Visit This East Coast Destination For Some Of The US' Best Ice Cream, Per Samantha Brown

Samantha Brown is famous for hosting multiple shows like "Places to Love" on PBS and "Great Weekends" on the Travel Channel. In these shows, she travels all over the world, revealing her favorite destinations and offering tips for travelers everywhere. However, Brown has not forgotten to look for places to love right in her New England home state of New Hampshire. Over the years, she has highlighted plenty of favorite places and things to do while growing up and in the present day throughout the Granite State.

One of Brown's favorite places in New Hampshire is her hometown of Portsmouth, which is "as beautiful in real life as it looks in photos," Brown says on her website. This small town is chock full of charm, and an undoubted highlight is Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream. As far as places to get ice cream go, Brown calls this shop "one of the best in the whole country." She especially recommends the pure maple walnut flavor offered at Annabelle's "to really keep it local."

Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream has been a mainstay of Portsmouth's Old Harbor since 1982. Ice cream mastermind Dr. Lewis E. Palosky has been at the helm of the shop since 1993 and takes pride in only using natural ingredients. The work has paid off, as Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream has received various accolades over its decades in business. The menu is impressive — aside from dozens of flavors to choose from, Annabelle's even has frozen yogurt and fruit sorbet. 

Tripadvisor reviewers seem to agree with Samantha Brown's recommendation. Annabelle's has multiple five-star reviews with customers saying it really is among the best. Customers gave particular shout-outs to the maple walnut, mint chocolate, raspberry chip, and kahlúa flavors. Its location is an added bonus — you can enjoy your ice cream right along the beautiful New England coast. From this coast, you can actually see Maine across the water and the Memorial Bridge connecting the two states.

If you want to save Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream for dessert, it does not take long to find a nearby restaurant for the other components of an amazing meal. The Oar House combines food with history thanks to its maritime décor and location in the Merchant's Row building. Of course, the menu's highlights are its seafood offerings — devour oysters, clam chowder, shrimp, lobster, and more while you enjoy the restaurant's deck right on the water.

Aside from Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream, Samantha Brown sang the praises of the historic sightseeing opportunities in Portsmouth. As America's oldest port, Portsmouth has centuries-old landmarks that history buffs visiting New England will love. "The best thing to do is to wander around Portsmouth's historic district and take in all the colonial architecture. Strawberry Banke is an awesome outdoor history museum that details over 350 years of history," Brown explains on her website. What makes a visit to Strawberry Banke's historic houses from the 1600s through the 1800s even more tempting is that this outdoor museum is just half a mile away from Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream. History and ice cream? Where do we sign?