When I was a kid in the 1970s, my family visited our friends the Stewarts a couple of years in a row at their house on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. The lake was paradise for a young boy — my days were filled with swimming, sailing and trips to the ice cream shop. My dad's most enduring memory of those trips is not nearly as idyllic. He was standing in the Stewarts' sailboat one summer when the boom came loose and smacked him in the face, breaking his nose. The silver lining: At least when we got home, the doctor didn't have to break his nose again — it set straight on its own.
Thirty years later, my dad, also named Tom, and I are revisiting some of our favorite spots from those summers, including Lake Winnipesaukee — although we definitely won't be doing any sailing this time around. After flying into Portland, Maine, from our respective homes, we drive south to Portsmouth and grab a bite to eat at Gilley's PM Lunch, a food stand from the 1940s. Despite the fact that the rusted truck at the front end looks like it's seen better days, the clam chowder, burgers, and extra-crispy French fries are excellent.
