Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > Getting Here
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-28-2016, 06:49 AM   #1
CrownRay
Senior Member
 
CrownRay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Medford MA/Blackcat Island
Posts: 146
Thanks: 0
Thanked 25 Times in 16 Posts
Default Getting There...without the highway

Question. We live in MA, just south of Nashua, along 111. Does anyone know a route to the lake that would keep you OFF the highways? I am going up to our house tomorrow night, but I am tired of sitting in commuter traffic. We usually get on RT 3 at 111.

I know a rural route may take longer, but it's better for my sanity!

Someone once told me they come up through Fitchburg/Jaffrey and then over.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
__________________
"The ocean (or lake) itself is not dangerous, it's the hard stuff around the edges that will kill you."
CrownRay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 07:08 AM   #2
thinkxingu
Senior Member
 
thinkxingu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,939
Thanks: 1,152
Thanked 1,959 Times in 1,210 Posts
Default

This is what Google Maps shows (to the Meredith circle) when I click "avoid highways."
thinkxingu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 07:40 AM   #3
feb
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Meredith (Winnisquam) & Nashua, NH
Posts: 209
Thanks: 25
Thanked 20 Times in 17 Posts
Default Can you delay?

Is it possible to delay your departure? We typically leave Nashua at 7:15-7:30 and fly right up. By that time Merrimack and Concord jams are cleared. Its pretty consistent that time of day.
feb is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 07:51 AM   #4
thinkxingu
Senior Member
 
thinkxingu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,939
Thanks: 1,152
Thanked 1,959 Times in 1,210 Posts
Default

Interesting question--to sit in traffic a bit and get more lake time or not sit in traffic...
thinkxingu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 08:02 AM   #5
chipj29
Senior Member
 
chipj29's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Bow
Posts: 1,874
Thanks: 521
Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts
Default

One bit of caution is that the back roads can get pretty jammed up with local traffic, as well as people trying to do the same thing as you. I think it would take quite a bit longer taking the back roads. I commute to Bow from MA daily. have tried the back roads on more than 1 occasion due to traffic, and it rarely, if ever, works out to my advantage.
__________________
Getting ready for winter!
chipj29 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to chipj29 For This Useful Post:
SteveO123 (07-29-2016)
Sponsored Links
Old 07-28-2016, 09:22 AM   #6
Descant
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Merrimack and Welch Island
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 1,204
Thanked 1,498 Times in 975 Posts
Default Back roads

CrownRay, You don't say where your lake destination is. Of course, the best solution is to leave at noon Friday and after breakfast on Monday.

We go to/from Gilford/Merrimack, NH.

I think you can go west on111 (or NH Rt 101A) to NH Rt13 N through Milford and Goffstown and on up to Dunbarton and Concord. Beautiful scenery, places along the way to stop and eat or do errands. You then take any number of local roads to I-393 east to NH Rt 106 (Sheep Davis Rd.) which goes to Laconia/Gilford. Sunday afternoons on big race weekends, Rt 106 can be crowded, as is I-93.

We also sometimes go east from Laconia and take NH Rt. 107 south to Rt 28 and the Rt 28 ByPass around Manchester. (We go through Manchester to get to Merrimack, variety of local roads and or turnpike depending on traffic and our mood.) And then to NH Rt.111. Beautiful ridge vistas in Gilmanton/Barnstead area.
Descant is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 11:08 AM   #7
thinkxingu
Senior Member
 
thinkxingu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,939
Thanks: 1,152
Thanked 1,959 Times in 1,210 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Descant View Post
CrownRay, You don't say where your lake destination is. Of course, the best solution is to leave at noon Friday and after breakfast on Monday.

We go to/from Gilford/Merrimack, NH.

I think you can go west on111 (or NH Rt 101A) to NH Rt13 N through Milford and Goffstown and on up to Dunbarton and Concord. Beautiful scenery, places along the way to stop and eat or do errands. You then take any number of local roads to I-393 east to NH Rt 106 (Sheep Davis Rd.) which goes to Laconia/Gilford. Sunday afternoons on big race weekends, Rt 106 can be crowded, as is I-93.

We also sometimes go east from Laconia and take NH Rt. 107 south to Rt 28 and the Rt 28 ByPass around Manchester. (We go through Manchester to get to Merrimack, variety of local roads and or turnpike depending on traffic and our mood.) And then to NH Rt.111. Beautiful ridge vistas in Gilmanton/Barnstead area.
Hey, friend--I'm in Merrimack, too! Other than a little Concord traffic, which is no big deal if there by 4 (on non-holiday weekends), it's an easy 1'27" ride for us to Moultonborough.
thinkxingu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 02:37 PM   #8
MikeF-NH
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 317
Thanks: 2
Thanked 120 Times in 80 Posts
Default

I commute up rt 3 north past Nashua up to Manchester and traffic is not a huge issue other than a slight backup at Exit 11.

