Weirs Beach in Winter

On the bright side, there is plenty of free parking at Weirs Beach in the Winter…

Governor’s Island is but a dead-end sidetrek, and we cross the bridge back to the more mundane mainland, and turn right back onto Route 11B

In short order, the woods open up to a steep hill leading to a small roundabout, the New England answer to avoiding the cost of stoplights. This one marks one end of Route 11B, and a corner of Route 3. Sitting next to the Weirs Channel that connects Lake Winnipesaukee to Paugus Bay and Lake Winnisquam, you have the option of taking the first exit to cross a small bridge to go to Weirs Beach, or the second exit that heads south towards Laconia and eventually crosses with Interstate 93. For readers driving north from Concord or Massachusetts, this might be a better place to start than at Alton Bay.

Here we cross the bridge on Route 3, and turn at the gaudy Weirs Beach sign in its red yellow and blue glory to visit the quiet waterfront of this summer vacation town. The boardwalk is covered with snow, hiding the railway that takes visitors on scenic train rides in season, although the odd snowmobiling troop may make use of the tracks. Here you get some of the best views of the distant mountains on a clear day, looming over the huge lake, covered with white.