Happy hour is alive and well in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. The celebratory hour typically starts at 4:00pm with drink and food specials around the region. Happy hour has been banned in 8 American states, but not here. We enjoy a proper toast after a hard day's work. We drink responsibly. We designate a driver while we drink (and we [...]

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Every couple has its own February 14th holiday tradition. This celebration of love was first documented in the 1400s by way of a charter introduced by Charles VI of France. The festivities in the charter included poetry competitions, dancing, song, jousting, and a feast. While the days of jousting [...]

Fun fact: the Lakes Region of New Hampshire features the 6th largest lake in the United States (completely within U.S. borders). It is also the biggest lake in the entire state. But it isn’t the only lake. There are about a thousand lakes in New [...]

The culinary landscape of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire is rich and diverse and includes some wonderful brunching options. Many restaurants offer the perfect meal to enjoy with friends and family all year long, and some meals are only available after ice-out (when the M/S Mountain Washington is cleared to navigate the lake after the ice [...]

Where do you go when it snows? When you’re living in New England you go outside. A powder day is meant to be celebrated on the mountain whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, or snowmobiling. The mountain will call out your name. Heed the calling. Enjoy winter. Life is [...]

There’s no place like a warm home for the holidays, and there are a number of easy and inexpensive ways to keep it that way. There are things that will cost you nothing (such as changing the direction of your ceiling fans and opening heating vents), inexpensive DIY projects (such as replacing old exterior window caulking and installing door [...]

When looking for an indoor adventure on a cold or rainy day, you’ll have plenty to choose from when you find your perfect Lakes Region home in New Hampshire. There are classic games to enjoy in the world’s largest arcade, bouncing sessions at an indoor inflatable entertainment center, and a children’s museum for the kids. There are puzzles to solve in escape rooms, winery tours, and tasting, and world class museums for adults (and older family members interested in art & history). Here are some fun indoor activities in the Lakes Region to enjoy, and keep warm on a cold New England day. 

Kids & Family Friendly 

Funspot: Located in Laconia, NH the Funspot is said to be the largest arcade in the world! It was founded in 1952 and has over 600 games including a 10 lane ten pin & 10 lane candlepin bowling center, indoor mini-golf, cash bingo, and 300 classic arcade games. Your kids can win tickets for gameplay and cash the tickets in for prizes at the prize counter after a day of fun in the arcade. 

Jump N Joy: Located in Laconia, NH this indoor inflatable family entertainment center has five bounce houses. Jump N Joy hosts parties, fundraisers, and Open Bounce sessions. You don’t need a reservation for an open bounce session. But remember your socks! Shoes, sandals, and bare feet are not allowed. Open Bounce session is $12 per child (and there is free Wi-Fi for parents). 

Children’s Museum of New Hampshire: Located in Dover, NH this children’s museum will be a perfect day trip for families with younger children living in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire (an approximate 44 mile drive for Gilford residents). The museum is geared toward younger children, including ages 0-12. There are hands-on exhibits to explore: Nature, STEM, Pretend Play, Art, World Cultures, and more. The museum offers two “play sessions” most days. The “play session” is your date and time of visit. Online reservations are required for your visit. Ticket prices are $12.50 for adults & children over 12 months of age. There are also specific programs for preschoolers, babies + toddlers scheduled each month and camps, classes, and workshops throughout the year. 

Older Audiences 

Escape Hour House: The games are designed for participants ages 15 and older at this Gilford, NH escape venue. There are three escape rooms in the house with puzzles designed for groups of 4-10 people. The cost is $25 per player. Each game takes an average of 60 minutes to complete, but it’s best to plan on 80 minutes total (for instruction and post game revelry). 

Seven Birches Winery: Enjoy a tour of the winery and visit the tasting room at this Lincoln, NH winery. They offer a “Meet the Winemakers” tour on Wednesdays & Saturdays. The tour is limited to 15 people to encourage a conversational tour where visitors can have all of their winemaking questions answered. The $40 tour includes wine tasting with the winemakers. Cheers! 

Wright Museum of WWII: There are over 14,000 items from the WWII home front and the battlefield in this Wolfeboro, NH museum. The museum is closed to the public from November through April. We expect their doors will reopen on May 1st, 2023. Special exhibits and lectures are scheduled during the regular season. Recent lectures held in September of 2022 included “Immigration, Isolationism, and FDR” and “Anne Frank: If only I can be myself”. The Anne Frank lecture complemented a special 2022 exhibit “Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank” from July 1st to October 31st, 2022. 

