Lap Pool?

[Winilyme]

Off season, my wife and I swim ​three times weekly here in CT at a local Y about 20 minutes away. Unfortunately, there are limited options in the Lakes Region if you​'re looking for a decent facility with a 25-yard indoor pool. We are in Meredith, May - October, and we vastly prefer a pool for swimming laps versus the lake. We often wish there were more options in the Lakes region and if the Moultonborough recreational complex was ever approved, we hoped they might help fund it through opening the facility to non-resident public memberships.

Prior to my recent retirement, during various years, my wife swam at the Concord Y, Gunstock Inn, and The Wellness Complex. The Concord Y is a decent facility but the pool lanes are approximately ten inches or so more narrow than a standard lap pool lane. That's a negative when you are sharing a lane as is required more times than not. Plus, you have to pay for parking - though it is convenient with a garage right next door. Gunstock had a pool and that's about it. Questionable cleanliness and maintenance and just not a very cheerful place to be. The Wellness Center was okay when she swam there another summer but it was often without a lifeguard and the overall attentiveness the building received from management was questionable. Also, past reviews of the facility were often poor.

This past summer, we decided to try the Goffstown Y. That's quite a haul (1 hour, 15 minutes each way from our home in Meredith) but we figured that with two of us swimming for about three hours each time, it might be worth it. It was. Free parking, clean facility with an attentive staff and spacious locker rooms. Wonderful indoor pool with, at least, a shared lane usually available during lap swim hours. They also have a brand new outdoor lap pool that we didn't try. The only disadvantage was the travel distance so we limited our time there to twice-weekly and frequently built into those trips errands we needed to run anyway in the Hooksett, Concord or Tilton areas.

Conclusion. I've read recent reviews for the Wellness Complex which seem to have taken a turn for the better. Seems within the last year, they brought in new management. That's very encouraging so I'd suggest looking into that once it reopens. I think we'll look into it again as well. The Concord Y is a good alternative, albeit with the disadvantage of narrow lap lanes. Finally, consider the Goffstown Y which, for the OP in Alton, should be about a 60 minute commute. Add a minute or two to the drive and take the back route through Bow if you want to avoid the $1.00 Hooksett tolls.