Directions: From Portand take 95 north to the Gray Exit (Exit 63)
Turn left on Rt. 115 for 0.3 miles, then turn right onto Rt 26. Stay
on Rt. 26 for 26 miles (passing through Poland, Oxford, and into
Norway) then turn left onto Main St. (118) Drive for just under 3 miles
and the public boat launch will be on the right (not long after the rest
area is on your left)
After turning into the park, take the immediate left for the boat launch... beach area to the right.
Go through the gate posts... (gateless gate!)
Launch: grooved cement, with dock
Parking: Lots of parking, a lot of places for trailered boats and other areas where single vehicles could park. There is also a pull out area a bit up from the launch if there is a need for additional parking.
Bathroom: Yes, Outhouse
Wildlife: Loons, kingfishers, ducks, turtles, eagles
Notes: This was my second visit to this beautiful lake! Last time I paddled I explored the part of the lake that is more north. This time I was on a mission to see if I could find a place to eat that was accessible from the water. (Spoiler alert... I did!) For pics of the other end of the lake, refer back to the original post of this lake.
We headed towards the far shore and towards the lower end of the lake that goes along Rt. 118. There is some noise from the road, but it is still beautiful!
We went through a culvert that is under Crocket Ridge Road...
After going through the culvert to the left is a pond like area with a lot of ducks and lilies. Many white lilies and some light pink ones!
Opposite that area of the lake is the shore that runs along 118 and this is Boomers Restaurant.
I am working on something... and wanted to see if I could access the restaurant from the water... and you can... from the docks. (Confession... I am not skilled at entry/exit from my kayak on docks... so.. we did eat here for lunch.. but we did so by driving there after we were off the water... I think it would be a way better experience to get out on the docks and walk up... how cool is that?! Food is good and service is better! If you go, tell them I sent you! Menu pics at the bottom!)
Rainclouds were threatening so we paddled back towards the launch.. but got to see this guy take off...
Back through the culvert...
As we got back towards the launch the sky looked a bit more clear and I wondered if we could get under this to get to the other side of 118... we were able to do so!
And if you wanted to, you could park your kayak along this bank and run into the store to get a snack!
This area was very shallow with a lot of plantlife...
There was also an exotic bird - A flamingo! Someone has a great sense of humor!
Big frog... who may or may not have been thrilled with the idea of having its photo taken.. and may or may not have hopped across the water in a way that made me scream... MAY... May have...
I like this picture of Sandy because she is ducking to go under... If I could get through no problem.. she did not need to duck! Ha! When water levels are higher this may be a lot trickier!
This is the beach at the park.. nice area for swimming...
Remember... check your kayak, paddle, cart, and other gear!
You could spend an entire day here exploring the lake in its entirety. It is beautiful!
If you don't want lunch at Boomers, there are a lot of other cute places int eh village of Norway that looked good. Last summer I ate at the cafe and had a sandwich that was delicious!
Boomers Menu:
No comments:
Post a Comment