After running around and savoring the delicious foods in Vermont, it’s time to move on to our next state, New Hampshire. Besides, we really disliked our campground and couldn’t wait to move on. Below is what we woke up to each morning while there – guests of guests who partied all night long. Rules? What rules? This scene was just in our little area, there were similar scenarios around the campground. What a mess!
Our next stop was at Contookook, NH, near Concord, and the plan was to just chill out and do some trip planning. But a beautiful lake had beckoned to me from one of my readings and it was described as not only gorgeous, but also as the second largest lake in New Hampshire. Squam Lakes was the setting of the movie “On Golden Pond“. The lakes area is located 40 miles north of Concord in the little town of Holderness, and it consists of a small and large lake connected by a channel. Big and Little Squam Lakes are naturally spring-fed and connected by a channel in Holderness. Big Squam is 6,791 acres, 6 miles long, 4 miles wide and 98 feet deep with 61 miles of shoreline. It is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. Little Squam is 408 acres, 2 miles long, 1/2 mile wide and 84 feet deep. We did not see any loons during our visit, although there seemed to be a lot of them in the movie.
The lakes are host to 67 islands which can be seen as you hike up Rattlesnake Mountain, which is a fairly short, moderate hike. The view is spectacular from the top on a clear day, which we were lucky to enjoy. As we headed back down we realized that this was another popular hike, as we met many groups of people heading to the top. As usual, getting out there early is always the best way to avoid the crowds!
Our home base was Sandy Beach RV Park, situated among stately pines and overlooking a picturesque New England spring-fed pond. It was a relief to see no crowds this time, and it was very quiet during our short stay. If interested, read Steve’s review here. I even played on the swing set while waiting for the sunset, for there was no competition here…
…and Steve enjoyed his alone time on the lake watching the sun go down.
Lowes Travels 
That is the cutest picture of the ” happy lady ” on the swing and the sky is beautiful in the picture of Steve on the dock!
Glad you had some quiet time…all campgrounds are not created equal. I’m sure all of us have visited those we will never go back to! One of the nice things about a home on wheels!
Safe travels!
The lake was beautiful. Love the photos of you on the swing and the Steve by the water:)
Enjoy Maine! If you like lobster, look for homemade signs by the road selling lobster. Many of the fishermen sell them from their backyards. They will usually cook them, also. Much, much cheaper than larger store fronts. I stopped one day at one place between Pumpkin Patch and Acadia NP. I ordered the lobsters and then we stopped on our way home and picked up five cooked 1 1/4 pound lobsters!! Yummy! The smaller the sweeter rule is very true!
While in the Maritime’s, hit the grocery stores for fresh mussels. They are so cheap since this is the home to the famous PEI Mussels. I was paying between $.99 and $1.99 a pound!!! I can’t tell you how many mussels we ate. Don’t forget to try Digby Scallops while in Nova Scotia! Remember the Teddy Bear Coffeehouse in St. Andrew’s!! I am so excited for you!! This is such a wonderful area with some very unique features.
This post was so peaceful. Love the photo of you on the swing Mona Liza and Steve’s silhouette in the setting sun. The first photo of Camp Chaos reminded me of peak season at San Elijo State Beach in Encinitas…always party time.
Glad you found a peaceful spot to enjoy. Some really nice shots here. Looking forward to your trek through Maine….a state I’ve always been curious about 🙂
The Lake looks so peaceful – we just returned from a New England trip but never made it to Squam Lake – a second trip is now on my list. Love reading your blog.
Beautiful sunset shot. Worth waiting for. Glad you found a better campground. Still, the shoddy ones make you appreciate the lovely ones even more!
Am excited to see how your Maritime travels work out. We will be planning that same trip in a couple of years…Thanks for the great picts and Steve, thanks for the campground reviews….
Maynard
Glad to hear you ended up in a better place after leaving Vermont. It’s been years since I was last in NH … have some happy childhood memories up there from when we would go up to visit my maternal grandparents and aunts, but it was sad to see the small towns dying off in recent years.
It’s not fun camping where there are loud parties all night. That happens to us at music festivals.
Beautiful lake photos. I’m glad you found a peaceful not crowded place to camp.
Ask Steve if he knows Keith Jackson from Berkeley Lab. He is throwing a big party tomorrow night for him and all his friends and family. It might be his last because he is on hospice care because of terminal cancer. I will post photos on my blog tomorrow. A lot of LBL folks will be there. There will be 30 musicians. One of his friends created a poster and some paintings of Keith.
Marcy, thanks for passing the sad news about Keith. I didn’t know him well, but he is a nice guy and certainly super-smart. Good for him throwing a big party like that! I’ll look for the photos. Take care!
Boy, you two ate totally at it. How sweet it is to go from one state to the next! I’m wondering What’s your fave state is?
Remember our goal is to cover the USA map!