Newfound Lake

Located in the no-man’s-land between Winni [1] and Sunapee [2], the hilly shores of Newfound Lake may not draw much attention to themselves, but the residents and kayaking, fishing, and hiking enthusiasts who frequent it wouldn’t have it any other way. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the seven-mile spring-fed lake is unusually pure and pristine, with nary an outboard to mar its surface.

The area around it encompasses little communities like Alexandria, Bristol, Bridgewater, and Hebron, where shops tend to close for long lunches, artists sell their creations in a small handful of galleries, and, off-putting as it can be for visitors from the big city, it’s perfectly common to have people on the street great you with a smile.