THE GREAT NEW HAMPSHIRE GETAWAY

An off-topic pictoral

Yesterday for the first time in a couple of years, my wife Ann, my kids Brian and Brittany, and yours truly had a chance to get up to New Hampshire (as this welcome sign on I-93 pictured left indicates), particularly Fun Spot, on US Route 3 up in Weirs Beach, near lake Winnepesaukee.

Fun Spot is a three-story building billed as the largest arcade in the world. Hundreds of games (video, slots, pinball, and more), plus tenpin and candlepin bowling, mini-golf, an indoor simulated golf course, snack bar, and more. Click on these little pictures to get the big pictures.

Our first stop was on the second floor - the bowling alleys. You certainly didn't think we were going to bowl tenpins now, did you? After all, there's a tenpin alley just ten minutes from home. Why would I drive two states north for that? There are NO candlepin houses to be found in Rhode Island. The nearest candlepin house is in Franklin, Massachusettes - 30-40 minutes away. We bowled candlepins for the first time in about ten years.

Brian takes a shot here.







Now Brittany.







Here's a video that Ann took of me picking up a VERY RARE spare (I bowled like crap, but had a great time).


Meanwhile, in the slot room, my kids get caught gambling. Mind you, you can see these same machines at those big name casinos that only the mommies and daddies can enter.









Here's that simulated golf course. Of all the courses we selected, we picked some course somewhere in the middle of Utah. Our golfing was so bad that in our one-hour rental time, we just barely got past the front three (I went +17 in just the first hole alone). Hint: my favorite golfer is Happy Gilmore (as portrayed by Adam Sandler).

Brittany tees off - ball lands in the rough.







Brian tees off - ball lands in sand.







Yours truly tees off - ball lands in deep rough, near trees and a barbed wire fence - almost out of bounds.





Here are some tables I haven't seen since Rocky Point Park was open (they closed in 1995). Shown here are the bingo and poker versions on the first floor. On the second floor is the hi/lo version where you must score 15 and under or 27 and over to win (anything from 16 to 26 loses).


Finally, here are some sketches drawn by a sketch drawing machine. I thought this was way cool. In order: me, Brittany and Brian (goofing off), Ann.











We took the scenic route back to I-93. Ann got this really cool pic of a typical New Hampshire "skyline".

Peace,
BMP