Labor Day Weekend: Lake Minnetonka

Happy Labor Day everyone! I will be enjoying the day off by heading to the California beach shortly, however I’m also thinking of Minnesota lakes today and one in particular – Minnetonka Lake.

Growing up in the land of 10,000 lakes meant there was always a body of water to play in nearby – in the summer at least. (In the winter we had large expanses of ice to ice-skate on.) Summer in Minnesota is truly magical. Every weekend, practically the whole state heads up north to lake cabins or jumps on a boat at their nearest neighborhood lake. For my family growing up, that was Lake Minnetonka.

Lake Minnetonka is located 20 miles west of Minneapolis and is a playhouse in the summer months. Meaning “big waters” in the native Dakota language, Lake Minnetonka is one of the largest lakes in Minnesota (covering nearly 15,000 acres) and offers a multitude of bays to waterski in, islands to anchor at, restaurants to dock at, multi-million dollar lake-front homes to gawk at, and open water to cruise in; creating a perfect setting for a day out on the lake. Though holidays such as today result in nearly a traffic jam of boats on part of the lake, people know to expect that, and the underlying current of community that permeates Minnesota results in the lake becoming a big social center.

So, though I am thrilled and lucky to be going to lay beside the ocean on this gorgeous SoCal day, a part of me is a bit envious of all my Minnesota friends spending the day by lakes where the water is warm and they spend the day on boats from which they can go tubing, water-skiing, and swimming – and without having to worry about jellyfish, stingray, or (cue Jaws music) sharks.