Belmont, NH Road Trips

1 Attitash Mountain Resort. - located in Bartlett The Mount Washington Boat offers scenic day and evening cruises from several ports around Lake Winnipesaukee. The main port is through Weirs Beach though stops in Meredith, Center Harbor, and Wolfboro happen on different days of the week (check the schedule online). There is a dinner cruise available most nights during the summer. This is a sit down dinner with waiters and a menu. Dress is very casual with many guests wearing shorts and a polo shirt or business casual clothing. Some cruises at night feature special menus. If at all possible, reserve for the later cruise which features the sunset over the lake. Be aware that the weather gets chilly and make sure you pack a sweater. For a more relaxing time consider the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad which leaves from either Meredith or Weirs Beach on one or two hours tours. Most travelers take the two hour route which consists of a round trip from their boarding station to the end of the line in both directions. The train travels from Meredit to Weirs Beach (30 minutes) on down to Paugus Bay (30 minutes) and then reverses directions for a total round trip time of 2 hours. There is a Hobo Railroad which is essentially the Winnipesaukee Railroad with an additional fee to ride it during the lunch time. You may purchase a box lunch which consists of sandwiches and a dessert. If rain is in the forecast during your vacation, you may want to travel north on I93 to the COG Railroad (+1 603-278-5404) which takes you on a 2-hour or more round trip up Mount Washington.

There are numerous restaurants throughout the Lakes Region providing food for all nationalities and tastes.Some restaurants are seasonal, so it may be a wise idea to call ahead.

Most tourists arrive by car via Interstate 93. Exits 20-24 serve the Lakes Region Area. From the east you can arrive via I-95 to Portsmouth, NH, and then take NH Rt 16 directly to NH Rt 11 and into the Alton Bay area where you can either take NH Rt 11 around the west side of the lake or NH Rt 28 around the east side of the lake.

The simplest way to get around the Lakes Region is by car as there is no real public transportation system. As a result, many towns experience traffic jams during peak tourist seasons, such as summer and fall weekends. Boat is a very common mode of transportation, particularly on the larger lakes where it is possible to reach many towns via water. Many visitors bring their own boats or keep them year-round in the region, although it is possible to rent boats from the various marinas such as Thurston's Marina in Weirs Beach. In addition, Lake Winnipesaukee can be cruised via the Mount Washington, Doris E, which offer cruises predominantly run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You can also catch a ride on the Sophie C, a US Mail Boat, as it delivers mail to the various islands.

Lake Winnipesaukee is a big lake. The weather can change quickly and become dangerous. There are boats on the lake that make large wake and also speed boats. There is a 150-foot (45 m) separation rule, from boats or the shoreline when going above wake speed. Weekends are the most crowded, and during the week or off-season, the lake is almost empty of boat traffic. If you boat on the lake, you must have a map. There are many rocks close to the surface, and the navigation buoys are not easy to understand unless you are using a chart. Squam lake is similar, in that it is hard to navigate without a chart. Squam has a speed limit of 45 mph, and much less boat traffic, so you may feel safer on that lake. There is very little violent crime in the lakes region, but some people are uncomfortable being around motorcycle bikers during "bike week" in June. 99.99% of these guys are the friendliest people on Earth. Loud parties at night is the most frequent "crime" during the summer months.