This is the best darn beach in Minnesota. Even though we have 10,000 plus lakes, it takes big water to make a good beach, and Lake Superior is as big as a freshwater lake gets. This beach is a narrow spit of land known as Park Point in Duluth; it separates Duluth Harbor from the open lake.
The water is nice and clear, if not a bit on the cool side. In fact, most beachgoers don't actually swim there. A quick dip in the 50something degree water is usually enough to satisfy anyone. I think Starflower set the record for time spent swimming; while teenage boys and young couples in love were hesitant, and very vocal about their hesitation about plunging into the water, Starflower was happily splashing away. I think her body temperature must have approached hypothermia.
While regaining body heat, sand burials were the popular thing of the day.
Our pond is nice, but sometimes we really need to get away and go to the beach.
9 comments:
What a great day! Unbelievably, I haven't been to a lake yet this summer (how un-Minnesotan of me).
Also - I've tagged you for a meme - 7 random things about yourself. Go to my post to learn more:
http://timberglade.typepad.com/outside/2007/06/7-random-things.html
Deb - how wonderful! That looks like a great day at the beach. When we went to the Greenman Festival at Spirit Mountain a couple years ago and it was 90+ degrees all weekend, we took a trip to that beach to cool off and clean up and it was more than wonderful.
Rosie and I also went to the beach yesterday, what a great day for it!!
Even here in the land of beach, that looks like a delightful one.
I'm thinking wet suit water tho!
Tracy- I'll try to do the meme, although I've been known to get lazy about them. :)
Greg- What beach did you go to? Glad you found this beach on a hot Duluth day.
FYI- On July 7th there's going to be a bunch of bands playing at Leif Erickson Park in Duluth, including Low, Trampled by Turtles, and Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank. I hope to be there...we gotta arrange kid sitting and all that.
FC- After I posted this, I saw the news online about a guy who died of hypothermia when his kayak overturned in Lake Superior. Definitely wet suit water!
By the way, I made your (or Mrs. FC's) mojo chicken Saturday night. Great seasoning, I just ended up mixing the chicken and sauce with brown rice, because the chicken alone seemed too saucy. Maybe I didn't cook it hot enough.
Looks like a fun day at the beach. No mosquitoes either??
That's pretty impressive for fresh water!-Do you get any kind of shorebirds there?
RuthieJ- No mosquitoes. Too hot for 'em, I guess.
Larry- Park Point is consistently mentioned on the Duluth Rare Bird Alert, not only for shorebirds (I think a red-necked loon was spotted there this week), but also for passerines. I guess the far western shore of Lake Superior is some sort of migratory funnel. There's also Hawk Ridge, one of the high bluffs visible in the first picture, that is an important observation area for migrating raptors. I had registered for a birding boat trip around Duluth Harbor last month, but it was canceled due to too many other "birding weekends" going on that Saturday. Too bad, I was going to meet Lynne on that trip!
Looks great, Deb. Lake Champlain has a few nice beaches but none as oceanic feeling as this one. :)
Awwww. Precious children - doing what kids do in this season of Sun.
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