How old were you when you first came to the lake?

[Aunt Lula]

I was 3- 1959.

[Grant]

Newborn. 1961.

[phoenix]

First came up with my family for a vacation in 1981 and like it so much we bought a house and three houses later still here now with grandchildren enjoying what their parents had

[MeredithMan]

....Labor Day Weekend, 1973. My parents wanted to get away for the long weekend, so we "went north", without any plan. Ended up at Lakeshore Park on a rainy Friday night. A little cottage right on the water was available, so my father grabbed it. Awesome weekend...still remember it like it was this past weekend. A month later, my parents bought a place of their own on the lake and the rest is history.

[LIforrelaxin]

It was the spring of 1986 after just having moved across the country from Washington...... I was 12......

[Pineedles]

9 months old, my first time at the lake. 1955

[jbolty]

My parents moved from Bristol PA to Center Harbor in 1963, I was about 2 1/2 years old.

[BaileyBecca]

First summer after my birth, 1965.

[Dad sold the C * C]

2 years old in 1962 we rented a house, then bought the Chris Craft. We day tripped for years, then life changes (Parents divorce); but I was fortunate to still be able to go to the lakes through my 20's. In 2014 my wife and I completed a dream and bought our Cabin.

[Flylady]

Summer of 1956. Remember it clearly because of the out-house and hand water pump in the kitchen....

[joey2665]

Unfortunately I discovered the lake much later in life. Summer of 1998 I was already 33 but I have had a place here for 9 years now and spend as much time as I possibly can enjoying the lake all year round.

[gigreg2]

2010 - My wife and I came to Lake Winnisquam for our 5 year wedding anniversary, took a cruise on the mount on the big lake and have been back every summer since. Love it there!

[ghfromaltonbay]

First visit to the lake Aug. 1959.....I was one month shy of turning 7. My brothers were 5 & 2. We all still love the lake & still vacation on Alton Bay. Now that all 3 of us are retired we hope to spend more time there.

[upthesaukee]

I was just an infant... 3 or 4 months old...

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Before there was a road we boated to our lake house from property that we owned. When my mother was pregnant for me she was going over in the boat. That was 1952. So...I was on the lake when I was was still in the womb. You can't get any younger than that.

[jetlag100]

1959 I was probably 9 months old...the Lake is so much a part of who I am. So, much so, that after our family cottage got sold in 1996..I built a year round home..I truly could never be without this beautiful lake!

[MAXUM]

-5 months give or take.

[jerseyonbear]

Started coming to Bear in the early 50's. Had to be about 9. Still love it today.

[Just Sold]

Started coming to the lake in 1956 at 6 years old.

[TheProfessor]

2 week old.
But I really can't remember the first days.

[Merrymeeting]

Less than a year old. Picture of me in a paper towel box as a crib on the beach at Newfound Lake. Haven't lost my love of the region since.

[Twox48]

I was 43. Had heard many stories about the big lake but wasn't until 2007 when I spent a day on the lake that I knew where I had to be. Spent then my 1 week family vacations renting a cottage here till 2014 when we were able to purchase my "little piece of heaven".

[Resident 2B]

I was 2 or 3 and it was 1950 or 1951.

R2B

[wobbelbill]

16- just got my license in Mass and came up to visit a girlfriend in Meredith- married her in 1970 and been up this way ever since- now full time after retiring

[SAMIAM]

Born at LRGH......think it was Laconia Hospital back then

[Peter]

Born in May 1967, up at the lake at 3 months old and every summer since!

[ApS]

I left Melvin Village as a newborn, and thusly began my longest lifetime gap in returning to Lake Winnipesaukee every summer.

I was eight when my folks put me alone on a commercial flight to Wolfeboro's Camp Wyanoke—from Hawaii!

.

[Fjr05]

1964 Motorcycle Weekend,age 20!

[bclaker]

My first time at the lake was in 1938 at 8 years old. My parents rented a cottage on Alton Bay.
.

[Winnisquamer]

Originally Posted by wobbelbill

16- just got my license in Mass and came up to visit a girlfriend in Meredith- married her in 1970 and been up this way ever since- now full time after retiring

Kind of the same. just got my license in Mass and came up to visit a girlfriend in Gilford. It lasted that summer and then we went separate ways

[farechofisherman]

2 years old in 1957

[rgilfert]

Here I am (at the ripe old age of six months) chillin' with my sister on my Grandfather's dock across the cove from the Wawbeek Cottage Colony in Melvin Village during 1950!

[Crusty]

27 years ago (at 40 years), my new wife informed me that we would be spending our vacation at "the lake". [I'm from and still live in Ohio]. I was not enthused. Upon our arrival, I remember remarking "I've never been this close to a lake without smelling it.

