Definitely agree. A lot of folks do day hikes out of the AMC huts there, but actually backpacking the Whites isn't easy. Beautiful country, especially in the overall context of the AT.
What you might do is take the cog train up Mt. Washington and do a couple of day hikes from there. You would get a lot of the scenery and a feel for the area with a lot less of the self-administered butt kicking.

I liked the most northern states the best. Maine was fun and interesting, though there were parts that I enjoyed less on wet days (smooth rocks and roots made it easier to slip and fall in places).