FAVORITE LAKES

[El and Bill]

Hey, winter time is good for reading and good for dreaming. Now's the time we're thinking about special places to go next year. The discussion of the lake access near Butte got us to thinking and talking.

What are your favorite lakes? ... and why?

We just finished cruising lakes in Missouri and Arkansas, like Lakes Truman, Ouachita, and Bull Shoals and they are GREAT! How about sharing some of your favorites. Thanks.

[Anita Marie]

Lake Chelan, 55 miles long thru National Forest ending in the North Cascades National Park. It is a jewel.

[starcrafttom]

cables lake on highway 88- first place we boat camped
ice house res. near highway 50- were i asked susan to marry me.
sly park in pollock pines -were i got my biggest brown 5 lbs.
little grass valley res. -were i spent more then one summer with my grandparents learning how to fish and mix martinis.

[Pat Anderson]

Lake Roosevelt, because we cruised at least part of it with Halcyon and Rana Verde! Other than that, can't comment, our only lake experience has been Lake Sammamish (ugh), and Lake Washington / Lake Union...not really remarkable except as means to get to Puget Sound! Just returned from Turkey Day in NOLA, Lake Ponchartrain COULD possibly be interesting...

[El and Bill]

Tom - wow, lakes have sure been central to your life.
Pat - Yeh - wasn't that a blast out on Lake Roosevelt - maybe, next time on Chelan?
Fred and Robin - is Chelan OK again? we had heard that facilities were closed or destroyed due to fires last year, so we gave it a miss last summer.

Hey -- let's hear some more lake ideas, fun to daydream on cold winter evenings

[MOOSE]

Our home base is Rainy Lake on the MN-Ontario border and I’m glad it is, even if it is frozen half the year. It’s a marvelous lake for cruising and fishing and so intricate that it is often said one cannot see all of it in a lifetime.

Our last summer’s cruise on the NW shore of Lake Superior was just that, superior. And with many other routes to explore or revisit, I can’t see that we won’t be back every summer.

Then there’s the even more remote waters of Lake Nipigon, whose expanses rival those of Superior. It’s surely the sixth Great Lake. We’ll be there next summer.

But how about the even more far-flung? Has anyone considered cruising Reindeer Lake in northern Manitoba-Saskatchewan or the eastern end of Great Slave Lake? These are both road accessible and of superlative beauty.

“Whatever you can do, or think you can do, begin it. Boldness has wisdom, power, and magic in it.”
Al

[El and Bill]

Yep -- Rainy is surely a gem. We cruised it a few years ago and it was unforgetable. Nipigon, Reindeer and Great Slave sound like remote, wild, and beautiful lakes -- we have been up to Great Slave with canoes, but have never thought of it for a C-Dory -- got us thinking. Now to do some reading about fuel supplies, etc. Thanks for giving us ideas for some nice researching and thinking of the north.

[Pat Anderson]

Lake Chelan would be fabulous...wow, so much cruising to do, so little time! Now that I am going to have vacation and comp time, I am going to have to start doing some serious planning for a change. We HAVE to fit the Desolation Sound trip into available time off though, though, everything else will be lower priority until we have done this!

[El and Bill]

Before this thread slides down the list, thought I'd ask again for Lake Cruising ideas - anywhere, center, left coast, eastern states. We landed in a treasureland of lakes in MO/AR this fall -- what a delightful area, out of season, for some wonderful cruising. Looking for more ideas, please ...

[Byrdman]

Lake Martin, AL: 750 miles of shoreline, very clean water, restruant "OPEN" signs that are on...and only indicates the sign works... ..the history of the Hank Williams song Kowliga, which is also the place I keep FreeByrd docked and the wonderful Sinclair Restruant...

Old Hickory Lake, TN (OK Bill... before you whip out your geological correctness on me.... The Cumberland River System... grin. )... Untold hours on these waters... was not aware the river was not the road until about age 4. (also site of the Apr05 Grand'Ol C-Dory gathering...), 1st lock I passed thru, 1st fishing experiences, 1st other experiences best shared face to face... , and still have 3 family members with homes/docks right on the water...flat lots too...not the cliffs.

[El and Bill]

Yeh, Pat - thought you might chip in a few of your gems. Looking forward to revisiting a few this spring cruising with FreeByrd.