Great Bay is a vast inland sea to the west and south of Portsmouth, NH, and I paddled there for a few hours yesterday at the southernmost head of navigation -- the falls on the Exeter River.

Actually this spot is where the Exeter River ends, and the Squamscott River begins. Squamscott is simply the name of the tidal portion of the river, which begins at the base of the rapids.

A paddler in Exeter Harbor yesterday.
ALL PHOTOS SCOTT ANDREWS

Exeter is one of two cultural centers of seacoast NH (the other is Portsmouth), plus it was the state capital during the Revolutionary War. Exeter's historical district is quite attractive.

The city was first located at the spot where water power could drive mill machinery and where navigable tidal waters could be used for transportation to Portsmouth and the outside world.

The city was located where water power -- represented by rapids -- and navigable tidewater met.

The mills are long gone. Boutiques and upscale housing now occupy the spots where water wheels once turned some of our nation's earliest industry. The shopping strip along Route 108 reminded me that city centers no longer serve as hubs of commerce.

Access to the harbor is easy. There's a public boat launch just off Water Street in the downtown area. Paddling downstream is rather dull. Once you've left the downtown area, it's mostly expanses of grasses and marsh for miles to the north of the city.

Easy boat access is located in the downtown area, shown ahead of my bow.

The two multi-span bridges that carry 70 mph traffic along Route 101 -- southern NH's primary east-west route -- reminded me that New England's inland waterways no longer serve as basic transportation.

The well-used park and walkways along the harbor's west side offer hope that rivers will once again become a focus of our lifestyle, at least in terms of aesthetics and recreation.

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