In years past, I have rented a house right on Lake Winnipesaukee in Gilford. This year, though, we were not able to get that particular house so we decided to give a new area a try. We are glad we did! The house on Sunset Lake was a great size with plenty of sleeping for 8 adults, 1 toddler, and dogs! The house was big enough to spread out for everyone. The extras of a pool table, hot tub, built-in grill, etc. was well received. The pictures don't show but there were 2 picnic tables on the deck along with table/chair set and extra chairs.
Plenty of seating so you don't need to bring any extra chairs other than beach chairs. Overall, the deck or parts of the deck were shady most of the day. Also, having 3 televisions in the house with internet was a must for streaming tv, gaming, etc. The beach was a short walk down a path. If anyone has mobility issues, this could be challenging. The lake was clean and quiet. We were able to paddle-board, kayak, etc at any time of day. Be sure to bring water shoes as there are plenty of rocks but nothing a 2 1/2 year old couldn't handle. The host's instructions, directions, prompt reply to email questions, and a couple of phone calls was perfect. As the "ring leader" of my family, I felt like I arrived prepared. Coming from the city, I have to say the house was a little remote. There was no cell phone service at the lake or house so we used internet when necessary. Though it took a little getting used to, we all were happy to unplug for a week (not totally as we could still get online!). It was a little drive (15-20 minutes) to get into the town of Alton for groceries, coffee, ice, restaurant, ice cream etc but we soon got used to it. The property has great amenities and was so relaxing. As in years past, we hired a professional photographer to take family pictures. With the back yard, trees, lake, etc., the pictures were stunning! Thank you to the hosts for providing a wonderful atmosphere and taking good care of us. Overall....GREAT WEEK!