As shoulder season approaches, nothing screams September like a getaway that collides two of New England’s best seasons, both fall and summer.
Laconia, New Hampshire, is the place to be, according to a new release highlighting “America’s best small towns,” from 10 Travel+Leisure experts.
Laconia named ‘America’s best small lake town’
The town is perfectly sandwiched between Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam, offering a summertime place to cool off, enjoy a sandwich, or take a boat out. Forests circle the lakes and mountains decorate the skyline. The foliage will soon change colors in mid to late September, offering an excellent escape for early fall.
New Hampshire’s Lakes Region in the summertime is the stuff of classic Americana. Come June, Winnipesaukee and its neighbors crowd with pleasure-cruisers in pontoon boats, sunbathers loll on every spare strip of sand, and the region’s small towns feel almost ludicrous in their quaint New England charms. But Laconia doesn’t lose its appeal when the weather cools. “Some small towns around here kind of shut down in the off season, but Laconia stays vibrant year round,” says Karen Bassett, co-owner of local institution Wayfarer Coffee. “There’s always something to do here in every single season, and each season is unique.” Come in the dog days of August, sure, but don’t miss a chance to return for PumpkinFest in autumn, or to slice your skates over Winnisquam’s frozen surface come January, notes Travel+Leisure.
Laconia is accessible by car from Boston, about a 90-minute drive up north from the city.
Only one other New England town to made the list, a coastal foodie haven just a 90-minute Amtrak from the city.
