Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Lake Superior: Swimming on Park Point


Here's your history review. This is the Duluth Aerial Bridge, built in 1905, it was originally a gondola ferry thing that carried people, horse and carriages, and automobiles across the canal.
Reconstruction began in 1929, to turn into a bridge. They raised the top, and put in a bottom with counter weights to lift the lower deck. The aerial bridge is registered as a historic place, and on all Duluth postcards.

The lower deck is basically a grate over some supports, which produces a hollow you-are-going-to-fall-and-land-in-water-and-die sound. As a child I would smother myself with a pillow and plug my ears until we crossed. It wasn't like we crossed it often, but it was traumatic every time we did.

Saturday was the first time I ever crossed it as the driver. Come to think of it, I should have had justin drive, but I love to drive, and I'm the one that is familiar with Duluth. We got to Lake Ave. I turned off the music. I warned the children and husband that they were not to talk to me, and if they did that I would probably not be nice in response. We got to the bridge. I've learned that if I can keep a constant speed, look straight ahead, and concentrate on breathing I can cross almost any bridge without anyone knowing (unless they try to talk to me) that I have an issue. The problem is, this bridge has a arch to it, so cars speed up to go over and slow down on the other side, making constant speed impossible. Putting on the brake I almost lost my Wendy's lunch. The one thing I will give this bridge is that it is short. And we were off of it before I panicked.

What is on the other side of this bridge that would motivate me to cross it? Park Point. Its a lovely beach. We drove out the peninsula, ran to the public beach house, changed into our bathers it was into the water with us.
IMG_0499
We spent two hours on the beach. The water was pretty warm for Lake Superior. The sun was hot. The sand was sandy. Simeon got some in his eye and was pretty upset as his little eye turned red and his eyelids swelled up. But Daddy and Reuben had a blast digging.
IMG_0514
What better to do with a hole big enough to sit in, but to bury somebody in it.
IMG_0520IMG_0530IMG_0548
IMG_0590
When 5:30 rolled around we figured it was time to go. Little did we know that beach house was closed. So, we went to change in the van. Now, for us who haven't had a car for three years, this was a huge luxury, there is no were to change out of a swimsuit on the LIRR, just saying.

And it was back to cross that bridge again. It was up when we got there and a ship was taking its time going under. The boys fell asleep, and when we finally got going, I crossed the bridge a second time, this time without the threat of losing anything.

I had this plan to stop into Michael's on the way out of Duluth, but I took the scenic route out (on accident) and the boys were asleep. With the help of Jane, Grandma and Grandpa's GPS, and what I know about Duluth we made it to Menard's and the on the road I was supposed to be on the whole time. The drive home was easy peasy, a pleasant end to a nice day.

2 comments:

Michael Moore | The Fridley Farmer said...

I love Duluth and I love Lake Superior.

I went on part of a bike ride the scouts took from Minneapolis to Duluth a few weeks ago. When they got to Duluth they were acting all tough and saying "I'm totally going swimming in Lake Superior", "No, you're not, it's going to be WAY too cold".

Of course I told them they were all a bunch of sissies. City kids...

Tammy Lorna said...

Oh Brecken - looks like such a fabulous day :) So does the tall ship day!

Summer. *happy sigh*. No wonderful that's what you always remember about childhood :)

xo Tammy