The Good Old Days of Boating

I must confess that I enjoy the solitude of boating. I know, of course, that it's a little ironic to be doing that here in the cities. But the words population density mean nothing once you get out on the water. Granted, there are a lot of boats on a Saturday at Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, or Lake Nokomis. The rest of the time, however, it's pretty quiet. Quite often I've shared a lake with just one or two die hard fishermen. A funny thing happens when boaters pass by each other. People are friendly, often acknowledging each other with a wave or a nod, seldom by speaking.  I've sometimes thought about the reason for this. It's a matter of courtesy. They respect each other's privacy. Of course, several times I've been completely alone, too.

Bygone days at Lake Como: Once the shore was lined with boats for rent

I rowed Lake Como any number of times this past summer. I live close by. Rarely have I ever seen another boater. Oddly enough, there are about a half a dozen peddle boats for rent. at the pavilion. The park makes them available, but they are seldom used. Meanwhile, the path which surrounds the lake is filled with joggers and strollers. I am frequently stopped by them when I put in or take out. Almost always the comment is something like, "What a good idea!"

Bygone days at Lake Calhoun

Even boating on  Lake Calhoun has seen better days. The photo above shows the opening of the channel to Lake of the Isles. All those canoes! And most of them are filled with more than two people! Granted, this was a special occasion. There were probably lots of dignitaries and a couple of rousing speeches. But even then the point is being made. Any city improvement which involved the sport of boating was an event...and,  judging from the turn out, a big event at that.

Canoe docks at Lake Phalen: What has happened?

Of course, these pictures were taken before the days of high def televisions, X Box, and laptops. And people still take to the parks today. But the culture has changed. A lake is not something to be savored or explored anymore. There is no process of discovery. It has become something to run around. It's a quiet shift in paradigms.

Of course, the way in which we think has changed too. We still have lots of watercraft here in Minnesota, the "boatingest" state in the union. One in six of us owns something that floats. Ninety percent of them have something with a motor attached. You can see them trailering out of town on I94 on any given Friday afternoon.

Personally, I'm not sure if all of those power boaters are really "getting away from it all," or having a big adventure with all of the other power boats. The Lower Saint Croix, for example, gets pretty crowded on the weekends. I think it's much quieter right here in town!