The short boardwalk at WEIRS BEACH , the very essence of seaside tackiness even if it is fifty miles inland, is in summer the social center of the Lakes Region. Its little wooden jetty throngs with vacationers, the amusement arcades jingle with cash, and there's even a neat little crescent of sandy beach, suitable for family swimming. The better of its two competing water parks is Surf Coaster (summer daily 10am-8pm, weather permitting; $20, less if you're under 4ft tall) on Hwy-11B just south of town, which offers dramatic rides and a powerful wave machine.

Nearby LACONIA controls the purse-strings for Weirs Beach but isn't really worth a visit of its own except for a stop at the White Mountain National Forest Headquarters at 719 Main St (Mon -Fri 8am-4.30pm; tel 603/528-8721, ), which has helpful maps and camping info. Belknap Mill here claims to be "the oldest unaltered brick textile mill building in the United States." Though now an arts center, the mill's machinery is still in working order amongst the gallery space, which is the venue for evening concerts and lecture programs.

On Father's Day weekend (the third in June), at least twenty thousand bikers cruise up for a gigantic motorcycle race and rally in Loudon , where the New Hampshire International Raceway hosts NASCAR on a regular basis. Even at quieter times, room rates in Laconia are high; the best choice is the Landmark Inn of the Lakes Region , 480 Main St (tel 603/524-8000; $50-130), but motel options are abundant along Rte-3 between Weirs Beach and Meredith. Laconia's heartiest place to eat is Water Street Café (tel 603/524-4144), at 141 Water St, which serves healthy helpings of old-fashioned food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The nearest campground is the Gunstock (tel 603/293-4341 or 1-800/486-7862, ; $24 per night for up to two adults and three children), near Gilford six miles south.

Weirs Beach and Laconia

• Weirs Beach and Laconia

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