By Maxine Effenson Chuck, Globe Correspondent
NORTHWOOD NARROWS, N.H. - I am outside, lounging in a chair, listening to the rustling leaves, the lapping water, and the distant sound of children laughing and playing. The smell of home cooking wafts through the air - morning to night - mingling with the scent of pine, grass, and wood. I listen to birds, frogs, and loons somewhere in the background. I am problem-free.
My children are off somewhere - I don't know where, but it doesn't matter. I know they are well cared for. I don't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry. I don't need to make beds, shop for food, or even pack a lunch for a day trip. All I need do is ask for it. Sound like a fantasy? It's not. It's a moment in a day - any day - at Lake Shore Farm in Northwood Narrows.
My family has been visiting this third-generation family resort since 1990. My 47-year-old husband, however, started vacationing here when he was 5. In fact, most of his childhood birthday memories are intertwined with Lake Shore Farm - eating homemade birthday cake and celebrating with his parents and the families, who, over the years, became his summer families and lifelong friends.
Located on beautiful, peaceful Jenness Pond, the farm has sprawling grounds that wind partially around the lake. The resort itself is a big, wooden farmhouse with a barn, kitchen, dining rooms, and guest rooms on one side of the house, a recreation room in the middle of the structure, and more guest rooms on the other side.
We live for the family-style meals during our stay. In fact, they govern our schedule most days. From the first clanking of the bell, which a different child rings as he or she walks from one end of the house to the other, we rise and shine to the smell of freshly baked breads or muffins, pancakes, or whatever chef-owner Harry Ring has cooked. For families who visit year after year, they may choose to sit with other families who have become friends and use that time to catch up. Others may choose to sit with new families. We have done both.
The menu is all American - meat, potatoes, vegetables, and dessert. But, whether he is asked to prepare kosher or vegetarian fare or fill other requests, Harry always obliges. He also appreciates suggestions from guests when the menu is not meeting their needs. His wife, Lynn, is the most accommodating hostess you will ever encounter. Her patience is endless; her memory for names and special requests is nothing short of amazing; and her ability to manage the dining rooms and kitchen, when necessary, is flawless. Our yearly photos always include Harry and Lynn with one or both of our children, but the pictures have to be taken on the sly, as these warm, unassuming people do not seek the spotlight.
Keeping track of our children is not an issue. If they are not with us, they are either in the rec room with other children playing pool, Ping-Pong, cards, doing a puzzle, or playing a video game; or they are outside in the playground area or with another family. They know - as do all the children - not to wander to the beach or go in a canoe without an adult present or knowing where they are and with whom. After a short time at the farm, all our children come to view any set of parents as theirs for the week. Our eldest daughter, Elizabeth, 16, falls into this category as well, having evolved from a follower of these rules to an enforcer. Most, if not all, of the children would prefer being with her to any of the parents.
The tennis courts are a bit of a trek for those who become sedentary from too much food and meditation; but many of us muster the strength to walk through the field to get to them. My husband and I become particularly ambitious during our vacation; we get our exercise walking around the lake - a 5-mile journey. Sometimes we do this twice a day - once with our dog (our dog being a recent addition to our walk and our vacation) before the kids wake up, and then later, with the kids. We even wear out our dog, who doesn't feast on Harry's cooking, so he doesn't feel the need to work it off. He prefers to pull us to the side of the road for a quick nap.
If we choose to explore areas outside the resort, there is plenty to do. Ogunquit Beach and Kennebunkport in Maine and the White Mountains of New Hampshire are no more than a drive of an hour or hour and a half away. These are destinations that we visit most years. However, for a little diversity, we sometimes take slightly longer excursions, such as to Portland, Maine, or Portsmouth, N.H. Sometimes we want to be closer to the farm, but still need a little adventure. Depending on the time of the season, there are blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry fields where we pick our own. If we are seeking the perfect antique, and we can strike a deal with the kids to come along, we need look no further than Northwood, N.H., just outside the resort, where antique shops line the roads. The kids, however, prefer mall or outlet shopping. For that, Concord and Taunton, N.H.; or Kittery, Maine, are easily accessible.
Rainy days happen. Though not welcome during a vacation where most of our activity takes place outdoors, families often organize to make the best of it. We may decide to go bowling in nearby Concord, or to a movie near the farm. Whichever we decide, there is often a large, talkative group planning and trave ling together.
Our daughters, Jennifer, 6, and Elizabeth know that at summer's end we'll be going to Lake Shore Farm. We've done it every year since Elizabeth was 7, before Jennifer was born. They spend the school year looking forward to seeing their friends, to seeing the owners, to eating the food, and to being with our family. Elizabeth, my stepdaughter, remembers the first summer we went there together when my husband, Bill, proposed to me by the side of the lake with her at our side. She may also remember the walk he took her on the night before, asking her permission to allow me to join their family.
Many good friendships have been cultivated during these visits. In fact, some of my husband's parents' closest friends are those whom they met at the farm. This, after all, is a place where time stands still; where technology is moot; where nature, tradition, and family are priorities.
Last year, we brought our puppy, Mookie. Like the rest of us, he developed an instant affinity for the place. He loved the fresh air of New Hampshire, the daily visits to the lake, the persistent smell of home cooking, and the constant activity and attention. He didn't care that the paint on the outside of the inn is chipping or that the carpet and furniture are worn. He, like us, appreciated this place for what it is, a timeless haven away from home.
Maxine Effenson Chuck is a freelance editor and writer from Brookline.
Published 08/22/99 in the Boston Sunday Globe's Travel Section.
