I’m not an expert on the wait times, but I’d be surprised if you had to wait for more then 2 or 3 boats ahead of you. There’s just not that much parking available.
Salmon Meadow Cove is a hidden jewel…a quite/peaceful end of the lake, great place to have a packed lunch or snack without a lot of company, aside from the wildlife.
There are a fair number of marinas selling gas on the lake, you shouldn’t have a problem finding spots to buy it. Yes, I would imagine Shep’s is closest to you.
EM Heath Hardware, right next to the launch has Bizer charts, as does Sheps. Bizer’s website has a section for eating by boat and marinas that sell gas and his chart has a gas symbol. Buy the laminated folding chart for about $20 as a backup, you won’t regret it!
http://bizer.com
Best eating spots are probably Meredith, Laconia, Wolfeboro, Guilford, then Alton…but these are fighting words on this board :-)
Maybe “Town Docks Restaurant” in Meredith or the boardwalk in Laconia are good first stops. There are many good restaurants within walking distance of all the town docks.
Check out the restaurant section (
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...splay.php?f=16) of this message board for some ideas.
We’re headed up in about an hour, we’ll be of the boats (or maybe on our new jetski) waving back!