[fatlazyless]

Age-12: June-July-August 1964 as a camper at Camp Alton ..... can recall attending snipe hunt evening activity till sundown, and running around the woods just beyond the softball field on Clay Point, above the big lake view, with a broom and laundry bag; hunting snipe ..... on the land now occupied by the Behre mega-mcmansion...and supposedly for sale for 50-million dollars.

[bclaker]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Age-12: June-July-August 1964 as a camper at Camp Alton ..... can recall attending snipe hunt evening activity till sundown, and running around the woods just beyond the softball field on Clay Point, above the big lake view, with a broom and laundry bag; hunting snipe ..... on the land now occupied by the Behre mega-mcmansion...and supposedly for sale for 50-million dollars.

Love those snipe hunts!!! How many did you get? Sometimes they fight back.

[snowflake]

My family came to Allen A and then Edward's Vacation Spot on Wentworth when it opened. I may have been a year old. My sister and I still take a sentimental journey to Wolfeboro every fall. The old barn, now condos, still stands on Whitten Neck Rd. Edwards' was the best family resort in the world! It holds some of our most cherished memories. Our Mom died before we had too many vacations there but we continued to go up every July. The Zulofs were just wonderful and treated guests like family. We loved the trip on the Mt. Washington and ice cream at Baileys. I had my first "date" there!
Merry Christmas to all on both Lakes.

[dickiej]

We used to rent Doc Thornton's place for one week in Alton Bay every summer. We had so much fun, my sister and I would be in tears the Saturday we had to pack up and leave. I still remember vividly roller skating, playing arcade games, and one day rowing to the bandstand where I kissed Sandy from Sommerville. Later, our dad built a place in Peggy's Cove and we got a boat. We learned to water ski and used to explore the southern part of the lake. Sadly, due to financial hardships, he had to sell the cottage. To this day, my brother and I regret having to sell that cottage.

[SAB1]

10 days old - 1963.

[sum-r breeze]

22 I was a late arrival. Girlfriend's (who became Mrs. Breeze) brother had a cottage in Wolfboro near lake Wentwoth. We rented jetskis out of Wolfboro Harbor. I fell off...Split my chin open...was introduced to Huggins Hospital (for stitches)...Was hooked on The Big Lake from that moment on.

The Breeze
Wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back

[skprbob]

Came to the Lake in the summer of 1962, age 11, as a Middler at Camp Idlewild. Teaching career enabled me to come back every summer, spending 14 summers at Idlewild until it closed. Gigs happened with Camp DeWitt, and Camp Kabeyun. I left the camp scene, got a house sitting deal, and worked on the Marine Patrol for another ten summers. Finally bought my place and started with Winni Flagship in 1994. Left teaching in 1996 and went with Flagship full time. Love it!

[rander7823]

It was 1976. I remember watching the fireworks from a boat in Alton Bay and jumping the wake of the Mount while water skiing.

[DickR]

I was 12 when my family rented a cottage down in Chestnut Cove, on the Derby side of the point at the north end of Alton Bay. My dad rented a 3-HP motor for the rowboat, and I was in heaven. Over the next five years we rented for one or two weeks each summer. I was hooked. I remember almost drooling over the used outboard motors at Downing's Boat Landing, wondering how much motor I could afford to buy with paper route income. My dad likely hoped it wouldn't come to the point where I could buy one, with an appropriate boat, as he'd have to deal with towing it around.

When I got married, we honeymooned up here for a week, still in the Alton Bay area, with a rented boat. That was 1969. We rented a cottage up near Sally's Gut in '73 for a week, again with a rented boat. Finally in 1975 we bought a small cabin on Long Island. Properties were somewhat affordable then. Our kids spent much of their summers on the lake. In 1992 we moved up-shore to a better, bigger lot. The dream was always to retire up here. In 2010 that happened. We sold the house in MA and used the proceeds to build a decent structure for year-round living.

We consider ourselves extremely lucky to be able to be here now, living the dream. Given the way properties have skyrocketed in value, driven upward by the buying power of those with big bucks, we couldn't have afforded to be here if we hadn't started out way back then. Others will have their own dreams. But it all starts with that dream. As that song from the old 50s musical "South Pacific" says, "You got to have a dream, if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?"

[bkeav111]

My parents found the lake in 1954 and I was 7 years old. We rented a cottage in Saunders Bay for a couple of weeks. That fall they bought a place in Sachem's cove in Meredith which we had until 1967. I couldn't stay away. Starting in 1985 we rented every summer until 1995. In Jan. of 96 we bought our peace of heaven on Lockes Island and have had great times there for the last 20 years. Our son met his wife there and our grandchildren are now enjoying island life.

