Mackinaw Road: Lake Winnipesauke

September flew by!! One of the highlights was a road trip to Lake Winnipesaukee for a long weekend. Here’s what we learned and what we did.

Disclaimer- This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase, I may receive some compensation. Thank you! Photos are either mine or my family’s. We clearly had a great time with 401 photos and 66 videos to choose from in our shared folder.

Why Lake Winnipesaukee

Well, because we have a huge What About Bob fan in R’s family. As a retirement gift, all 12 of us headed out to New Hampshire to celebrate. There were plenty of movie quotes, the fan favorite T-shirts, and even a Baby Steps book. We mayyyybe even reenacted the “I’m sailing!!!” scene. It was a good trip.

How We Got There

We got there in a variety of ways. R’s parents got a connecting flight through Chicago and landed in Manchester, New Hampshire. His siblings flew to Boston, rented cars, and drove up (about 2 hours). And, we road tripped. Approximately 15 1/2-16 hours. There and then again back.

The Road Trip

We picked the kids up from school around noon on Thursday and drove about 7 1/2 hours to Niagara Falls, New York. We could have potentially saved a bit of time going through Canada but were unsure of the requirements for testing, etc. given the status of the pandemic. We woke up early (ish) the next morning and walked up to the falls. It was a beautiful, peaceful way to start the day. We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of tourist-y feels on the New York side. (The Enneagram 6 in me was very happy that my kids were old enough to know to stay back from the shore.)

We then hopped in the car and started the second half of our trip (about 8 1/2 hours) through upstate New York, Vermont, and finally into New Hampshire.

Lake Winnipesaukee: Things to Know

Lake Winnipesaukee is a gorgeous lake! It is quite big. And a bit complicated. It has a lot of different bays and inlets. There are 8 towns by the lake. We were pleased with our lodging near Moultonborough. It was perfect for our group of twelve. We were about 30 minutes from a full grocery store but did have a country store nearby- about 5 minutes away. It was very convenient for basic groceries and had a deli counter. However, they were closing soon so weren’t really restocking much. It worked out well for us, but if you were to travel in an off season, it is something to consider.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at an Airbnb near Moultonborough that could accommodate our large group of 8 adults and 4 children. Our 8-year old is clearly mine. He walked in and one of the first things he said was “Is this an A-frame?!?” (We are both a bit obsessed.) We loved the large windows facing the lake. There were two living room areas, a pool table, a hot tub, and kayaks. Not only was there room to spread out inside, but there were also plenty of decks and sitting areas outside to enjoy a morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine. There was a firepit area and a solo stove. We loved being able to hop in kayaks and explore the lake. We also became fast friends with some ducks. N, of course, was able to catch (and release) a few frogs and even a turtle.

 

 

 

 

Boats to Rent

My brother-in-law rented our pontoon in Laconia (about 30-40 minutes from our Airbnb) at Irwin’s Marine . He took a boat course online prior to the trip (and had driven boats previously as well). The marina itself felt very nostalgic and well done. The staff was helpful and friendly. We took the boat out for the majority of the day. After riding around for a bit, we docked in Meredith and had a lovely lunch at Lakehouse Grille. Then we were back on the boat for more exploring and a bit of swimming. 

Extending the Stay

We had a wonderful long weekend in Lake Winnipesaukee exploring the area and spending time at the Airbnb! R’s parents drove up to Maine afterward to extend their trip. Some siblings visited friends in Boston while others (those with 2-year olds) took advantage of the hotel pool the night before heading up to New Hampshire. I love all of these options. (You may be interested in this post if spending a few days in Boston with kids.) R is currently very focused on Vermont. I love that there were so many options within a couple of hours should you be able to make your trip a bit longer. 

That’s all for now! Hope you have a great week!