Sunday, April 25, 2010 - Bedford, Massachusetts to Weirs Beach, New Hampshire

I went to find out if there was an LCMS church near us in Bedford, MA Saturday night. Oddly enough, the entire synodical web site was down for maintenance from 6pm Saturday night until 6am Sunday morning. Which meant that I couldn't locate a congregation for us to worship with. Kind of frustrating. More frustrating still that I feel guilty for missing church three weeks in a row. Granted, it's not totally my fault that we missed this morning or the week previously, but I'm a Lutheran, and as much as we rave about grace, we love us some good old fashioned guilt as well.

We were happy to leave behind our less than enjoyable hotel in Bedford and hit the open road again. We stopped in Concord, New Hampshire for a bite to eat and a leg stretch for the kids after a brutal hour or so on the road. Talk about spoiled! Another hour or so brought us to the lakes region of New Hampshire. It was a beautiful, wooded drive the entire way, broken up only a couple of times by larger towns. It seems as though for much of New England, you'd never know that there were people living somewhere off the freeway, as only the larger towns are big enough to really snag your attention as you drive through or past on the interstate.

As we got within about 15 miles of our destination, our directions (Google maps) became rather confusing. Or rather, the roads became rather confusing. I think we drove in circles for several miles before finally stumbling upon the proper road. It hasn't happened often on this gargantuan journey so I suppose I can't complain!

We arrived well before check-in, so we drove a few blocks back down the highway to a mini-golf place. It's the first time we've played miniature golf as an entire family unit. The kids had a blast - it was sunny and probably around 70 degrees with a nice breeze coming in off the lake. Gena and I were a little competitive with one another - all in good fun of course. I started out impressively, only to falter later in the grueling 18-hole course. Gena started slow but got much stronger in her strategy. Amazingly, we tied at 57 strokes apiece on the 35 stroke rated course. How's that for compatible?!

We headed back to check in and begin settling into our unit. We're staying roughly on the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee, which appears to be the largest lake area in New Hampshire. Driving into the area, there were lots of motorists and motorcyclists on the road, enjoying the sunshine and the last of the weekend. I can only imagine what this place must be like during the summer. We were surprised at how much development there is in the area - far more than our last stay in Pennsylvania. Almost every square foot of lake front property seems to be taken up by cottages, cabins, condos, and every other imaginable form of lodging. We certainly won't lack access to amenities of pretty much any stripe.

New Hampshire is one of those states where liquor can only be purchased from state-run stores. I Googled the nearest one (I am *so* grateful for reliable wi-fi signal in our unit instead of having to find a local coffee shop or sit in a rec center someplace!) along with the closest grocery store and headed out to stock up. The kids were able to enjoy their Sunday evening tradition of popcorn and brie cheese, along with grapes, crackers, and a few other comfort foods. Gena and I splurged on sushi that I picked up later that evening after the kids were asleep. Delicious! I think we're going to like our week here in New Hampshire.