Meredith lies on the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, the biggest lake in New Hampshire, and the town has been playing host to summer visitors since the railways arrived. The lake is about twenty-one miles long and dotted with something like two hundred and fifty islands, and its Abenaki name is usually translated as smile of the Great Spirit, though the exact meaning is debated. From the dock at Meredith Bay, you can see long, forested ridges folding off to the Ossipee and Belknap mountains, and on a clear day the whole scene is blue and green.
The village has a lively waterfront. An old mill beside the falls has been converted into shops and restaurants, and the town docks are busy with boats, with the MS Mount Washington, a big excursion vessel, calling at times in summer. Annalee's Doll Museum, devoted to the handmade felt dolls of Annalee Thorndike, is a local curiosity with a loyal following. Wolfeboro, across the lake, calls itself the oldest summer resort in America, and the rivalry between the lakeside towns is part of the fun.
For motorcyclists, the lake has a special place. Laconia Motorcycle Week, held every June at nearby Weirs Beach, has drawn riders to the lake since the early twentieth century, making it one of the oldest rallies in the country. For that week, the roads around Meredith are alive with bikes, and the engines can be heard all day. Outside that week, the ride around the lake is a pleasure: Route 3, Route 25 and Route 109 loop the shore with gentle curves, lake views and the occasional steep rise, though the surface can be patchy and summer traffic is heavy.
Meredith has fuel, a supermarket and a range of food, from lobster rolls to pizza, and it is a convenient base. Moultonborough, to the east, is the next larger town. The best times are late May to mid-June, before the crowds, and late September to mid-October, when the maples turn and the lake is a deep blue. Midsummer weekends are the busiest and slowest, and winter closes the high roads with snow. Fog sometimes lies on the water in cool mornings, and thunderstorms in summer can arrive quickly over the ridges.