New Hampshire's gorgeous White Mountains offer some of the best skiing east of the Rocky Mountains along with picture perfect views from atop Mount Washington observatory at 6288 feet above sea level—the highest peak in northeastern US and second most topographically prominent peak east of Mississippi River after Mont Mitchel in North Carolina/Tennessee border. The state also hosts several acclaimed universities including Dartmouth College which was founded over 250 years ago making it one of America’s oldest institutions of higher learning.