This past Sunday was such a beautiful day that I just had to pull my 14-foot inflatable catamaran-kayak out of the closet, toss it into the back seat of my Neon, and head a half-mile down the road to Lake Carnegie. Engineered specifically for Princeton’s crew team, Lake Carnegie’s shallow calmness makes it one of the best rowing lakes in the world.
It usually takes me around three hours to row the entire lake, stopping along the way, of course, to enjoy the natural beauty. The Google screenshot above shows most of my route, and here’s the live Google Maps link.
Those whose only experiences of New Jersey have involved Newark airport or the IKEA in Elizabeth may be surprised to discover that the Toxic Garden State is teeming with wildlife. Fortunately, I brought a camera along on my little jaunt.
Normally when I pull up close to the many Canadian geese that call the lake home, they quickly take flight. So when I paddled past a particularly large one perched on a log, I was surprised that he stayed put…
…that is, until I circled the log and noticed the nesting female that he was protecting.
There were a few other kayakers out and about. These two are rowing past the Harrison Street bridge. The “BRING IT ON!” sign is a challenge to those schools who might dare to go up against the Princeton University rowers.
A rustling sound in the woods caught my attention, and I noticed four deer having an evening meal of freshly-blossomed bushes. Although all three of her skittish companions darted off, tagged and collared “Number 214” actually wandered up to the water’s edge as I drifted toward shore, just as curious of me as I was of her. Unfortunately, her earrings really don’t match the rest of her outfit. My camera’s flash sent her bolting.
Below is a shot of the Harrison Street bridge from the other side. The tiny sign next to the “PHVY” says “No skating beyond cables.” Because the lake is so calm and shallow, it freezes over quite solid during the winter.
Still amazed at my luck in seeing the deer, the sight of a bald eagle perched high in the trees blew me away. Too bad zoomed digital cameras aren’t that great in low-light situations.
Here’s a shot of Shea Rowing Center from underneath the Washington Road bridge.
A flock of birds nest in a scraggly looking tree.
And finally, we have the home stretch. Although, reaching the buoys that mark the “home stretch” usually means that I still have at least 25 minutes of vigorous rowing ahead of me.
That sounds like a really nice, relaxing day. I’ve always wanted to try rowing, but more for fun, and definitely NOT against Princeton ;)
It is soooo relaxing. The repetitive stroking is quite conducive to deep contemplation, and the flora and fauna are an added bonus.
Competitive rowing, on the other hand—not so relaxing. This is why I only did it for one semester back in my freshman year. I rowed starboard in an 8-man boat.
I have an attachment for my inflatable boat that allows me to sit backwards and row (like one would do in a shell) instead of paddle, but it is poorly constructed, and I rarely use it.
One of my favoriteplaces is Cranbury, not too far from Kingston or Princeton really. It’s a quaint little town with a beautiful lake. Some of the houses are hundred of years old. Also, you have to go the Cranbury Bookworm if you are there. My usual haunt. A huge house that maintains thousands of used books. Every inch of the place is used for shelving. oh and we have the same birthday. Nice blog :)
Thanks for stopping by, Jenn. I’m in Plainsboro quite a bit, but I never seem to make it out to Cranbury. And thank you for mentioning the Cranbury Bookworm. That place sounds like just the kind of place I have been looking for lately. I am so there this weekend; I’ve already Googlemapped it.