Once you get through the tolls, take the first exit to get onto 101/293 East and connect to 93 North. Follow to exit for Rt 28 North (thought its much better to take the next exit after crossing the merrimac river and take a right off the exit - there are two turns to make for this second route...use google maps to figure it out). This will take you through Hooksett, Allenstown, Epsom, Pittsfield to the Alton Circle. From there you can take Rt 11 for east side or stay on 28 for west side of the lake. I don't see any serious backups for that route. It gets you off the highway before the Hooksett tolls and any backups in Concord.

Unless by 111 near Nashua...you are 10 or more miles west of Nashua...I can't see where heading up Rt 13 or taking the very long loop out to Jaffrey area is a good choice.
MikeF-NH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2016, 05:38 PM   #9
Outdoorsman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 815
Thanks: 113
Thanked 193 Times in 126 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeF-NH View Post

commute up rt 3 north past Nashua up to Manchester and traffic is not a huge issue other than a slight backup at Exit 11.

Once you get through the tolls, take the first exit to get onto 101/293 East and connect to 93 North. Follow to exit for Rt 28 North (thought its much better to take the next exit after crossing the merrimac river and take a right off the exit - there are two turns to make for this second route...use google maps to figure it out). This will take you through Hooksett, Allenstown, Epsom, Pittsfield to the Alton Circle. From there you can take Rt 11 for east side or stay on 28 for west side of the lake. I don't see any serious backups for that route.

It gets you off the highway before the Hooksett tolls and any backups in Concord..
I agree, this is the way to go for that side of the lake.
Outdoorsman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2016, 06:25 AM   #10
dpg
Senior Member
 
dpg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,559
Thanks: 149
Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts
Default

If you leave say an hour later and this helps and you subtract the extra time your sitting in traffic you may find your almost there at the same time anyway. Like you said the "little" difference in time amounts to way more in your sanity at the end of your drive.
dpg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2016, 10:14 AM   #11
MAXUM
Senior Member
 
MAXUM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Kuna ID
Posts: 2,755
Thanks: 246
Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts
Default

Once you make it up to concord you can also take Rt 132 which is also a nice ride. I find that 106/107 brings you through Laconia which can be a headache.

132 is a nice ride with the exception of traversing through Tilton. You can hop on 132 from 393 and it pretty much parallels 93. The nice thing is there are plenty of opportunities along that road to bail onto 93 if you want to.
MAXUM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2016, 12:58 PM   #12
BroadHopper
Senior Member
 
BroadHopper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Laconia NH
Posts: 5,504
Thanks: 3,113
Thanked 1,089 Times in 783 Posts
Default

from Hudson I usually take 102 to 28 and stay on 28 to 107 in Pittsfield for the Laconia Meredith end of the lake or continue up 28 to Alton. Make sure you take bypass 28.
__________________
Someday may never be an actual day.
BroadHopper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2016, 06:44 AM   #13
Kamper
Senior Member
 
Kamper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Thornton's Ferry
Posts: 1,295
Thanks: 67
Thanked 165 Times in 125 Posts
Default

3A to Hudson NH. 102 to Derry/Londonderry. 28B to Hooksett. 3 North...

28 to Alton.

3 to 106 to Meredith

106 to 3 to Laconia/Guilford.


I used to live in Nashua and sometimes I'd come home by 3A after Manchester, because I liked the views in Litchfield. Sometimes through Derry for variety.

Normally I use the the Everett Tpk northbound and use the spur in Concord to get over to 106. Once I was passed in Hooksett by someone in a hurry but when I got on the rt3 bypass in Laconia the same rig was passing the exit at the same time. Just a thought...

Good luck!
Kamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2016, 06:25 AM   #14
dpg
Senior Member
 
dpg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,559
Thanks: 149
Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts
Default

Going home this past weekend the highway was pretty slow already at 11:00 AM finally tired of the snarls I put the route home in a GPS and selected "avoid highways" what should of been about a 1.5 hour ride home AT MOST at highway speed the GPS was telling me I still had 2 hr and 45 min remaining. I was shocked and would not have guessed it was going to be that long. I ended up jumping back onto rte 93 further down south and it moved fine - phew!!!
dpg is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:52 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.28452 seconds