The Lakes Region of New Hampshire

Lakes Region on the Ice

2012-03-01T19:11:00.004-05:00

We spent some time at the Laconia Ice Arena ("The Coolest Place in Town") recently to watch the Belmont-Gilford high schools team lose a tough game, its final home game of the season. But it reminded us of what a wonderful amenity the arena is... Especially the 'top floor' area, where you can sit in cozy room looking down on the ice... Lots of cool hockey memorabilia up there as well.

AND, remember - several Bruins alumni members will be among the rink-rats Sunday when they meet the "Winni Whitecaps" in an exhibition game at 2:30 p.m.

http://laconiaicearena.com/

Yea! Us

2012-02-29T15:56:00.001-05:00

Once again, New Hampshire proves we're among the 'best of the best'... Now if we could just keep the snowfall every year to what we got in 2011-12 (so far!).

http://blog.nheconomy.com/?p=2716

What's happening here?

2012-02-22T13:26:00.002-05:00

Not much these days...

Well, the "winter" is coming to a rapid close with virtually no snowpack in most of the Lakes Region... Today is sunny with temperatures in low 50s. "Hey! What season is it now?" reads one sign on a building in downtown Laconia.

But at the same time, we have this amazing display going on in Chocura several nights ago (courtesy of NECN):
http://www.necn.com/02/20/12/bMatt-Noyes-bAmazing-Northern-Lights-dis/landing_weathernewengland.html?blockID=654860

"There's nothing to do here?"

2012-02-12T22:20:00.001-05:00

Remember "Cow-Hampshire?"

That's how folks used to describe our home state - especially people who had moved up here from Boston, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, etc. They loved our quiet nights and our generally calm atmosphere... except when they wanted Chinese food at three in the morning, or to see the newest 'art house' movie, or to hear some top-notch musical act.

It was especially true of where we are - the infamous "North of Concord."

"Can anything good come from North of Concord?"

Well, twice in the last week we've been reminded of how things are changing in the Lakes Region.

For residents and visitors, we no longer have to wait until the summer to be treated to some great artistic and cultural presentations.

On Saturday, we traveled to Pitman's Freight Room, an old wooden structure that used to serve as a freight depot for goods brought by rail to Laconia, to see "Political Suicide," a brand new four-part play written by Ernest Thompson. Thompson, you may recall, won an Oscar for writing "On Golden Pond" about 30 years ago. The film was shot in the Lakes Region, primarily on Squam Lake, and he fell in love with the area at the time. He moved back here to live, raise a family and, eventually, to start a company called Whitebridge Farm Productions, which produces films and plays, gives classes to writers, actors and others in the trade and is involved in other terrific, off-beat artistic projects.

Two observations: first, Thompson's play, inspired by the Republican debates, is a winner. The play is "witty, funny and poignant," to quote reviewer Warren Huse of the Citizen of Laconia. And, Thompson, who plays several roles in the four short plays, is also a wonderful comic actor... although he's just one part of a great cast made up primarily of local people.

Second, Pitman's Freight Room, which has been opened for some time, is an unexpected blessing to the Lakes Region. What was for a long time an antique store is now a great performance space - aged wood walls, charming antique pieces, relaxing furniture and atmosphere, a nice dance floor, modern amenities, etc. And every Thursday night, great jazz musicians perform - at only $10 per person admission; recently, Delfeayo Marsalis, the trombone-playing member of the famous jazz family, was here. (You're welcome to BYOB, BYOFood, BYOWhatever You'd Like, as long as you pay the cover price).

As if this all wasn't great enough, last Sunday afternoon, we traveled up to Plymouth State University to see flutists Aubrie Dionne and Peggy Vagts, assisted by pianist Christopher Gantner, perform a free lyrical concert at Plymouth State University... It's amazing to me how frequently we forget about the charms of PSU, and the town of Plymouth. At the "top" of the Lakes Region, the area always has something great going on. The Lamsom Library is one of the best in the state. The Flying Monkey on Main Street is as great a dining/performance center as you'll likely to find anywhere in the state and regularly presents top-notch acts; Judy Collins performed recently and Taj Mahal is coming soon.

