Steamboats are here...
For the past several years (2-3) I have taken my granddaughter to see the steamboats. Today was the day, and her daddy came with us. What a great time.
All of the people we spoke with were overflowing with information, and more than willing to tell tales and impart their wisdom.
We were there about 1:00 PM today and most of the 35+ boats were preparing for a parade leaving Lee's Mills about 2:00 PM. There were oil cans, bags of split wood, wrenches, rags, and other assorted steamboat "gotta haves" all over the place. And sure enough, between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM most of these guys shoved off with a haze of smoke, steam, and screaming, blasting, and hooting whistles as they majestically headed for the parade route.
As a stark contrast, at the end of this week, in Wolfeboro, there will be a Classic Boat Regatta with high speed, high octane fueled, and somewhat noisey old racing boats (all in mint condition).
But, today, and through next Sunday, the peaceful, the calm, the somewhat mysterious, maybe cantankerous, but ever so classic and majestic steamboats rule the upper end of Winnipesaukee.
Thank you, Steamboaters.
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