Golden Ponds and Sun-Splashed Days for the Whole Family | Romantic Lakeside Inns, Antiques and a Lively Cultural Scene Golden Ponds and Sun-Splashed Days for the Whole Family New Hampshire's Lakes Region is the family vacation spot that calls up all those great memories from your childhood. Lake Winnipesaukee gives you 72 square miles of summer water fun to explore, from rafts and boats to waterfront attractions. Choose from hundreds of lakeside lodgings, from family resorts to campgrounds. You might start at Weirs Beach, with its sandy shore, amusement parks, arcades, tax-free shopping and scenic railway. Hop aboard the M/S Mount Washington for a cruise around the lake with stops at towns that welcome with pier side ice cream. Plan a daytrip following the Scenic Byway, a 97-mile loop that circumnavigates the lake. From Weirs Beach head south along Route 11B then turn onto Route 11 that affords a birds-eye view from overlooks on the western shore. From the southern tip of the lake head north on the eastern shore to Wolfeboro (“America's First Summer Resort”) and continue on to Moultonborough where a late-afternoon stop at Castle in the Clouds offers spectacular views of both the lakes and the surrounding mountains. Then there are the 1,299 other New Hampshire ponds and lakes to call your own, from the real-life “Golden Pond” - Squam Lake - to Lake Sunapee, home to the annual Scottish Games. There are hotels, resorts and campgrounds all around the area, along with family-friendly restaurants and attractions. The Lake Sunapee Scenic & Cultural Byway suggests an interesting path for your vacation explorations. Center yourself in Newbury, for example, and spend your mornings at Sunapee State Beach with its sandy beach, bathhouse and kayak or canoe rentals. Or set up camp and hike the paths at nearby Mt. Sunapee State Park where you will find wildlife and great picnicking spots. Head out along Route 103A to the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge to introduce your family to some of New Hampshire's birds and animals, or take 103B to Sunapee Harbor and catch a guided boat tour on the crystal waters of the 9-mile long lake.