Lake of the Isles

The bridges which connect Lake Calhoun to the Lake of the Isles

Part of the chain of lakes in Minneapolis, this body of water is a destination in its own right and one of the prettiest lakes in the park system. The city skyline is prominently displayed just beyond the north shore. Two little islands provide a unique and ever changing view, and a number of  beautiful homes can be seen just beyond the shoreline. Equally as interesting is the people who ply the water in an unbroken stream of canoes, paddle boards, and peddle boats from the rental area found on the north beach of Calhoun. There's a lot of happiness here!

The lake even has its own sea monster! Note the the skyline in the background,

As much as I like Lake Calhoun, I must admit that parking there can be quite problematic. There are parking lots, but they require some sort of fee: not so for Lake of the Isles. It's free. And there always seems to be a spot available near the boat launch area and fishing pier found on Lake of the Isles Parkway on the southern end. I would actually recommend that you park and launch there even if you choose to do Lake Calhoun.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this lake is the wildlife. As peopled as it is, the shorebirds don't seem to be spooked easy. They just go about their business and ignore all the commotion. If you like to take pictures you can get in pretty close.

An egret on the south shore

a duck watches me launch my boat

Canadian geese watch me row past

A great blue heron

I had to deal with a little bit of wind on this trip, but rowing the lake with counter weighted oars and a sliding seat rowing unit made little voyage seem pretty much effortless. If you have a boat and are interested in making these improvements, feel free to check the previous entry (Tweaks). I'm never going to be an athletic type, but I must admit that I have learned a lot about rowing this summer.

Lake of the Isles, just north of Lake Calhoun