[thinkxingu]

One week every summer my parents would rent a place across from the Weirs Hotel from when I was born to around my eighth summer ('76-'84 or so). For the next 29 years, I spent most of my time further south on cruises or further north at exit 32. In 2009, we almost bought land on 112 just outside North Woodstock, but that fell through. In 2013, after having spent more years thinking about what was important to us, we decided that a lake area provided more activities. We found Arcadia, which seemed (and is) perfect for our budget and young family, and the rest is history!

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[gtxrider]

I was 5 my on my first trip in New Hampshire. We had 7 people in a brand new '59 Chevy.

[CateP]

There are some wonderful stories here. This is a great thread.

I first came to the lake as a camper at Camp Kehonka. 12 years old. I remember the big event of each session was to take the camp boat to the Wolfeboro docks for ice cream. It felt like quite a distance at the time. I learned to sail a Rhodes 19 at Camp Kehonka and our sailing instructor was from Germany. He taught us German songs while we were sailing. Can you imagine our all-girl crew singing in German at the top of our lungs while whizzing around Roberts Cove? You can't buy a memory like that.

And now, 40 years later I am back. Sailing around Wolfeboro, the Broads, and beyond--creating new memories to last a lifetime. I forgot the German songs, but you may hear us singing the "Barges" song that helps us remember port and starboard.

[Dickie B from HB]

I was one year old. That's me on the beach at Lake Shore Park in 1943.

[GodSmile]

My Mom was 6 months along with me, and we were tooling around Paugus Bay in Dad's 15 ft runabout.... was a choppy day I'm told

[LadyJane]

I didn't get here til I was in my 30's. We had vacationed at Newfound (Merrill's) for years then came to Winnipesaukee. We stayed at some cottages in Center Harbor ( Lakeshore?) then a private home in Melvin Village. Since then there have been major changes in my life, some of them for the ultimate good and some tragic. I now consider the lake a place of healing and peace and come here several times a year, regardless of the season. I will do that as long as I am physically able.

[winnisummergal]

My mom was still snorkeling around Worcester Island when she was eight months pregnant with me. I was told she wasn't feeling well after we had been released from the hospital so we came to my grandparents on Springfileld Point. I've been coming to the lake before I can remember.

[Nagigator]

Came up to stay in a rental on Center Harbor. Been hooked ever since.

[mets3007]

I was 7 as I started to go to the Lake in 1988, we used to stay at the old B Mae's in Gilford.I was last up there in 2009 as now I moved too far to go to NH.

[Bear Guy]

I would have been just a few months old, being a winter baby. Parents bought land a few years before my birth, and I've been at the lake every summer of my life (35 of them now).

[Cal]

Summer 1953 in a brand new 53 Chevrolet I was 6. We got the car about 2 weeks before our trip and we went out for a ride every evening after dinner trying to get 1000 miles on it before our trip to "break it in" LOL

[winnasake]

13 at Naswa and been back every year /season now for 32yrs.


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[michael yopp]

I was five, it was at Latch Key cottage's on wagon wheel trail in Meredith.

Michael Yopp

[Grady223]

I was 15 in 1962. My parents rented for 2 weeks on Braun Bay.

[onceMeg]

I was 12 when I spent my first summer at Camp Treasure Island (aka Redhead Island). The lake's been part of me ever since.

[Oregonrain]

First time I was ever in the area was July 4, 2014. I was/am 51. Trying to move there, but things are going so very slowly... slower than molasses in winter.

[Misty Blue]

"Had my diapers changed in Irwin's boathouse in 54!

Misty Blue.

[MGWillia]

12 years old.

[Lakeboater]

Originally Posted by rander7823

It was 1976. I remember watching the fireworks from a boat in Alton Bay and jumping the wake of the Mount while water skiing.

It was about 76 that I came up with my buddy's family in the fall and went water skiing for the first time. His dad took us out of Sally's Gut and brought me right into the wake of the Mount! Great times and thanks to them have been coming up to the lake with my family ever since.

[eillac@dow]

Well, let me put it to you this way....I am the youngest of 23 cousins...and I was born in August of 65. I believe my oldest cousin would be about 69.

I can only tell you that my crib on the island was a bureau drawer. My mom and aunts would take out the drawers, lay blankets in and put us down for the night.

So 50 years later, I am still on the island!

Nice thread!

[glennsteely]

Wow!! I thought a subject like this, DEMANDED top level thought and explanation....
I was....159 days old!! 6 months old, give or take.
I've been enjoying it ever since!!

[polarisman14]

Can't put an exact age on it but I'd say 10-12 years old...I was fortunate enough to be invited to a family camp by a close friend of mine. I spent 1-2 weeks a summer on Bear Island for a few years, then they sold the camp and my time drew to a close. That was fifteen years ago.

Another close friend of mine who was born into boating in the Fall River, MA area moved up here at 18 and got back into boating 5 years ago...So did I. I've never been more into it then I am now. Never too late to get involved.

[Electric man]

1967 at the age of 12

[HomeWood]

Birth. 1979