What is your favorite lake memory?

jkjoshuatree · 02-25-2005, 10:43 AM

When my Dad was a little boy growing up in Dorchester (MA), he would make the journey every summer for a week with his sister and parents. They didn't have a car yet so they'd walk to the bus station (each with their luggage in hand) which took them to the train station. A few hours later they'd pull into Weirs Beach and then (amazingly) walk the path beside the tracks into Meredith to search for a place to rent. They usually got the same place and from there, my Dad's love of the lake grew. He couldn't get over the majestic and awe-inspiring feel of the place. It was an absolute paradise packed with adventure, from every dive in the lake to every hike through the woods, for this city kid. He promised himself that he would have a place on the lake someday. Without sounding melodramatic, Dad explained to me that he put $10 aside each week for his "cottage fund" and often denied himself even a cup of coffee during the work day so he wouldn't dip into his savings. It took him more than twenty-five years to achieve his dream but he did. In 1973 (the year I was born) he bought a place on Bear Island. The best memories of my life come from that place and it would be impossible to list even a fraction of them. The one I listed earlier in the forum basically sums it up though-just being on the lake with your loved ones. The older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad did. He is truly one of the "good ones" and achieving his dream has taught me that anything is possible (anything!!!) if you believe in yourself. And although I've only told him once about how I feel, I think he knows what the lake means to me, what it means to us. But more importantly, I think he knows what he means to me.

Thanks Dad

REB · 03-01-2005, 05:28 PM

My favorite memory dates back to 1965 when we purchased our camp on Bear Island. After renting for quite a few years we were finally real Bear Islanders! Due to the loss of my wife, and my age I finally sold in1999. I do miss it so much!!!

KTO · 03-01-2005, 06:55 PM

Aww thats so sad--It's great that you have memories from the lake though. I think we all do! Do you ever go back and visit, even for a day?

I'm only at the lake about half the summer (very much broken up) and I respect every second I spend up there, and make the best out of all weather conditions. . . and winter makes me just miss and respect the lake even more!

Cal · 03-01-2005, 10:04 PM

On a brighter note , you had 34 years to accumulate great memories

dpg · 03-02-2005, 07:09 AM

My favorite lake memory? Probably rushing up to Moultonborough with my girlfriend Friday nights a couple hours before her parents arrived, of course.

BroadHopper · 03-02-2005, 12:48 PM

And of those keg parties in the middle of the winter thrown by the kids on the lake at their parent property while the parent are home out of state. The bonfires out on the lake were awesome. But the debris from the fires comes to haunt us in the spring along the shore.

Zee · 03-02-2005, 02:20 PM

Its hard to pick a "favorite" memory. We spent a lot of time on the Lake when we were kids in the 60's. I remember several summers renting a cottage for two glorious weeks on Little Bear Island. We rented from the Sandersons or Sanders family who owned the store at Harilla Landing. I believe they still use the cottage on Little Bear but do not rent it. My brothers and I would row across to Harilla and buy fudgsicles which would drip down our chins. We would walk around the entire island, avoiding the very few houses which were built then. It took us so long with our short little legs that I would get scared that we were lost. My brothers would laugh because they knew, if you followed the shore you would come out where you started. We spent as much time in the water as we did on the land catching crawfish (where have they all gone?) and releasing them. I remember catching hornpout with bacon and a couple of times Mom let us put our catch in the bathtub (before she gutted and cooked them

)

In the mid 60's we rented a slip at what is now Mountain View Yacht club. When we were there, there were very few docks, not like it is now. Every Friday night or Saturday, we would drive from Worcester to spend the weekend. Five kids, two adults and a dog would sleep in sleeping bags on the 21 foot boat and in the station wagon parked a few feet away. Mornings would be hectic with Mom cooking a full breakfast on a propane stove on a fold-away table for us rugrats and Dad directing us to stow our sleeping stuff. Then it would be time to cast off the lines. We would cruise the lake, spending many lazy afternoons anchored off Whortleberry Island and what used to be called Chapman Sands (now Patrician Shores). It didn't matter what the temperature of the water was, we wanted to be in it.

