82nd Annual Sled Dog Race, Laconia, NH

Laconia is beautiful and fun at any time of year.  We passed the backhoe putting snow IN the road to make a path for the races, and asked the driver for directions to the starting line.  The race start was just around the corner, so we parked along the road side and walked towards a stunning view of the Presidential Range off to the left, with a field of brilliant white blanketed snow.  It was a sunny, clear and cold afternoon, but the area was bustling with people watching the races in progress, sledding and cupping steaming hot chocolate with their chilly glove covered handsst up was the single dog race with tiny sled-masters racing to the finish.  It was difficult to tell who was having more fun, the driver, the dog or the crowd cheering the kids on to victory. The big sisters, clutching stuffed huskies stooped to pay homage to the heroes of the race.

The 82^nd annual Sled Dog Derby is an international competition with folks in town from the US and Canada to take part in the races.  Like every good international event, the national anthems of both the United States of America and Canada were proudly sung with flags waving as the eager participants dodged the ski-doo-driving trail scouts in the waiting area. 

Present and posing for pictures was this year’s Miss Lakes Region, sporting a lovely golden plastic tiara on her strawberry-blonde hair.  

By the time the final event of the day, the multi-dog team race, the fiercest of the competitors could hardly wait for the race start, and were chomping at the bit to be on the trail to lead their driver to victory.  One eager beaver leapt into the air repeated, as he was ready to run.

Everyone was a winner at this annual event, and we knew that we were with kindred spirits as we walked back to our car.

On our way back we made a stop at the Laconia Outlet Mall and I got myself a pair of shoes at the Bass Outlet Store.