5 p.m. Dig into dinner at Pesce Blue (pictured) (103 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-430-7766). The grilled seafood dishes are standouts, but so, too, are house-made Italian specialties like lamb sausage lasagna. Or head to the basement of Portsmouth Gaslight Co. and its cozy pizzeria-cumpub, Downtown Pizza (64 Market St., Portsmouth, 603-430-9122). The brick oven there fires up addictive pies (the Isle of Shoals is a crispy-gooey tangle of prosciutto, roasted red pepper, artichoke, and loads of mozzarella), and the dining room manages to be kid- and adult-friendly.

Sleepover option The Inn At Strawbery Banke (314 Court St., Portsmouth, 603- 436-7242, www.innatstrawberybanke.com). In-season rates, $160-$170 for a double; children 10 and older are welcome, at an extra charge of $25 a night. Breakfast is served in the 200-year-old home’s serene sunroom, overlooking the gardens.