Soon-to-be Visitors

[Lee-n-Tammy]

Good Morning everyone. This would be my first post on your board, so Hello ..

My wife and I are planning a trip to Manchester area to visit some of her family in October and wanted to spend some family time around the Lakes Region. What better place to ask about some non-typical tourist things to do, and possibly some places to stay for a night or two.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and we look forward to our visit.

Lee

[Rob]

What kinds of things are you looking to do?

Hike-the Belknap and Ossipee ranges are close to the lake, offer great views, and for the most part, fairly easy hikes.

Camping or hotel type lodging?

Swim- depends on when in October, but it's still possible to dive in just to say you did it, at least for the first two weeks or so.

Boat- the foliage from the water is beautiful- you can rent a boat or take a cruise.

Eat- there is a section on restaurants in the forum here.

Shop?

Are little kids involved? I think that some of the touristy kid things like mini-golf and the weirs arcade may be closed by then, but I'm not sure.

[lakegirl]

There are lots of great things to up here!!! (and places to stay).

Some suggestions for things to do:
Castle in the Clouds
A Cruise on the Mount
Lots of shopping in Merideth and N. Conway
Hiking up Mt. Major
Mt. Washington Auto Road....much further North

I'm not to familiar with lodging but the Inn at Smith Cove in Gilford is supposed to be really nice!!!

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

[Outlaw]

Here's a link to all the places in the Lakes Region and Central NH to stay. http://www.laconia-weirs.org/html/motel.html

[Lee-n-Tammy]

Awesome ... thanks for the cool ideas.

We have a 13 yr old boy, and hopefully we can talk my wife into a little hiking ( i like that kinda stuff ) . I may even try the boat thing. I have done boats for many years ( lakes and off=shore ) but I have always known the waters real well ... things like landmarks, shallows, and other things like that.

We probably would look to stay in hotel / inn type place rather than camping. Now that ya'll have mentioned a few places, I can do a little poking around to see what other questions I can come up with ( if ya dont mind too much )

I really appreciate your help, and look forward to chatting a little more. I have also looked at afew pictures .. wow ... its sooooo beautiful up there.

Well, thanks again...

[JG1222]

We have a 13 yr old boy, and hopefully we can talk my wife into a little hiking ( i like that kinda stuff ) . I may even try the boat thing.

We probably would look to stay in hotel / inn type place rather than camping.

In my humble opinion, the hike with the most "bang for your buck" is Mt. Major, which is right off Route 11 in Alton bay. On a scale of 1-10, its difficulty would be a 5/6, but it's still challenging enough that a thirteen year-old boy will get a kick out of climing up some inclines and rocks to make it to the top. Plus, the view from the top (not to mention a few places on the way up) is simply phenominal.

Here are some photos I've taken from the top:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2546&password=&sort=1&cat=all&page=1
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2609&password=&sort=1&cat=all&page=1
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2611&password=&sort=1&cat=all&page=1


If you're looking for a good boat rental place, I recommend the Bay Side Inn (which actually doubles as a great place to stay). They operate a family-owned inn which is right on the water in Alton, and they also rent boats. These boats will be in much better condition than anything you'd rent at a local marina.

http://www.bayside-inn.com/

October is a great time of year to be at the lake, so enjoy your stay.

[mcdude]

Enjoyed the photos and the Bayside Inn's Web page. Very nicely done with loons calling and tunes.

[Just Sold]

I have to say the Bay Side Inn is really wonderful and is still run by the Rogers family. I love the water view rooms. :coolsm:

I have not been there in a year to stay but it is the only place I would stay on the Lake. (I live less than an hour away now)

The Inn was started by Jessie Rogers in the 50's.

[Lee-n-Tammy]

Hello everyone .... i am bumping this back to the top in case you forgot about us. We are leaving Sunday to head to your beautiful state. We booked a room at Bayside Inn, looking forward to it. Since we are visiting family, we will be in Manchester a bit, then after the Lakes, we head up to the White Mountain area ... cant wait for our visit.

Thanks for the help and information. :)

[SIKSUKR]

Welcome,welcome,welcome.You will absolutly love the lakes region and the Whites this time of year.The weather has been spectacular for the past couple of weeks and the outlook for Sunday-Monday is for seasonal temps around 60 with a big blue sky.The foliage is at peak in many of the White Mt areas and the peaks were snowcapped on Tuesday.Just beautiful!! Enjoy!!! SS

[Outlaw]

For the kids, don't forget Fun Spot (http://www.funspotnh.com/index.html), on Rt. 3 In Meredith, just a few miles past The Weirs (you'll spend hours there -- something for everyone).

Shopping -- outlet malls in Tilton (exit 20 off of 93) only 20 minutes away from the Weirs area.

In Meredith you have plenty of places to eat and shop right across the street from the public docks.

Don't forget, if you are in the Weirs area to stop at the famouos Waldo Peppers on Weirs Boulevard just before Weirs Beach / bridge. Do a search on the forum for Waldos and you will find out what their hours are. Excellent excellent food -- don't miss it if you are in the area.

And if you have time, I highly recommend a cruise on the Mt. Washington, check out their web page for cruise dates, times and details. www.cruisenh.com (http://www.cruisenh.com)

Hope you and your family have a great time here !