Have you ever been to New Hampshire? There are so many things to do! New Hampshire is part of New England and is bordered by Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. We live in Massachusetts and we visit New Hampshire a few times a year as it’s a special vacation spot for us. Lake Winnipesaukee is one of our favorite spots and it happens to be the largest lake in New Hampshire, located in the Lakes Region. If you have never been, it’s a perfect destination to add to your summer vacation bucket list. We are fortunate that we live about two hours from the lake so it’s the perfect road trip for us. We recently partnered with The New Hampshire Travel and Tourism Association who offered to sponsor this trip and share it with all of you. Well, this was a no brainer because New Hampshire is loaded with fun family activities, amazing restaurants and lodging venues. Last week we drove to Meredith and Laconia, New Hampshire to spend some quality family time and relax at the lake for a few days. Sit back and enjoy the ride and be ready to Get Inspired and plan your own trip to New Hampshire.
Lake Winnipesaukee – Meredith, NH
We stayed at Church Landing in Meredith, New Hampshire , one of New Hampshire’s premier vacation spots. Did you know that Lake Winnipesaukee is 21 miles long and 1 – 9 miles wide? It also happens to be the third largest lake in New England and the driving distance around the lake is 63 miles. It’s pretty impressive. The Resort is located directly on Route 3 in Meredith, which is also known as Daniel Webster Highway. There is an abundance of shopping, dining & drinking venues and sport activities to do right in the center of town.
Image Mill Falls
Here is a view from our room at Church Landing and the surrounding grounds.
The lush grounds are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a mid afternoon walk.
Laconia, New Hampshire / Weirs Beach
Laconia is between Lake Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam Lake. Laconia is famous for Laconia Motorcycle Week, also known as bike week, in June each year. The Weirs Beach community is located at the southern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee and is a great day trip. Only about 10 minutes from Meredith, we spent an afternoon doing all kinds of fun activities that kids loved. <arel=”nofollow” href=”https://www.funspotnh.com/”>Fun Spot is located Weirs Beach Community in Laconia and it’s a huge activity center filled with arcade games, indoor mini-golf, a bowling alley and pizza shop. Be prepared to stay a while, especially if you have kids.
Looks like fun right?
A perfect of example of Live Free in NH and have fun.
Monkey Trunks in Laconia New Hampshire
Just next door to Fun Spot is Monkey Trunks, a zip lining obstacle course which I cannot believe my husband tried. It was such a great bonding experience for him and the kids to do this together. They had so many laughs and so much fun. Just a heads up, this is a very popular attraction so go early in the day so you don’t have to wait in long lines. The lines do move quickly though. There is also a Monkey Trunks in North Conway, New Hampshire near the Polar Express Train Station. That is another great vacation spot, especially in the winter. We took the kids to North Conway a couple years ago to visit Santa’s Village (in Jefferson NH) and take a train ride to the North Pole and it was amazing!
That is my husband holding on for dear life and the girls laughing hysterically at him.
Across the street you will find the Go-Kart track which I think was one of the kid’s favorite activities. So much so that we had to go back another day and do another 10 rounds! -ha.
One of the best parts of staying in Meredith, NH at Mill Falls is everything is literally at your fingertips. You can be paddle boarding one minute and then hop on a train to take a tour around the lake. Yep, just down the street from Mill Falls, you can hop on the Lake Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad for a fun tour of the lake.
The Elkay Activity Center in Meredith
The Ekal Activity Center in Meredith right on the main road, just next door to Church Landing, and has everything you could possibly imagine as far as water sports goes. Not only can you rent paddle boards, canoes, kayaks for kayaking and aqua cycles, you can charter a pontoon boat or take a guided tour on the lake in an Antique boat. The possibilities are endless.
We rented paddle-boards one morning and the kids had a blast. We paddle boarded up and down the shoreline in town and had a great time stopping at the beach and hanging out.
Best Restaurants & Mill Falls Marketplace Meredith, NH
A few of the restaurants that turned out to be favorites are the Lake House Grill located inside the lower level of Church Landing, The Town Docks which is right on the main street and is casual waterfront dining, The Camp located in the lower level of the Chase House of Mill Falls, Giuseppe’s Pizzeria located in the historic Mill Falls Inn and marketplace and the Waterfront Cafe also located in the Mills Falls Inn. By the way, the Waterfront Cafe has the best breakfast! Delicious. The Mill Falls marketplace also has great clothing shops, home furnishings and fun souvenirs. Be sure to visit the candy shop and see the 40-foot waterfall too. Of course, we hit Ben & Jerry’s too.
Town Docks in Meredith – Public boat access + Restaurant
One fabulous feature is you can pull your boat right up to The Town docks in town and go shop or dine. Isn’t that cool?
Here we are having lunch at the Town Docks Restaurant. This is a sandy beach themed restaurant so flip flops or sneakers are best. It’s a super casual atmosphere with great music.
Another gorgeous shot of the sun coming up on our last day before we headed home.
There are so many things to do in New Hampshire. Lake Winnipesaukee in my opinion is a must-see summer destination spot. Not only can you visit during the summer months but New Hampshire also offers some of the best skiing and fall hiking sports in the country. Being from New England, it’s a well-known fact that New Hampshire’s “live free” motto is truly like no other. Be sure to check out their find your next adventure site to plan your own trip. You may also like the New Hampshire lakes and beaches website as well as this hiking guide. Thank you so much to the New Hampshire Travel and Tourism Association for sending us on this fabulous trip!
This post brought to you by New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Four Generations One Roof.
Jessie Anderson says
Lovely pictures! I live in the lakes region; abou 25 mins from Lake Winnipesauke. It is such a breathtaking lake. One of my favorites in NH.
Have you ever been to Newfound Lake? It is a very beautiful lake as well and much less crowded than Lake Winni. It is very clean although a bit cold.
Victoria Morgan says
There is much more to the lake than just Meredith. You barely scraped the surface.