Whatever happened to "Cow Hampshire"? Seem to us the Lakes Region has turned a corner on art and culture, and it's unlikely to turn back... Let's just not lose those One Voice Christmas Concerts, school plays and square/contra dances.

Some More Signs of the Times.

2012-02-03T18:32:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite jokes when I was a kid was about the little boy who went to the barber.

"What kind of haircut do you want," asks the owner.

"One like my dad," says the kid, "with a hole in the top."

Today I made my regular stop at Barbary's Barber Shop on Main Street in Laconia. (I know, what's with that name? I guess the first owner was Barbary the Barber.) My favorite guy, Dan, the owner, was not there. He's gone on a two-month vacation.

"Last year around this time he had his heart attack and was out for three months," says Don, the guy who'll cut my hair today. "I hear he never took a day off. So this year I guess he thought the place was in good hands and he went away."

"I guess it's better to spend the money on a hotel room than I hospital room," I say.

I ask Don for a short haircut, like I always do, and he does a stupendous job. Even cuts away at those weird hairs that have begun growing out of my ears and other places hairs aren't supposed to grow - or to show, anyway.

But when he held up the mirror, I saw a problem.

He'd given me my dad's haircut. With a hole in the middle...

Later I drove down to Alton. Will they hold the annual Fly-In this month? The Alton Bay airfield is the only wintertime airfield officially recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration in the contiguous 48 states. The low-key event is fabulous, with lots of little planes flying in from all over, the folks eating at Shibley's-At-The-Pier or from one of the little food carts that appear for the weekend event.

But there were icehouses as I drove by there so I'm guessing things will be okay. Those little planes at the Fly-In are actually not very heavy. Some weigh less than your compact car.

Still organizers of this weekend's 3rd annual Pond Hockey Tourney had to switch the event from Meredith Bay on Winnipesaukee to Lake Waukewan because local temps haven't been low enough for the ice on the Big Lake to be at least one-foot thick, which is what they need for safety. But it shouldn't make much difference - the pond hockey is a blast, drawing in more than 200 teams of five or six players, along with their wives, kids, parents, friends, etc... Thousands of people, some who've never seen the Lakes Region before. It's a great family event. (And as one local put it, these folks don’t start drinking until they're off the ice.)

That's Not What He Meant.

2012-02-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

Driving down Weirs Boulevard yesterday when a sign in front of a waterfront home came into view. It reflected both the economic realities of our times, as well as the ability for even well-intentioned real estate business people to get things not-so-right.

On the pole were two separate signs.
One read: "Water View."
The one on top read: "Reduced."

Not sure there's much market for a residence that advertises a "reduced water view".

Sign in Front of Downtown Laconia Office Building

2012-01-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

"Snowflakes are winter's butterflies."

Lakes Region radio choices

2012-01-21T14:50:00.002-05:00

Isn't it nice to be able to choose what you want to listen to on the car radio?

Recently Nassau Broadcasting, which owns a slew of local stations (including WLNH and WEMJ) had its Meredith station, WWHK, 102.3 FM, join the "Maine Classical Network." It now broadcasts classical music. Nothing 'rash' - not liable to hear much 'modern' classical - but it's a wonderful respite from the various forms of rock/pop and talk/sports that fills the airways. They even do a "Kids Classical Hour" Saturdays at 9 a.m. and "Classic Jazz" from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday nights.

Meredith already has another unique station: WANH 91.5 FM which is a 'repeater' station for the Christian station based in Concord - it's mostly teaching and talk shows during the day and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) at night. But you can turn back the clock Sunday mornings when they play old-fashioned hymns - "Old Rugged Cross," "Go! Tell It On the Mountains", etc.

There's even a full-time CCM station available in much of the Lakes Region - for the kids and kids-at-heart WNHI 106.5 FM in Farmington offers a lively 'rock' version of the "Rock of Ages' that can easily be heard in Alton and some other towns.

Now is someone will just get a full-time sports station up here...

Lake Winnipesaukee homes: Cheaper than The Balsams!

