If you don’t do anything else: Take the mail boat lake cruise

“You have to take a trip on the mail boat because not only is it nostalgic, but it gives you an up close and personal view of the lake,” Nix says. “You get to go out to the islands and have kind of a little bit of a picture of what it’s like to be living out on the islands in the summer.

The mail cruise leaves from the dock at Weirs Beach, in the town of Laconia twice daily, at 11 am and 2 pm, rain or shine, every day except Sunday. The two-hour cruise is extremely popular with visitors, so it’s important to purchase tickets ahead of time to make sure that you don’t get left at the dock. The dock is right along the Weirs Beach boardwalk, also where the train leaves, so you can’t miss it. The mail cruise is not the only lake cruise option, but it’s certainly the most distinct. Where else can you ride along with a mail carrier, while taking a ride around a pristine lake?

Passengers board the Sophie C and ride along the delivery route, while taking in the sites of the lake—pontoon boats, massive summer homes, tiny lake cottages, and fish birds soaring overhead. At some stops, they just throw the mail bag off at the dock, but at others, Sophie‘s visit is a social event. Island residents, like Bear Island’s Barabara Laround, often come to the dock to say hello. “You get to meet people on all of the different islands, and it’s just fun,” Nix says. Barbara’s husband likes to stand at the dock and receive a line to help the deckhand out.

During the voyage, passengers are invited to fill out and mail postcards right on board, complete with Sophie’s own unique, collectible cancellation stamp, and purchase shirts and hats. The morning and afternoon routes are different. In the morning, the boat is scheduled to stop at Loon Island, Bear Island, Three Mile Island, and East Bear Island. In the afternoon, Camp Lawrence, Birch Island, Sandy Island, Cow Island, and Jolly Island are scheduled, but some islands are not even inhabited every day. Throughout the route, the Sophie C can be spotted and waved to as it passes by.

Tiny Loon Island only has one house, and the property has been in the same family for six generations. On a pretty day, don’t be surprised to be greeted by the current owner, and he may even dive in the lake as you pull off. “It’s a tradition,” Nix says. “The islanders like to jump into the wake because of the agitation of the water and how it feels against the skin.”

Three Mile Island has a distinct teenage vibe, but in an old-school kind of way. The property, including a lodge and 47 cabins, has been owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club since 1900, and campers can be found lounging on the dock when the sun’s out. “The island kids love to come down to meet Sophie so they can get a nice ice cream treat,” Nix says. When islanders go to town to shop, they have to put everything in freezer bags to keep it cool, so on hot days, it’s difficult to transport even today.

A 50-year-old man was arrested in Mattapan on Monday after allegedly pointing an airsoft rifle at multiple people, according to police.

At about 6:56 p.m., officers arrested Salvador Maldonado of Manchester, New Hampshire, on assault and battery charges, according to a statement from the Boston Police Department.

Officers received a report of a person with a gun near the area of 95 Morton Village Drive and were advised that the victim was “stopped at a red light and observed an operator of another vehicle point a firearm at her,” the statement said.

While officers were speaking with the victim, another call came in reporting a person with a gun near 49 Burt St., officials said.

Officers approached a vehicle that matched the description given to them, observing the suspect and a brown rifle on the front passenger’s seat, the statement said. Police identified the rifle to be a Sig Sauer MCX Airsoft Rifle and determined that the suspect was the same individual from the first 911 call.

Airsoft rifles are replica weapons that primarily shoot plastic BBs, according to Gunfire.com.

Police arrested Maldonado, who was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and is he expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.

A Massachusetts man was airlifted by a Black Hawk helicopter after a medical emergency while hiking in a remote area with his family.

In a news release, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department announced the agency was notified around 2:14 p.m. Tuesday about a 52-year-old man experiencing a medical emergency between two summits on the Kinsman Ridge Trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. 

The agency said the trail is located approximately 4 miles from the nearest trailhead, which made a quick rescue response difficult.

MISSING HIKERS IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK FOUND ALIVE AFTER 2-DAY SEARCH

Due to the remote location of the hiker, the New Hampshire Army National Guard deployed a Black Hawk helicopter to assist in the rescue. 

Medics reached the 52-year-old hiker just before 4 p.m. 

A Black Hawk helicopter lands. The New Hampshire National Guard deployed a military-grade helicopter to rescue the 52-year-old hiker. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski, File)

They continued performing life-saving measures that family members and Good Samaritan hikers began, until he was taken down to an ambulance by Littleton Rescue and Fire at 4:40 p.m., the department said. 

BASE JUMPER DIES AFTER 500-FOOT FALL AT GRAND CANYON

According to the release, the hiker “succumbed to his medical emergency,” and his body was transported to the Ross Funeral Home in Littleton, New Hampshire.

A man died after a medical emergency while hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.  (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Officials said the hiker’s name would not be released pending family notification.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the New Hampshire National Guard for comment.