We are going to chew the nougaty center out of this urban gem
this week; yesterday we dipped our toe into the visitor center and Pike
Island. Today, the beach. So far he's mostly playing with his new water pump shooter, which works. He's having fun.People from states with oceans or even giant freshwater lakes will of course scoff at the following assertion, but they can suck it: this beach rocks. It's wide, sandy, and conveniently located near an international airport. I smell LAYOVER!
No one is going to be surfing on Snelling Lake, but you might be nibbled by fish. Nibbled on, not eaten by, which is something to tell the teenaged girls who were purposefully freaking themselves out with the GIANT FISH in the deeper part of the swimming area. "EEK! A six-inch perch swam by my leg!" Granted, if a 26-inch carp did that, I might EEK as well. And then I would move to the shallow area and let the sunfish stare at my ankles.
It was a transparently gorgeous day with no ulterior motives. We stopped
at the Dollar Store on our way there to see about a new beach shovel. Finn has 27 of these, but I could find none this
morning. These will last a day or two, but I tell myself the joy they
will buy will be worth the dollars. (Parents lie to themselves all the
time.) I also bought him a balloon, but that took a trip when I opened
his door to fasten his seat belt. I got a face full of shiny, yellow
smiley face and off it went, smiling and sailing over the roof of an unfortunate strip
mall.The water is warm and relatively shallow. Finn is 3'6" tall, and he would have to walk out pretty far to get himself into trouble. Still, there are no lifeguards here, so people should be vigilant lest their small child in a colorful innertube scares away all the geese or your 5-year-old buries his new yellow beach strainer in the sand and can't find it (I have no idea who that last example is).
There are two depth levels: sunfish and carp. They are separated by little floaties and the shrieks of adolescence.
Surrounding the beach is a large picnic area with many tables and grills. Trees dot the mown lawn providing some shade most everywhere, ensuring that fistfights don't break out over the prime spot to leave your trash behind when you go home.
There are changing rooms and bathrooms as well as a playground adjacent to the beach.You can rent a canoe, and there is also a fishing pier, where they do regular "learn how to fish" events.
We went to the beach twice in one day and slipped a doctor's appointment complete with blood test (different blog) in between visits. Finn really enjoyed the sand and shallow, warm water, and the weather was perfection (low 70's, breeze, sunny blue sky). Due, I think, to the breeze, the mosquitoes were not noticeable, but there were some lovely biting flies, so I again recommend bug spray.
More pictures here.