Then periodically, Dad would treat us to Weirs Beach. I always collected my dimes and nickels so I could play the skeeball, get my fortune read by the mechanical fortune teller and of course play miniature golf. Oops, can't forget the bumper cars.

When we would cruise around, we were always awed by the witches rocks. They were scary and creepy and we would always look at them when we went passed. I remember being fascinated by all the steam ship wrecks. Dad would float above them and tell us what was down there and I would just stare at the water as if I could see what was down there.

Sally's Gut and the hole in the wall were always favorites. I used to sit on the bow with my legs hanging on either side of the bowrail (it was legal then) and idle through.

During the 70's, 80's & 90's and adulthood, I never lost my fondness for those memories but I rarely came to the lake. Three years ago my husband and I rediscovered the lake and we now have built a second home here and will retire here as our permanent home in 1-1/2 years. We come up every weekend and it gets tougher to go home on Sunday nights each time.

SIKSUKR · 03-02-2005, 03:36 PM

Great stuff Zee.SS

KTO · 03-02-2005, 07:37 PM

Ah Sally's Gut. Surely this has got to be one of my favorite memories of them all. I remember when I was littler

my grandpa would take me in his boat all of the time. Each and every time we hopped aboard, the first words out of my mouth were: "Can we go to Sally's Gut?" I'm not sure what it was that amazed me, I guess I enjoy seeing the bottom of the lake. . . it's so cool! Yeah, those were definitely good times. . .not that we still don't pass through Sally's Gut once and again. . .

02-25-2005, 10:43 AM	#1
jkjoshuatree Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bear Island Posts: 642 Thanks: 349 Thanked 145 Times in 77 Posts	Thanks Dad When my Dad was a little boy growing up in Dorchester (MA), he would make the journey every summer for a week with his sister and parents. They didn't have a car yet so they'd walk to the bus station (each with their luggage in hand) which took them to the train station. A few hours later they'd pull into Weirs Beach and then (amazingly) walk the path beside the tracks into Meredith to search for a place to rent. They usually got the same place and from there, my Dad's love of the lake grew. He couldn't get over the majestic and awe-inspiring feel of the place. It was an absolute paradise packed with adventure, from every dive in the lake to every hike through the woods, for this city kid. He promised himself that he would have a place on the lake someday. Without sounding melodramatic, Dad explained to me that he put $10 aside each week for his "cottage fund" and often denied himself even a cup of coffee during the work day so he wouldn't dip into his savings. It took him more than twenty-five years to achieve his dream but he did. In 1973 (the year I was born) he bought a place on Bear Island. The best memories of my life come from that place and it would be impossible to list even a fraction of them. The one I listed earlier in the forum basically sums it up though-just being on the lake with your loved ones. The older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad did. He is truly one of the "good ones" and achieving his dream has taught me that anything is possible (anything!!!) if you believe in yourself. And although I've only told him once about how I feel, I think he knows what the lake means to me, what it means to us. But more importantly, I think he knows what he means to me. Thanks Dad Last edited by jkjoshuatree; 02-25-2005 at 10:45 AM.

03-01-2005, 05:28 PM	#2
REB Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	memories My favorite memory dates back to 1965 when we purchased our camp on Bear Island. After renting for quite a few years we were finally real Bear Islanders! Due to the loss of my wife, and my age I finally sold in1999. I do miss it so much!!!

