Planning your trip to New Hampshire

THE BEST WAY

From LAX, Southwest offers direct flights (stop, no change of plane) to Manchester, N.H. Delta, Continental and United offer connecting flights (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $158.

WHERE TO EAT

C.R. Sparks, 18 Kilton Road, Bedford; (603) 647-7275, www.crsparks.com. This stylish eatery features lots of wood, scattered antlers, artfully visible overhead air ducts. I liked the scallops on corn, leek and thyme risotto. Lunch, dinner and weekend brunches. Dinner entrees $16.50 to $27.95.

Granite in Concord, 96 Pleasant St. in the Centennial Hotel, Concord; (603) 227-9000, www.graniterestaurant.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (on weekdays) in a subdued, upscale setting on the ground floor of a boutique hotel. Main dishes $17 to $29.

Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St., Manchester; (603) 626-1118, www.redarrowdiner.com. This joint, with a classic long Formica-topped counter under a low ceiling, goes back to 1922. Main dishes up to $8.99, including hearty meatloaf for $6.99.

The Merrimack, 786 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 669-5222. It’s nothing special to look at and goes back to only 1980, but this coffee shop may get more candidate visits than any restaurant in the country. Workaday American main dishes up to $8.95.

WHERE TO STAY

Hilton Garden Inn, 101 S. Commercial St., Manchester; (877) 782-9444, www.hiltongardeninn.com. Bright and handsome. Opened in 2006 with 125 rooms and a lobby that looks down on Manchester’s minor-league ballpark. Rates $149 to $179.

Radisson Hotel Manchester, 700 Elm St., Manchester; (888) 201-1718, www.radisson.com. Not pretty, but it’s a hub with all the conveniences, including restaurant, bar, high-speed Internet and indoor pool. Rates: $139 to $179.

The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, (603) 227-9000, www.thecentennialhotel.com. Thirty-two rooms in an 1890s brick mansion with sleek modern furnishings and flat-screen TVs. Reopened in April after a renovation. Rates $139 to $189, more for suites.

TO LEARN MORE

New Hampshire’s state tourism office, www.visitnh.gov.