2012-01-14T00:52:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe, isn't it?
Last month it was reported that The Balsams, one of New Hampshire's most famous Grand Hotels, was sold for $2.3 million to two local businessmen. One guys owns a construction business and the other has a bunch of auto dealerships.
That's a little more than $2 million for one of the state's landmark historic lodging institutions located in the White Mountains?
You'll have to do a little better than that if you want a top-flight place in the Lakes Region.
According to some recent real estate listings, for about the same $2.3 million, you could buy a waterfront home on Varney Point in Gilford. Or a five bedroom summer home in Wolfeboro.
And you'd never have to bother putting a chocolate on anyone's pillow or caring if the fridge is a little skimpy when you arrive for the Memorial Day weekend.

Celebrities on Winnisquam, Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, etc. (Cont.)

2012-01-06T23:32:00.001-05:00

Forgot to mention Henry Maxfield, a long-time Wolfeboro realtor who once worked at a low-level national security agency and used that experience as background for "Anatomy of a Spy," an espionage novel that’s now considered a classic in the field. (He's written several other novels as well). And Ruth Doan MacDougal of Laconia, author of "The Cheerleader" (credited with perfectly capturing life for young people in the 1950s); she's since written sequels and other books... Meanwhile, local media celeb Warren Bailey says Adam Sandler has connections here "and rumor has it Jimmy Fallon and his wife Nancy have a summer home in Wolfeboro."

Celebrities on Winnisquam, Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, etc.

2012-01-06T23:11:00.003-05:00

Recently the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce FB account asked about famous people who live in and around the area. Here was our input (slightly edited): "How about Mitt Romney?... Famous quilt-maker Patricia Delaney, retired editor of The NY Times Review of Books editor Rebecca Smuckler, stock car driver Brad Leighton, the best-selling business book author of "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, NY/Boston kids' dressmaker Mary-Alice Dalton, Duane Hammond (creator of the popular pig cartoon creations at pigsinapoke.com), Ernest Thompson (Academy Award winner author of "On Golden Pond"), former Red Sox player and now announcer Jerry Remy, George Butler (comrade of Arnold Schwarzenger and creator of "Pumping Iron," the photo book/movie that made the former California governor famous), folks artist Jim Lambert of Tilton, Helen Nordquist of Alton (played in the All-American Professional Baseball League during World War II), Dick Binnett (of the Skiing Hall of Fame), Harvey Garrod (NH's most well-known personal injury lawyer), romance author Barbara Lewinsky (who has written national best-selling novels including "Lake News," which takes place in a town much like Meredith where she has a seasonal home), ” the Marriott hotel family, Chris Whitecomb (a former FBI employee who appears on an expert on national TV news programs), famous Olympic skier Penny Pitou, author J.P. Polidoro (who's novel about cloning Ted Williams foretold actual events), the state's most famous criminal defense attorney Mark Sisti, Russ Thibault (the state's foremost economist)... Oh, also the rumor that Michael Jordan was seen playing hoops on a community court in Wolfeboro about 10 years ago!"

Lakes Region Christmas Gift

2011-12-21T00:08:00.000-05:00

"Winter is the 'secret season' in the Lakes Region - because not everyone knows of its quiet charm. But fortunate are those who've enjoyed the excitement of skiing, snowboarding or tubing at Gunstock. Happy are those who have been gliding on cross-country skis across frozen Squam Lake or crunching on snowshoes up one of the Ossipee Mountains. Satisfied are those who've augured through the ice on Lake Winnipesaukee to drop a line in the water beneath in hopes of snaring a white perch or a lake trout. Winter is when we slow down, sit back and catch up on things. It's when we get to know each other - and ourselves - a little better."

- from "The Lakes Region of New Hampshire: Four Seasons, Countless Memories," the area's only photography/coffee table book, available at local bookstores and on Amazon.com and LAKESREGIONNHBOOK.COM

PTI (Pardon the Interruption)...

2011-12-19T17:32:00.001-05:00

... but things have been a bit busy lately.

It's likely due - as it may be for you - to the "holidays". How has something that's meant to emphasize the simple joys of our lives in the Lakes Region become so hectic? I'd like to think it's because we want to share the good times with good friends and family - and we have TOO MANY of those people.

