Golden Ponds and Sun-Splashed Days for the Whole Family | Romantic Lakeside Inns, Antiques and a Lively Cultural Scene Romantic Lakeside Inns, Antiques and a Lively Cultural Scene The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is an art lover's mecca with both artisans' studios and live performances around every bend of our scenically winding roads. If you can't time your visit to coincide with the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's annual fair at Lake Sunapee, make Wolfeboro - where there is a League gallery store - your home base and explore Lake Winnipesaukee's eastern shore along Route 109 from there to Center Sandwich. Known for its antique and craft shops, this little town is also a port of call for the M/S Mount Washington, a historic cruise vessel that plies the 72-square mile lake from May through October. By water you will call on towns like Meredith and Moultonborough that are recognized as some of the most picturesque in the nation, as well as known for their country stores and dining and lodging choices. Get your bearings at the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum on Route 3 between Meredith and Weirs Beach. Here, interesting historical articles and picture postcards will help you put together an itinerary of historic landmarks for a tour around Lake Winnipesaukee and the lake's communities. Continue south along the Lakes Region Scenic Byway, a 97-mile loop that circumnavigates the lake. Route 11 affords a birds-eye view from overlooks on the western shore, then turn onto Route 11B and hug the shoreline to Weirs Beach and its sandy beach, amusement parks, arcades, shopping and scenic railway. This drive offers a peek at the lakefront houses, lodging amenities and classic watercraft that invite you to call the summer lake home. If active recreation and nightlife is what you crave, you can choose from a variety of lodging that gives you access to watersports and challenging golf courses that draw amateurs and professionals alike. Choose an elegant lakefront inn on your own ”Golden Pond” (filmed on New Hampshire's Squam Lake) then watch wildlife in a private cove or at the Squam Lake Natural Science Center. Rent a kayak or sailboat by day on Silver Lake or Ossipee and at night head up to Tamworth, home of the oldest professional summer stock theater in the country. There are performances and cultural events to suit every taste. And speaking of taste, some of the best chefs in the state are creating fabulous meals in the kitchens of lakefront spots like the Inns at Mill Falls and other restaurants. After a full day you'll be ready to unwind with a lakeside spa massage or a quiet drink together on the dock while you gaze at a million stars overhead.