DAYTRIPPER'S DELIGHT: He could be downtown Rochester's No. 1 fan

Harold Tripp takes a break on a bench in Parson Maine Square during his daily jaunt about downtown Rochester (Rochester Voice photo)

ROCHESTER - With his ruddy face and snow white beard, Harold Tripp of Portsmouth is easy to pick out of a crowd, and just as easy to pick out when he's walking the streets of Rochester's downtown most days of the week.
"I like walking around downtown here," he said as he took a break relaxing on a bench at Parson Main Square. "There's not as many people. Down in Portsmouth you can't even walk on the sidewalk. Too many people."
The 73-year-old, who's been visiting Rochester for years said he was born in Rockland, Maine, but grew up in Dover.
He worked most of his life on commercial fishing boats off the Texas and Louisiana coasts hunting tuna and swordfish.
He said most voyages would last 18-20 days, which was fine with him cause it "kept me sober for a while," he quipped.
Later in life he worked driving a semi-truck for a few years till he became disabled in an accident.
Now he tries to stay in shape walking three to five miles a day to and from bus stops and around downtown Rochester. His favorite places? Down by the Cochecho River and around the Wyandotte Mills.
He travels back and forth from Portsmouth on a COAST bus, he said, but doesn't mind the hour-long trips back and forth.
"It gives you time to look at the pretty girls," he said with a wink in his eye.
Be sure to say hi when you see him walking his favorite downtown.