In any case, some thoughts have rolled by as we've all left autumn behind and begin heading into the joys and coolness of the winter:

THERE SEEMS to be more Christmas lights decorating homes in the Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Newfound and Squam areas this year than usual. When times are tough, people go all out on this stuff... The most recent additions are those air-filled nylon figures, everything from Santa and Frosty and Homer Simpson to a mini-crèche and a snow globe. The newest on Route 106 in Laconia is a Santa astride his Harley (naturally). These nylon balloons have a childish kind of joy (i.e., 'inflated'?). But it's weird when you drive by a house during the day and see these little puddles of deflated plastic on the front lawn. "Mommy, did Santa Claus melt away? Isn't it Christmas time during the day?"

IN REAL LIFE, CHRISTMAS SPIRIT continues strong: The annual WLNH Children's Auction raised more than $300,000, One Voice Ministries performed another one of its wonderful Christmas concert. And local merchants appear to be happy that folks are responding to their appeal to "Think Local" when doing their holiday shopping.
ONE GOOD LAUGH came at church this week when our pastor asked if Christmas Eve was a big night for eating out. (Our building is adjacent to Fratello's Italian Grille and he wanted us to be conscious of us not taking up parking spaces in their lot when we come for the Christmas Eve service.) One of the younger associates got him with this rejoinder: "Eating out on Christmas Eve? Well, they're busy at Chinese restaurants."

AND WHY ARE CHINESE restaurants the only place you can dine alone and not feel like everyone is looking at you?... BTW, the China Bistro in Gilford was recently named No. 23 among the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in America - and that's up about 10 spots from last year... Meanwhile, Fratello's - which now also has a Manchester location - was named Best Italian Restaurant/local chain and Best Caesar Salad by readers of New Hampshire magazine recently... And although they might not make any "best" list, you have to admire the folks at little Hillcrest Pizza on Route 140 in Belmont. Always willing to try something new, recent signs have advertised fried pickles, fried lobster and barbecue Cajun.

More to come soon... Keep those holidays happy!

From Newfound Lake to the Merrimack Valley

2011-10-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Great News from The Mill Fudge Factory - Grand Opening in Manchester Next Week!
(from their Facebook page:)

Come join us in celebrating the Grand Opening of The Mill Fudge Factory's 2nd location inside the new Mill Town Market, located in the bustling downtown of Manchester, NH next to Margaritas restaurant.

The celebration is part of three businesses opening in downtown Manchester!
"We are bringing retail back to Downtown Manchester," says Jane Beaulieu, owner of the new Mill Town Market.

Ribbon cutting with occur around noon with the City Mayor and other local officials. All day long, you can enjoy free fudge samples and other free samples from The Mill Town Market!

Catch the trolley from 5:30-7:30pm at the City Hall. It will be making stops at the art museum as well at the Mill Town Market and other downtown attractions.

**The Mill Fudge Factory handcrafts artisan fudge with the finest natural ingredients in Bristol, NH. Fudge is also available nation-wide fromhttp://www.TheMillFudgeFactory.com/

**The Mill Town Market offers fresh pastas, meat, cheeses, fresh produce, artisan breads, penny candy and much more!

The two businesses met at The Manchester Farmer's market and have joined together to create a delicious local attraction in Downtown Manchester.

For further information or questions, feel free to contact Jane at The Mill Town Market at 603-218-3191 o

Lake Opechee leaf

2011-10-18T12:17:00.002-04:00

And so it goes.... As soon as the Columbus Day visitors are gone, the leaves start turning their lovely browns, golds and yellows. Unusually late - and somewhat muted since the recent inclement weather has already stripped some trees before we had the chance to see their vibrant metamorphosis.
And the "people" are now gone too - as the Lakes Region gets ready for its annual shift from summer paradise for thousands, to small-town Christmas fair and community events for the "rest of us."
Be sure and come back and visit soon. In some ways, it's the best time of the year - the quiet time of
colorful beauty and self-discovery.

