The Islands of Winnipesaukee

"According to many sources, New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee has been a tourist destination for more than a century, and the Town of Wolfeboro became the “Oldest Summer Resort in America” when Colonial Governor John Wentworth established a summer home there in 1770.The Native American name Winnipesaukee means either “Smile of the Great Spirit” or “Beautiful water in a high place”, depending on whose translation you use.Islands are places of discovery, mystery, isolation and adventure. There is also a certain dreaminess and romance to the idea of traveling to and living on an island. Think of the many movies that featured island life: Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, Blue Lagoon, and Cast Away to name a few.Bizer Corporation, one of the premier makers of boating charts for Lake Winnipesaukee, has a list of 253 islands on the lake, and old wives tales claim there are 365 islands, one for every day of the year.In The Islands of Winnipesaukee, the authors document their kayaking adventures to all of the islands on the lake, with more than 275 beautiful, full-color photographs and remembrances."

"Ron Guilmette was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He started renting kayaks for 25 cents an hour on the Shawsheen River in Andover, Massachusetts when he was ten years old. He is married and has four children and four grandchildren. Ron has done extensive ocean kayaking with his good friend Red McDonald to the Isle of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire and in Bar Harbor, Maine with a guide. He continues to ocean kayak with his children off of Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts where he has lived for the past 41 years. Ron is a retired state trooper and works as a criminology professor at a local university and at a private college. He also works as a private consultant in the law enforcement community and serves as a volunteer on a number boards and committees. He enjoys white water rafting and golf and most of all beach days with his wife, children and grandchildren. Jay Leccese was born and raised in Stoneham, Massachusetts. His family, however, has owned a summer residence on Lake Winnipesaukee since 1989, and he considers the Lake to be something like a second home. He first began kayaking there as a teenager with his family, setting out on short paddles from their camp on Cow Island. He still does so frequently during the summer months, especially enjoying trips in the early morning or evening when the Lake is calm and the sun glows on the water. Jay recently graduated from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Criminology. He is also a talented artist, and some of his works have been displayed in the Rogers Center at Merrimack College. Jay is single and enjoys writing, painting, kayaking, and hiking in the White Mountains."