Oh! The Places I've Been - "W" is for WOLFEBORO

Quick - Name the Oldest Summer Resort in America. Okay, you read the title of this post first, so you already know.Well, I was surprised. I really thought our own Newport (RI) would have won.Wolfeboro is situated at the head of Wolfeboro Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. It's a popular summer destination, particularly for families from parts of New England, especially Boston and southern New Hampshire. This long tradition as a summer colony led to the motto "The Oldest Summer Resort in America." Recently, it has also become a popular year-round home for many seeking a small town existence in "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire. Its downtown is picturesque, with shops lining the main street, and large public docks at the lake shore.The town has seen a steady stream of famous individuals visit on vacation, including Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, Kurt Vonnegut, Drew Barrymore, and Jimmy Fallon.Last January, we drove around the lake from Meredith to Wolfeboro. I looked out the car window to the right, the lake side. There were giant houses, three- and four-car garages, all closed up for winter, but monstrously big and quiet. I looked out the left side and saw trailers, piles of wood to fuel the stoves, blue tarps on roofs, the homes of year-round residents who know what hard winters are like.