I was invited for dinner in Meredith last evening and with a family from Darien, CT. While I was visiting they were sharing their childhood memories at an extended family reunion. 
It really brought to light how many families truly enjoy this wonderful paradise that we all call the Lakes Region. This morning, I received an email from her recapping her childhood experiences relating it to how the Meredith area has evolved into such an attractive resort town. I felt I should send in their thoughts, because so many of us that have visited the Lakes Region over the years have similar thoughts and where this summer is beginning to wind down, it is a great time to reflect on how wonderful this summer has been.
Lake Winnipesaukee is a very special place for me. Nearly fifty years ago I began coming to the Lakes Region with my family. I spent my childhood on Spindle Point, staying at my uncle’s house. We spent our days swimming, water skiing, boating in the lake, and hiking on the trails in the woods around it. I worked as a lifeguard in Center Harbor and waitressed at the Chase House in Meredith over the summers while in high school and college. My siblings worked at the Dairy Bar and Brickyard Mountain Inn in Meredith. These were great years. We had lots of friends and relationships that have lasted through the years.
After my parents sold their place in the late 90’s the visits to the lake were fewer and farther between. Nearly 15 years later, my siblings and I returned this summer with our families for a reunion on Lake Winnipesaukee to introduce the next generation to this special place. We rented a classic lakeside home on Meredith Bay, just a short trip to town. It was perfect. We had 18 of us come together from Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Kentucky, Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina to revisit childhood haunts, to reminisce and initiate new members of the family to the aura of the Lake.
Meredith has changed over the past fifty years. It’s no longer an industrial mill town you pass through with a gas station on the corner and the Dairy Bar across the street. The town has been transformed, with the spectacular Inn at Mills Falls with its shops and restaurants, and then the Church Landing! Center Harbor is now a destination. I first visited Longview Farm with my grandparents as a child, now it’s the popular Canoe restaurant. Home Comfort is a family favorite. I still go online to shop after spending weekends shopping for special items. Can’t wait to visit again soon.
I plan to retire here. I love the seasons, the tranquil lifestyle, the beauty of the Lakes Region, the mountains, and the “live free or die” attitude.
Guest post by Suzanne Dawson (cousin of Nancy Clark of Roche Realty Group, Inc.)
