DISTANCE: 74 miles (119km)
TIME: One to two days
START/END: Wolfeboro
POINTS TO NOTE: Conway is 36 miles (58km) north; Portsmouth is 48 miles (77km) southeast.
Lake Winnipesaukee
Squashed between Lake Wentworth and Lake Winnipesaukee, the state’s largest body of water, is Wolfeboro 1 [map]. John Wentworth, a New Hampshire governor, built a summer retreat here in 1769 – hence Wolfeboro’s claim to be ‘America’s oldest summer resort.’ A pleasant place for a meal is Garwoods, see 1 [map].
Morning mist on Lake Winnipesaukee
iStock
Drop by the quirky Libby Museum (tel: 603-569-1035; www.thelibbymuseum.org; June–mid-Sept Tue–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm), on Route 109 at the far north end of town, which displays the natural history and ethnographic collection of local dentist Dr Henry Forrest Libby.
Weirs Beach
Follow Route 28 south for 10 miles (16km) to the tiny town of Alton Bay, then head north along Route 11 to family-friendly Weirs Beach 2 [map]. Stacked with game arcades such as the enormous Funspot (www.funspotnh.com), this resort town verges on the tacky but will be a hit with the kids. You can also board the M/S Mount Washington (tel: 603-366-5531; www.cruisenh.com; 2.5-hour cruise), an elegant 1888 steamship (now diesel) that has served as a pleasure cruiser here since 1940. The 200ft (60m) boat serenely threads its way past the lake’s islands. Back on shore, there’s a nice public beach at Endicott Park.
Castle in the Clouds
Castle in the Clouds
Squam Lake
Continue north on Route 3 through the arty town of Meredith to Squam Lake 3 [map]. Holderness is the main town here and, like Squam Lake itself, its image contrasts sharply with the tourist-oriented west shore of Winnipesaukee. This is the genteel, old-money summer milieu captured in the 1981 film On Golden Pond, which was filmed here. The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (tel: 603-968-7194; www.nhnature.org; May–Oct daily 9.30am–5pm) is a 200-acre (80ha) preserve, which features native wildlife in a woodland setting, trails, interactive exhibits, and animal programs.
Center Sandwich
Follow Route 113, as it curves north then east, for 13 miles (21km) to the trim village of Center Sandwich 4 [map] (www.discoversandwich.com), where the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen (www.nhcrafts.org) was launched more than 70 years ago. The league’s first store is at 32 Main Street (May–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm), while across the street is the Corner House Inn, see 2 [map].
Moultonborough
Follow Route 109 south for 4 miles (6km) to Moultonborough 5 [map], where the Old Country Store (1011 Whittier Highway; tel: 603-476-5750; www.nhcountrystore.com; daily 9am–5pm) has been selling necessities since it was built as a stagecoach stop in 1781, and has a small museum of artifacts to prove it.
Three miles (5km) from Moultonborough, off Route 109, is the Castle in the Clouds 6 [map] (Route 171; tel: 603-476-5900; www.castleintheclouds.org; mid-May Sat–Sun 10am–5.30pm, late-May–late-Oct daily). Shoe manufacturer Thomas G. Plant started to build this fantasy homemade of granite in 1911, on a lofty site overlooking the Ossipee Mountains and miles of forest. Return to Route 109 for 17 miles (27km) back to Wolfeboro.
Food and drink
1 Garwoods
6 North Main Street, Wolfeboro; tel: 603-569-7788; www.garwoodsrestaurant.com; daily 11.30am–9pm; $$
A wood-beamed restaurant and pub, with a decent selection of food and deck seating beside the lake.
2 Corner House Inn
22 Main Street, Center Sandwich; tel: 603-284-6219; www.cornerhouseinn.com; Mon, Wed–Thu 4.30–9pm, Fri–Sat 4.30–10pm, Sun 11.30am–9pm; $–$$
This former inn and carriage house offers a good-value menu that takes in seafood, flatbread pizzas, and burgers, and includes locally sourced ingredients.