two of us (especially after soups) and we took some home. We also ordered onion rings, which were sweet and tasty. All and all, Pete's provided a middle of the road clam shack experience. Next stop, Rays.

Free Tolls

The Union Leader > Toll-booth loophole: E-ZPass law gives a free ride

State officials last week said it appears police cannot ticket and fine motorists who don't pay tolls on New Hampshire turnpikes, thanks to an oversight that took place when E-ZPass was written into state law. This would mean that any non-camera lanes — the coin-basket-only lanes — are essentially free ride lanes.