Spring Break
One last lazy day at the lake
A road trip and a swim afford the perfect respite from back-to-school blues
by Rachel Pfeffer
Features | 9/4/07
Posted online at 7:30 PM EST on 9/3/07
/ Last updated at 3:10 AM EST on 9/3/07
The trip to Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire was off to a bad start. Two of the five travelers were still sound asleep at 11 a.m., despite our previously planned departure time of 9 o'clock. But finally, after a much-needed trip to Dunkin' Donuts and several ATM stops, we were on the road for a day of sun-basking and craft-purchasing.
We decided to take a voyage to this particular lake after one travel companion conducted an Internet search for New England events and came across this small-town craft fair.
Our expectations for the journey were scant-we merely wanted to drive to a pre-determined destination and make the most of our last weekend of little work.
Lake Winnipesauke, located in Alton Bay, N.H., is roughly two hours away from Brandeis. At 12:24, we were just passing Concord, Mass. Visions of wooden geese wearing bandanas and flags with inspirational sayings flew through our heads and hearts. The scan button on the radio had been engaged constantly since we had gotten into the car. By 1:40, the arguing over song choices had escalated into nearly unbearable screeches and aggressive dancing. Our spirits were dropping, and so was the needle in the gas gauge. The sounds of our grumbling stomachs were on the verge of settling any and all arguments about what to listen to. We decided to stop for lunch and gas in Gonic, N.H., at a place called Wild Willie's, which also has a location in Watertown. Having heard good things, I convinced the carload of day trippers to make the stop before we arrived at Lake Winnipesauke.
Burgers were ordered all around and ranged from the original Wild Burger to the more daring Wicked Burger, which included caramelized onions. The burgers ranged from $5 to $7 and were of decent quality. The onion rings were phenomenal, but the raspberry-lime Rickey was overpriced at $3. It resembled a glass full of Robitussin, and, despite being "freshly squeezed," it burned my tongue with its artificial flavors.
We decided to take a voyage to this particular lake after one travel companion conducted an Internet search for New England events and came across this small-town craft fair.
Our expectations for the journey were scant-we merely wanted to drive to a pre-determined destination and make the most of our last weekend of little work.
Lake Winnipesauke, located in Alton Bay, N.H., is roughly two hours away from Brandeis. At 12:24, we were just passing Concord, Mass. Visions of wooden geese wearing bandanas and flags with inspirational sayings flew through our heads and hearts. The scan button on the radio had been engaged constantly since we had gotten into the car. By 1:40, the arguing over song choices had escalated into nearly unbearable screeches and aggressive dancing. Our spirits were dropping, and so was the needle in the gas gauge. The sounds of our grumbling stomachs were on the verge of settling any and all arguments about what to listen to. We decided to stop for lunch and gas in Gonic, N.H., at a place called Wild Willie's, which also has a location in Watertown. Having heard good things, I convinced the carload of day trippers to make the stop before we arrived at Lake Winnipesauke.
Burgers were ordered all around and ranged from the original Wild Burger to the more daring Wicked Burger, which included caramelized onions. The burgers ranged from $5 to $7 and were of decent quality. The onion rings were phenomenal, but the raspberry-lime Rickey was overpriced at $3. It resembled a glass full of Robitussin, and, despite being "freshly squeezed," it burned my tongue with its artificial flavors.
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