Friday – May 3 – Lakes Region Singers’ Spring Concert at the Gilford Methodist Church.  The Adult Chorus will feature music from Cole Porter and George Gershwin, sing/jazz and big band favorites, plus a medley of familiar Broadway tunes from “Wicked” and “Les Misérables” just to mention a few.  The Youth Chorus will also perform some selections from the movies “Charlotte’s Web” and “Aladdin.”  Admission by donation- an $8 donation at the door would be appreciated.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus @ 6:45 p.m.  *Due to the early date of this trip, you may sign up now. (Easy)

Friday – May 17 – 2013 Northern New England Home, Garden and Flower Show is being held on the Fryeburg, Maine Fairgrounds. Always a fun and lively event, this show brings together merchandise from regional artists and artisans, garden center demonstrations, “Meet the Chef Cooking Series” featuring guest chefs from Maine and New Hampshire, a garden marketplace, and information on eco-friendly and “green” products and services.  Look for celebrity guests, surprises and some great fair food.  General admission is $9 at the gate (Sue has $2 discount coupons for anyone who signs up). The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 9:30 a.m. (Moderate)

Saturday – May 18 – Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, featuring LRSO Concerto Competition winner, cellist Jan Fuller, at the Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium.  The program features Wagner, Overture to Rienzi; Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations; and Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 Eroica.  Tickets are $15. Please give your check (made out to Taylor Community) to Sue Williams prior to the concert date. Deadline for reserving tickets is Friday, May 10. The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 6:15 p.m. (Easy to Moderate – walking from bus to auditorium)

Monday – May 20 – Visit the NH Audubon’s McLane Center in Concord. The McLane Center has exhibits, live animals (including a bald eagle, a red-tailed hawk, a peregrine falcon, two screech owls and a barred owl), several miles of hiking trails and a Nature Store that stocks bird feeders and seed, optics, books, clothing, jewelry and much more. The LEED Building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is certified through the Green Building Council and incorporates a number of green practices and materials. On the way home w’lle  stop for lunch at Makris Lobster and Steak House.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 8:15 a.m. (Moderate)

Wednesday – May 29 –  Dining Out at CJ Avery’s in Lakeport  Known for its delicious home-cooked food and casual atmosphere, CJ Avery’s offers a great selection at affordable prices.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 4:45 p.m. (Easy)

Friday – May 31 –  Lunch at Newick’s at Dover Point followed by a seacoast ride down Route 1-A.  If there’s an opportunity to stop and let residents explore we’ll take it.  Newick’s is known for casual dining and good seafood.  Their menu includes non-seafood items as well. The ride down 1-A has become a Taylor spring ritual.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 9:45 a.m. (Easy)

Friday – June 7 – Ride to Sugar Hill to see the Lupine Fields with lunch at the “99” Restaurant in Littleton.  Summer welcomes the beautiful fields of wild lupine – blues, purples and pinks.  You can explore the Sugar Hill Sampler Gift Shop. Just beyond the gift shop there are mown paths that allow visitor to literally “walk among the flowers.”  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 9:45 a.m. and will make a stop at the Ashland Burger King off Route 93 about 10:20 a.m. to pick up residents for whom it is more convenient. (Easy, to Moderate if walking the paths)

Monday – June 10 – Currier Museum / Zimmerman House Tour    One of Claude Monet’s most celebrated early paintings, Adolphe Monet in the garden of Le Coteau at Sainte-Adresse is now on view at the Cuttier in the European Gallery.  It depicts Monet’s father reading a newspaper under a canopy of shade trees.  The painting, which has been on public view only twice, will be returned to its owner in early July.  Also on view, in the Scheier Gallery, is Crafting Settlement by Abigail Anne Newbold.  Newbold melds a mastery of traditional craft techniques with a modern design aesthetic.  The Currier also offers a tour of the Zimmerman House.  This house, designed by on of the most famous modern architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, features the Zimmerman’s personal collection of modern art, pottery and sculpture.  We will have lunch in the Museum Café.  You may choose to participate in only the Museum tour or the Zimmerman House tour also if you like.  Tickets for the Museum will be $9.00 and, provided we have 13 residents sign up, tickets for the Zimmerman House will be $12.50.  If you choose to do both the Museum and House tour, the reservation deadline is May 7.  If you only want to visit the Currier Museum, the reservation deadline is May 27.  No reservations will be accepted after these dates.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia campus at 10 a.m. (Moderate – a lot of walking)

Wednesday – June 12 – Dining at Johnson’s Seafood & Steak  [Easy] Known as the original NH Family Restaurant, Johnson’s menu includes chowders, salads, sandwiches, pasta, steak dishes and the ever-popular selection of seafood plates.  At the end of your meal make sure you have saved room for a massive serving of ice cream.  You always get a good meal at a fair price.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 4:15 p.m. (Easy)

Thursday – June 13 – Tour Laconia’s Historic Belknap Mill where visitors can see the operating knitting machines and the 1918 hydroelectric power system. The Mill operated as a textile factory, and local citizens worked with historic preservationists to preserve and maintain the building as a cultural center.  In the Gallery, there will be an exhibit by well-known Lakes Region Photographer Judy Rothemund, who shares her scenes from Bike Week.  The gift shop offers unique knit socks and many homemade treasures by local craftspeople as well as books about local history.  If you would like lunch at the Soda Shoppe, it is a quick walk across the street (please let Sue know by June 6 if you want this option).  The bus will come back to the Laconia Campus to drop off anyone not having lunch downtown.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 9:30 a.m. (Easy)

 
Monday – June 24 – View the Sand Sculptures on Hampton Beach with lunch at Ashworth by the Sea Restaurant.  The “Viewing Area” is a cement boardwalk that gives spectators a close-up view of the sculptures. You may shop in many of the beach stores across the street before lunch.  Please bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and yes, an umbrella just to be on the safe side. There will be a stop at Johnson’s for dessert.  The bus will begin picking up residents on the Laconia Campus at 9 a.m. with a stop at the Alton bay parking lot at about 10 to pick up residents for whom it is more convenient. (Moderate)