A cool dip in Lake Alice
Posted on July 31st, 2008 – 8:00 AMBy Chris Welsch
You can fry an egg on a sidewalk out there. But why would you do that when you could be floating on your back in a clear, calm lake, listening to the baking-hot breeze tickle the pine boughs?
My favorite close-by place for a dip is Lake Alice in William O’Brien State Park, just north of Stillwater on the St. Croix River. It’s packed on weekends, but during the week, the swimming beach can be pretty quiet. There are plenty of trees for shade, and the bluffs all around shelter it from the morning and evening sun. That’s my theory as to why such a small lake stays so nice and cool, even in the dog days of summer.
O’Brien is also one of my favorite nearby spots for a hike. I like to walk the Upper Prairie trail to the high point there that gives a great vantage on the St. Croix Valley. Afterward, Lake Alice is very inviting.
Who else has a good place for a swim within an hour of the Cities?
2 Responses to "A cool dip in Lake Alice"
Another gem in northern Washington County is Square Lake. Spring fed and clear the water is the perfect temprature when it’s HOT out.
Just a note about Wm. O’Brien this time of year….those little tiny bees are everywhere. They swarmed me and my dog last week when we went for a hike and tormented the heck out of us. So if you go, stay nearly submerged in Lake Alice!
Kerri Westenberg has globe-trotted for National Geographic and other magazines. Now she zips around the region, on the lookout for travel news you can use.
Elizabeth Larsen lived in Salzburg, Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe and the Americas. She can say "diaper," "bottle" and "crib" in four languages.
Troy Melhus has heli-skied on glaciers, dived alongside Monk seals and raced for 24 hours on a mountain bike. All this, and he rarely spends more than $500 on a trip.
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