I spend thousands each summer to stay at a lake an hour from home. I tried vacationing in new places, but the nostalgia is worth more.

The author (left) and her family have been vacationing at Lake Winnipesaukee for six generations. Curtosey of Kelly Burch. Each year, my family rents a home on a lake that my great-great-grandparents went to. We skipped a year to prioritize traveling to new places, and regretted it. I've realized that the tradition and comfort are worth the cost. A few weeks ago, my daughters were floating in the water of New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee, with my mother and grandmother. I snapped a quick…