Yes, I'm back
Vacation is done, let us all rejoice. The lake the outlaw committee selected as this year's base is noted for two things: rampant elitism and high winds in the fall.
The elitism was certainly in evidence, if you looked closely enough. The denizens of this body of water long ago decided that the solution to the McMansionisation of America is not zoning and common sense, but camouflage. Buildings must be set back from the water. Builders may remove only enough trees from a lot to actually build the house. The building must be treated in natural tones that blend with the landscape. If you do all that, you can still build your 8000 sq ft vacation retreat with 12 bedrooms, fourteen staircases, 36 fireplaces and an elevator.
The difference between this lake and Lake Winnipesaukee seems to be hypocrisy.
About the wind: yep, we had two and a half days of brisk west to northwest winds of the sort that make kayaking "interesting." The other two and a half days were glassy calm, enabling long trips (one about 14 miles) to places which had somehow escaped the 8000 sq ft natural-tone McMansions. We spent part of one of the windy days exploring the river that leads out of the lake, much of which is of no interest to the mansion owners and/or drivers of power boats as large as the lake allows. Yes, they restrict that, too, with the result that most nouveau riche power boats are as large as the law allows.
The river was lovely, still, and quiet on a weekday.
So the trick of getting the best out of this lake was to pay attention to the parts and places that were either off limits to the nouveaux, or of no interest to them because they had to work a little to get to them.
Comments:
Aren't vacations fun?
The elitism was certainly in evidence, if you looked closely enough. The denizens of this body of water long ago decided that the solution to the McMansionisation of America is not zoning and common sense, but camouflage. Buildings must be set back from the water. Builders may remove only enough trees from a lot to actually build the house. The building must be treated in natural tones that blend with the landscape. If you do all that, you can still build your 8000 sq ft vacation retreat with 12 bedrooms, fourteen staircases, 36 fireplaces and an elevator.
The difference between this lake and Lake Winnipesaukee seems to be hypocrisy.
About the wind: yep, we had two and a half days of brisk west to northwest winds of the sort that make kayaking "interesting." The other two and a half days were glassy calm, enabling long trips (one about 14 miles) to places which had somehow escaped the 8000 sq ft natural-tone McMansions. We spent part of one of the windy days exploring the river that leads out of the lake, much of which is of no interest to the mansion owners and/or drivers of power boats as large as the lake allows. Yes, they restrict that, too, with the result that most nouveau riche power boats are as large as the law allows.
The river was lovely, still, and quiet on a weekday.
So the trick of getting the best out of this lake was to pay attention to the parts and places that were either off limits to the nouveaux, or of no interest to them because they had to work a little to get to them.
Comments:
- How does one manage to put in 60 miles or so in a kayak and still gain weight?
- When you kayak, in theory you work with your core. When your core goes haywire (as in putting your back out and acquiring sciatica) you have to use your arms. When your arms are a bit sketchy, as mine are, you'll hurt your arms too. Lesson: fix the seat first.
Aren't vacations fun?
Labels: vacations
posted by Uncle | 23:06
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