03-01-2005, 10:04 PM	#4
Cal Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pitman , NJ Posts: 627 Thanks: 40 Thanked 21 Times in 12 Posts	On a brighter note , you had 34 years to accumulate great memories __________________ Paddle faster , I think I here banjos

03-02-2005, 12:48 PM	#6
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,616 Thanks: 3,245 Thanked 1,115 Times in 801 Posts	Favorite memories. And of those keg parties in the middle of the winter thrown by the kids on the lake at their parent property while the parent are home out of state. The bonfires out on the lake were awesome. But the debris from the fires comes to haunt us in the spring along the shore. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

03-02-2005, 02:20 PM	#7
Zee Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Union Wharf, Tuftonboro Posts: 173 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 1 Post	Soooo many memories..... Its hard to pick a "favorite" memory. We spent a lot of time on the Lake when we were kids in the 60's. I remember several summers renting a cottage for two glorious weeks on Little Bear Island. We rented from the Sandersons or Sanders family who owned the store at Harilla Landing. I believe they still use the cottage on Little Bear but do not rent it. My brothers and I would row across to Harilla and buy fudgsicles which would drip down our chins. We would walk around the entire island, avoiding the very few houses which were built then. It took us so long with our short little legs that I would get scared that we were lost. My brothers would laugh because they knew, if you followed the shore you would come out where you started. We spent as much time in the water as we did on the land catching crawfish (where have they all gone?) and releasing them. I remember catching hornpout with bacon and a couple of times Mom let us put our catch in the bathtub (before she gutted and cooked them ) In the mid 60's we rented a slip at what is now Mountain View Yacht club. When we were there, there were very few docks, not like it is now. Every Friday night or Saturday, we would drive from Worcester to spend the weekend. Five kids, two adults and a dog would sleep in sleeping bags on the 21 foot boat and in the station wagon parked a few feet away. Mornings would be hectic with Mom cooking a full breakfast on a propane stove on a fold-away table for us rugrats and Dad directing us to stow our sleeping stuff. Then it would be time to cast off the lines. We would cruise the lake, spending many lazy afternoons anchored off Whortleberry Island and what used to be called Chapman Sands (now Patrician Shores). It didn't matter what the temperature of the water was, we wanted to be in it. Then periodically, Dad would treat us to Weirs Beach. I always collected my dimes and nickels so I could play the skeeball, get my fortune read by the mechanical fortune teller and of course play miniature golf. Oops, can't forget the bumper cars. When we would cruise around, we were always awed by the witches rocks. They were scary and creepy and we would always look at them when we went passed. I remember being fascinated by all the steam ship wrecks. Dad would float above them and tell us what was down there and I would just stare at the water as if I could see what was down there. Sally's Gut and the hole in the wall were always favorites. I used to sit on the bow with my legs hanging on either side of the bowrail (it was legal then) and idle through. During the 70's, 80's & 90's and adulthood, I never lost my fondness for those memories but I rarely came to the lake. Three years ago my husband and I rediscovered the lake and we now have built a second home here and will retire here as our permanent home in 1-1/2 years. We come up every weekend and it gets tougher to go home on Sunday nights each time.

03-01-2005, 06:55 PM	#3
KTO Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Meredith, NH Posts: 391 Thanks: 30 Thanked 117 Times in 26 Posts	Aww thats so sad--It's great that you have memories from the lake though. I think we all do! Do you ever go back and visit, even for a day? I'm only at the lake about half the summer (very much broken up) and I respect every second I spend up there, and make the best out of all weather conditions. . . and winter makes me just miss and respect the lake even more!

03-02-2005, 07:09 AM	#5
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,619 Thanks: 157 Thanked 235 Times in 172 Posts	My favorite lake memory? Probably rushing up to Moultonborough with my girlfriend Friday nights a couple hours before her parents arrived, of course.

03-02-2005, 03:36 PM	#8
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Great stuff Zee.SS __________________ SIKSUKR

03-02-2005, 07:37 PM	#9
KTO Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Meredith, NH Posts: 391 Thanks: 30 Thanked 117 Times in 26 Posts	Ah Sally's Gut. Surely this has got to be one of my favorite memories of them all. I remember when I was littler my grandpa would take me in his boat all of the time. Each and every time we hopped aboard, the first words out of my mouth were: "Can we go to Sally's Gut?" I'm not sure what it was that amazed me, I guess I enjoy seeing the bottom of the lake. . . it's so cool! Yeah, those were definitely good times. . .not that we still don't pass through Sally's Gut once and again. . .