2011-10-10T21:23:00.003-04:00

For a long time, we always assumed the local business community had some kind of special agreement with the Creator.
Seemed like no matter what the weather was between Memorial Day and mid-October, sometime during Columbus Day weekend our red maples, beautiful beech trees and colorful fruit trees would bust out in their full autumn regalia - flaming reds, pure yellows, and sparkling crunchy browns perfect for wading your shoes through...
Until this year.
I don't know what we did to change this situation. (Is He upset we're considering moving up the presidential primary, so that it could fall during the Christmas season?) Yet for some reasons, this year - it just didn't happen.
We all agreed it has something to do with the weather - a summer that was warmer and dryer than most, then a spat of cool early fall days, then a "real" Indian summer, with temperatures the last three days reaching into the eighties.
None of us are smart enough to know the answer. (Doesn't matter anyway since the state will still say it was "beautiful as ever.")
But whatever the reason, here it is, Monday night, the conclusion of the Columbus Day weekend, and it was only later this afternoon - when Interstate 93 began being plugged with visitors' cars heading south from Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Squam, Newfound, et al, - that the bright summer sunshine showed off some of our best fall colors.
It was kind of a too-brief celebration, marking the end of "the season".
But it's also a reminder.
"Come back, as soon as you can," it said. "There's nothing quite like life in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire."

2011-10-06T22:37:00.003-04:00

This is the time of year when the Lakes Region of New Hampshire becomes a palette of both colors and textures.
The last few days, grey skies gave us downpours that drenched the deck of the M/S Mount Washington as it sat at the Weirs Beach dock. And soft showers only added to the small lakes that cornered some street in Laconia and some of the bigger towns.
Today we saw some blue skies. And by Sunday, the middle of the Columbus Day weekend, the forecast is for bright sunshine in 80-plus degree temperatures.
And it's a good thing, too. The Mount only has about three more weeks before it goes into its off-season berth. (For information, see cruisenh.com.)

One Good Baseball Memory

2011-10-03T21:02:00.006-04:00

When you live in a lovely place like the Lakes Region, you sometimes come upon unexpected blessings... Like a friend who calls you up at 5 p.m. one September night and tells you he has two tickets to tonight's Red Sox game. You scramble over to his house and drive madly down to Derry, NH, to pick up the tickets from the friends who couldn't use them, then onto Fenway Park.

Not long afterwards, you’re both sitting in the stands, not far behind home plate, enjoying the last real "summer" night of the year: temperatures in the mid-70s, folks dressed in shorts and t-shirts, many with players’ names on the back.

And you're there to watch perhaps the only really fun moment of the Red Sox's September - veteran pitcher Tim Wakefield getting his 200th career win.

Despite the 18-6 Sox lead, most fans stay to the final out to applaud the longest-serving Red Sox player... And he seemed genuinely chocked up with emotion, expressing his gratitude at the unending applause.

By 1:30 a.m. the next day, you’re back at home and in bed – thanking God for your friend, Tim Wakefield, Fenway Park – and living in a beautiful place that’s only two hours from a couple of big league sports teams.

(Now your friend wants to go see the Boston Bruins play the Detroit Red Wings – he’s from the Midwest and a lifelong Red Wing fans – the day after Thanksgiving, and follow that up the next night with a Boston Celtics game. “It’s always been my dream to go to a Bruins and Celtics game back-to-back,” he says - The only problem being that the NBA strike is unlikely to be settled by Thanksgiving, according to the sportswriters, so the Celtics are unlikely to be playing… But that’s what you get in a Lakes Region friend – a little bit of starlight and a whole lot of joy.)

Winds Change Quickly over Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Squam et al

2011-10-01T16:20:00.004-04:00

Mark Twain's famous expression - "If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes." - certainly applies over the last six or seven days.
We've gone from thick humidity with motorcycles once again roaming our roads and people dressed only in shorts and t-shirt to today: rainy, dark skies obscuring the sun, and a coolish air that speaks of rougher days ahead... At least its making our leaf colors more pronounced.
But maybe it's no a wonder, based on what's happened to the Old (New England) Towne Team in the last 72 hours...
Still, if you expect Lakes Region folks to just sit on their hands, you've got us all wrong. Just look what the owners of the Laconia Muscrats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League has come up with! Everything that Tito could want, plus a $6000 salary and lots of perks like free hotdogs and courtesy boat rides on Squam Lake, I'm sure.

Sad Shores of the Winnipesaukee River

2011-09-28T14:54:00.002-04:00

Along the Winni River this week, a special community gathered to commemorate a loss...
http://www.citizen.com/news/laconia_region/laconia/article_29b2a29c-e8bf-11e0-9c6a-0019bb30f31a.html

How Hot Is Winnipesaukee?

