Weirs Beach, NH: Neverland Does Exist

When I was a kid, my family had a condo just up the street from Weirs Beach. A ten minute walk through a few trees, down a steep hill past houses and a few inns dropped me right near the boardwalk along Lake Winnipesaukee and smell of fried dough, and best of all, the arcades. Until my husband and I went this past summer, my last visit to Weirs Beach had been about thirty years ago. If no one told me the year or that I was now grown, I'd swear I'd never never grown up and left.

Standing in Weirs Beach looking up the steep hill I used to walk

For those who drove into Weirs Beach, the entrance was easy to find. Returning to Weirs Beach made me as giddy as my kid-self had always been.  I got tingles in my brain and an itch in my hand for a skee ball and Pokereno ball when I saw this sign.

Before we headed up to Weirs Beach this past summer, my father dared me to put a toe into the lake. (Living in South Florida for many years has made me adverse to anything cold, and my dad was well aware of it.)  But when I was a kid, I dove off of our boat into Lake Winnipesaukee and swam without a care. My favorite spot was blueberry island. I am not sure that's its real name. We named it for the wild blueberries we picked. 

Our first stop at Weirs Beach was the beach. I waded up to me knees. I didn't stop there because the water was cold... I didn't have on a bathing suit (oh, the little lies we tell ourselves sometimes :)

A stroll down the boardwalk led us to the arcades.

Docks and lake-side arcade, restaurant and shops

As a kid, I saved all of my arcade tickets, over the course of about eight years. When we sold our condo, I cashed in the entire shoebox-full. I remember what prizes I selected. But, I remember playing game after game of skee ball and Pokereno and the ding of the bell as each red ticket popped out of the game.

Unfortunately, our timing for this visit was not good.  It was the day after Labor Day and my arcade and the fried dough place were closed. Men were moving games out of the arcade for the winter. They were kind enough to let me in for these photos.

Packing up for the winter

Most of my arcade tickets were won here. Cashed in at the back.

Fortunately, the arcade across the street was open. I had never set foot in this one as a kid (I was quite loyal to the arcade on the lake-side, apparently).  A few rounds of skee ball and Pokereno were as good as any Fountain of Youth for me.  

This time I cashed in my tickets for an adorable plastic lizard, who is now a guest in our home.

Our last stop at Weirs Beach was to do something new...

Where is your Neverland?