Laconia and Meredith

Laconia may be the biggest city on the western shore of Lake Winni [1] (with a population of 27,800) and Meredith may be its most gentrified, with its handful of upscale resorts and spas. But Weirs Beach [2] (named for the fishing baskets that early Native Americans once used on its shores) is the most notorious—if even just for the throngs that gather on its beach and boardwalk every summer.

It’s been that way since about 1848, when the railroad running from Boston [3] to Montreal reached Weirs Beach (which is technically part of Laconia, but thought of as its own entity). The town quickly became an incredibly popular tourist destination. By the turn of the 19th century, four express trains left Boston’s [3] Union Station each day for Weirs Beach.

The train service ended in 1960, but the annual migration did not: Each year, thousands of tourists still make their way here to ride the lake steamship, eat junk food, and get a tan or tattoo.