2011-09-26T00:21:00.003-04:00

When we got out of church this morning, the thermometer in the car read "87."
It wasn't really that hot. The car was in the sun, and after a few minutes the reading dropped to around 78.
But it was still hot. Windows-opened, shorts-wearing, drink-lots-of-fluids, easy-to-slip-into-a-Sunday-nap hot.
We've been in the Lakes Region for for almost 20 years, looking over Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam, and I can't recall a September night like the previous one - with the windows opened wide, hoping for a breeze to cool the humid air.
And it's less than three months before Christmas?

On Meredith Bay

2011-09-23T23:23:00.006-04:00

"Around noon on Thursday, I parked my car by Meredith Bay to eat lunch. I left the windows open. It was warm, almost 70-degrees, but a cool breeze keeps the muggy feeling away.
"The sky was a grey ceiling just over the treetops. A soft shower bloomed widening circles on the lake. It was peaceful and quiet. There were few cars around - so different from the crowds who filled the area just a few weeks ago. A few locals were fishing from the docks.
"When I eventually left after about a half-hour, I turn my car left onto Route 3. You're not supposed to do that but no one cares after the summer crowds thin out... Some may be back for the fall foliage weekends - the leaves are already becoming pale. But it's not summer. It won't be back this year. That's okay, as long as you're ready for it."

Lake Winnipesaukee's Gentle Air

2011-09-22T09:02:00.004-04:00

"Awoke around 3 o'clock this morning because the room was warm. Opened the window and put my hand up. The warmth that covered the area was still here, and a soft spring-like rain was falling, the gentle bouncing of the drops off the leaves... Opened the window wider, and went back to bed."

Best Coffee on Winnipesaukee?

2011-09-21T17:36:00.006-04:00

For a small city, Laconia has some pretty nice coffee options. Awakenings, by the post office, has already won NH magazine's "Best of the Area" award several times, and now there's that new place on Rte. 3 in Winnisquam I hear good things about - and I haven't even tried yet... But have you stopped by Annie's Cafe & Catering on Union Ave yet? It's in the same complex as Subway's - in a space that use to house an eatery called (if I remember correctly) "Cry of the Wolf Coffee House Cafe"; I never got around to telling them that a coffee house IS a cafe - so the name was really: "Cry of the Wolf Coffee House Coffee House." Doesn't matter, it was good.
But the coffee Annie and her team have is very special. Tell them we sent you.

Rebecca Rule Rules on Winnipesaukee

2011-09-19T12:31:00.008-04:00

If you've never seen New Hamphsire native and storyteller Rebecca Rule, you've got to keep your eye out for her next appearance in the Lakes Region. She was at the Corner Meeting House in Belmont Friday night... We didn't go since we had seen her last year at the Meredith Historical Society meeting. But our friend Kelly was there and he loved her.
She's a little ‘rough’, using the kind cuss words the way many old New Englanders do. But her love of the state is obvious and endearing.

She has several books published, including her latest: "Live Free and Eat Pie". You can check out her website "www.MooseOfHumor.com". (Becky says she came up with that name after she was introduced at an event as "the moose” of humor about New Hampshire - the announcer was supposed to say the "muse” of humor!)

One Last Gasp

2011-09-19T11:22:00.002-04:00

Summer is so much at the heart of life in the Lakes Region, we hate to see it go... The last few nights have been very chilly but it looks like we're going to have one last burst of summer warmth later this week.

Autumn Comes to the Lakes Region

2011-09-18T20:49:00.001-04:00

"Autumn usually means a return to day-to-day. It’s back to school, back to work, back to the humdrum of daily living.
"Not in the Lakes Region – when the colors return. Columbus Day is when they’re usually at their peak but they start long before that. First one tree shows some yellow. Then a dash of orange appears along the side of the road. Then the maples burst out in flames. And finally everything turns to warm brown – and they fall, crowding at the bottom of the hills, along the side of the road, crunching under our feet as we walk down the village Main Street."Shopping is particularly fun now. Whether it’s at a yard sale in Laconia, an antique shop in Ossipee, a bookstore in Meredith or the outlet mall in Tilton... It's part of the special anticipation of a new year, a time to turn the page and imagine what wonders lay ahead."

- from "The Lakes Region of New Hampshire: Four Seasons, Countless Memories", available at lakeregionnhbook.com