Currier Museum of Art: Located in Manchester, NH this world class museum will make for the perfect day trip for art lovers living in the Lakes Region. The museum opens its doors at 10:00 am Wednesday-Sunday (but not on Monday or Tuesday). The original museum building opened in 1929, new galleries were added in 1982, and an atrium and additional galleries were added in 2008. The permanent collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Andrew Wyeth, and two complete homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (the museum homes are at their original locations in the North End neighborhood of Manchester). Current exhibitions include “State of the Art 2020: Locate” on view through February 12th, 2023, and “Memoirs of a Ghost Girlhood: A Black Girl’s Window” on view through spring 2023. Museum admission is $15 for Adults, $13 for Seniors, $10 for students, and $5 for youth 13-17. Admission is free for children under 13. 

The team at Maxfield Real Estate looks forward to helping you find your perfect home. Exciting fall adventures are waiting for you to discover and enjoy in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Contact us today!

There are over 7,500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world. 2,500 varieties are grown in the United States. That’s a lot to choose from. It would take you a little over 20 years to sample a different apple every day. Lucky for you the apple farmers in New Hampshire have chosen the best 50 apples to grow and sell in local markets, [...]

You will always be close to the inspiring waters of the lakes and the breathtaking mountain scenery when choosing to live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There are dozens of lakes, both large and small, in addition to Lake Winnipesaukee. There is an abundance of quaint and tranquil towns bordering the lakes. Some towns are a little [...]

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is very colorful in the fall. In addition to the natural wonder of the foliage season, local businesses and the community celebrate the season in colorful style. There are corn mazes and haunted farms to explore, seasonal beer tastings, live music, karaoke, pumpkin bowling, ax throwing, and leisurely walks along the live animal exhibit trail at the local natural science center. And call me what you will, but please don’t call me late for the jack o’-lantern lighting at the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival (30,581 is the number to beat). Here are some fun things to do this fall in the Lakes Region in greater detail. 

Pumpkin Festival: The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival was held in Keene, NH from 1991-2014 before moving to its current venue in Laconia, NH. Locals try to meet or beat the Guinness World Record of 30,581 most lit jack-o’-lanterns displayed.  The record was set at the former Keene location in 2013. Jack-o’-lantern lighting begins at 4:45pm and the sun sets at 5:41pm. Don’t be late! 

In addition to setting world records, visitors at the festival are treated to kid's games, pumpkin bowling, ax throwing, live music, and a 6:30pm zombie walk. The festival is Saturday, October 29th, 2022 from 10:00am-7:00pm. There is a 5K/ 10K Run/Walk that begins at 9:00am at Opechee Park. 

NH Pumpkin Fest Ale: The good folks at Twin Barns Brewing in Meredith, NH have brewed up a special beer to celebrate the season and support the Pumpkin Festival. The new beer, Pumpkin Ale, will be officially released at the brewery on October 14th, 2022 from 3:00pm-9:00pm. There will be live music, raffle prizes, food, and of course beer! The celebratory toast is at 4:00pm. 

Live Music, Karaoke & Dancing: When I want to dance I just put on “my my my my my boogie shoes” and head down to the Tower Hill Tavern in Laconia, NH. There is no cover charge. There is live music and live karaoke every weekend, and they recently offered free line dancing lessons. Put on your boogie shoes, warm up those vocal cords and live it up right at night in Laconia! 

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center: Everyone has an idea of what makes an adventure perfect. For those who were looking to immerse themselves amongst giant robotic insects, their calls were answered by Squam Lakes Natural Science Center earlier this year. The gigantic robotic insects were part of the live animal exhibit trail. Sadly, they packed their bags on September 30th and moved to different pastures. Lucky for you and your family, the live animal exhibit trail is open throughout the year! You will want to plan for a 2½ hour walk through the ¾ mile trail. The residents of the trail represent local native wildlife including mountain lions, red foxes, gray foxes, river otters, white-tailed deer, coyotes, black bears, and bobcats. The trail is open 9:30am-3:30pm daily with your paid admission (free for members). 

Farm Fun: Beans & Greens Farm is open year round. If you’re looking for a little farm fun they have you covered. There is a multi-acre corn maze open September 17th through Halloween 2022 and barnyard animals to visit during farm stand hours. This year they are featuring a haunted farm experience for the brave of heart. The Beans & Screams Haunted Fear Farm will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 7:00pm-10:00pm, October 7th-30th, 2022 at the Gilford, New Hampshire Farm. And don’t forget to stock up at the bakery and farm stand. A pumpkin pie or apple caramel nut pie might just be the perfect ending to a frightening trip through a haunted farm (be sure to plan ahead, the farm stand closes at 6:00pm daily, and 7:30pm on Fridays).

The team at Maxfield Real Estate looks forward to helping you find your perfect home. Exciting fall adventures are waiting for you to discover and enjoy in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Contact us today!