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SUMMER 
Summer
is the Lakes Regions most popular season for visitors, although
area residents are quite fond
of it as well. Summer is when the Lakes Region region really
shines as a vacation destination, as people from all over the
world swarm around Lake Winnipesaukee to experience the unique
blend of attractions, scenery, and serenity.
For those who have a trip to the
Lakes Region planned for this summer, you might want to make your
reservations early in the year, especially if you plan to come
during a weekend. A developing trend in the past several
years has been for people to make reservations more and more
early, often in March and April for a stay in June, July or
August. Not only does this make lodging establishment owners
happy, it guarantees that you'll get the room you want, at the
place you want, and you'll know what you'll be paying in advance.
If you're from another part of
country, the first question you may ask is what is the summer
weather like? Like all New England seasons, the conditions
from summer to summer can vary greatly. For people coming up
from the deep south, there are usually only a handful of days
above 90 degrees, and in some past summers we have never hit 90
degrees at all. Average summer weather ranges from daytime
highs between 70 and 85 degrees, and nighttime lows between 52 and
68 degrees.
It can be very muggy, so it will often feel hotter than the actual
temperature. Much of the rain in the summer falls from
isolated pop-up thunderstorms, which can occasionally be intense,
but they usually fall short of severe levels. These storms
have an unexplainable tendency hit more often in the northwestern
section Lakes Region, around towns such as Center Harbor and
Moultonborough. In summary, all day rain outs and long
spells of unbearably hot or cold weather are seldom.
So what is there to do in the
summer? If we were to put it all here, this page would go on
forever, and you'd lose your eyesight long before you'd even reach
the halfway mark. We'll cover only the biggest of events and
activities, the rest can be found by fully exploring this website.
In early June, the Lakes Region
takes on an atmosphere that seems out of place and unexpected to
say to least. For about a week, the Lakes Region isn't so
serene and relaxing. During this time, Laconia hosts one of the
big three motorcycle rallies. We have the distinction of
hosting the oldest running rally, this years will be the 86th.
It's just an incredible event, one you won't forget. Last
year an estimated 320,000 people came during the 9 day event,
that's nearly nineteen times the average population of this 
area. That number may not sound huge compared to other rally's,
but ours is compressed into an area about one square mile in
size. The result is an atmosphere in which calling it wild,
is a gross understatement. Large crowds gather at the roadsides
and watch the endless parade of bikes make their way to the
Weirs. When the traffic backs up on Friday night, all of
Saturday, and most of Sunday, the atmosphere intensifies.
All you hear is the roar of thousands of bikes and the huge crowds
cheering them on. Hundreds of vendors line Lakeside avenue, parts
of the boulevard, and route 3 selling every kind of food and
anything and everything that can be made out of leather. It's
something that everyone should experience, at least once.
Spread out over the summer
season, there are several fireworks displays in the Lakes
Region. Funspot has what are hands down the best fireworks
in the state, and as an added plus, they are set to music.
There is usually a display at Weirs Beach at the start of Bike
Week and again on the 3rd of July. Starting in 2002, weekly
fireworks every Friday night at 10pm at Weirs Beach returned after
a several sponsors were finally obtained. Whether or not the
fireworks will be held weekly in 2003 is not yet known. Meredith,
Wolfeboro, and many other towns all feature displays at some
point. For a listing of known fireworks shows, click
here.
Summer is the ideal time for the
lover of the great outdoors to visit the Lakes Region, as the
range of recreational activities reaches it's peak under the
summer sun. Some choices you have include boating, swimming,
fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding, and golfing.
If any of these topics interest you, than click
here for more information from out recreation section.
Toward the end of July, visitors
of the Lakes Region can stop by Meredith for a glimpse into the
past as the 30th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show rolls into
town. Held at the Meredith public Docks, the New England
chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society will bring the
stunning beauty of over 100 antique wooden boats for display. It
truly is an amazing event, and it's one we highly recommend
everyone to check out!
If you're a race fan, the nearby
New Hampshire International speedway hosts several major races
each year. For a listing of events, check out the events
section of the Speedways website by clicking
here. If you plan to visit during these times, whether
you're a race fan or not, finding a place to stay may be a
monumental job. Many places will be booked up to eight months in
advance, and if you can find a place that is not, you can expect
to pay around twice what you want to.
The summer is when you'll find
all attractions open and in full swing. Some of most popular and
most unique things things to do are seeing a movie at the drive in
theater, enjoying a wet and wild day at Surf Coaster USA, taking a
scenic cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the M/V Mount
Washington, getting in touch with nature at the Squam Lakes
Natural Science Center, and exploring the extraordinary Lucknow
Estate, better known as Castle in the Clouds.
Well there you have it, a brief
rundown of summer in the Lakes Region. To get a feel for the rest
of what there is to do, return
to the homepage of this website and continue exploring.
