McHenry County Blog

Specks way out in the lake turn into people when if you watched the Greater Chicago Juniors Rowing Championships at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach yesterday.

Before I show you a series of photos of a beach view look at the Women’s Varsity 8 Race, let me observe that this type of even cries for a hot air balloon anchored over the lake with a camera whose views are broadcast to a big screen on the Main Beach.

Now, that would be exciting.

Combine it with cameras from Gate 21, 13, 7 and 3 and it would be really worth watching.  Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

I discovered that the winners of the Women’s 8 Varsity race was the Lincoln Park Juniors.

Crystal Lake’s Main Beach is the place to be this afternoon.

I saw this banner tied to the gate of Main Beach as I was coming home from church.

The man at the parking lot said that the Crystal Lake Rowing Club is going to be introducing people to the sport this afternoon.

I don’t know if that means verbal introduction or actual sitting in a skiff.

A tent is already up way down by toward the outlet.

I stopped and asked what time and heard,
Three

So, if you are interested, drop by.

It’s a lot calmer than when the interstate high school tournament.

It’s a wonderful day to be alive.

And, what a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday was truly a miserable day!

But the rowers still held their regatta on a choppy and often wet Crystal Lake.

It was so bad, spectators needed umbrellas.

This Saturday was so different.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm enough day.

The Tri-County Pregnancy and Parenting Center, whose Crystal Lake office is on the same street as McDonald’s, held its annual Hike for Life.

It started at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach.

A sign pointed the way down Dole Avenue from Mister A’s at Route 14.

I noticed that a sponsor was Fuhler Real Estate.

People were registering at a big tent at the Main Beach.

And buying tee shirts.

I got several that will be featured on “Message of the Day.”

There were a lot of young people.

And families.

Kids were having their faces painted.

And, did I mention there were families?

I decided to follow the route to get some pictures of hikers.

Following the signs past the Wedgewood Garden Club plant sale at the Dole Mansion, I found a man signing up people to pray for the center.

Next there was a water guy.

He had a L-O-T of water bottles.

He was on Sunset about midway on the route.

The hikers went west on Broadway, up Sunset and came back along South Shore Drive.

There were bright vested guys to ease folks’ way across our neighborhood’s busy Lake Avenue.

There were 6,500 vehicles a day the last time I asked.

When I got to Gate 13, there was a table where Board Chairman Joe Edwards was trying to sign up people for the new web site.

I decided to park.

And chat.

And take some photos.

There was a family of bikers.

A big family.

I count nine in the picture.

I thought this was a hike.

But obviously other modes of locomotion are allowed.

And, you know what?

Rowers were out practicing their sport on a day I bet they wished they had been lucky enough to pick.

There was an eight-person boat with accompanying instructors in an outboard.

I also saw a two-woman skiff.

One man had a little boy whom he was walking beside, teaching him how to ride. You can see them in the distance in the photo below. And the shadows tell you that the sun way out.

Edwards told me there were about 80 signed up when he checked for me about 10.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

It’s a wonderful day to be alive.

And, what a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday was truly a miserable day!

But the rowers still held their regatta on a choppy and often wet Crystal Lake.

It was so bad, spectators needed umbrellas.

This Saturday was so different.

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm enough day.

The Tri-County Pregnancy and Parenting Center, whose Crystal Lake office is on the same street as McDonald’s, held its annual Hike for Life.

It started at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach.

A sign pointed the way down Dole Avenue from Mister A’s at Route 14.

I noticed that a sponsor was Fuhler Real Estate.

People were registering at a big tent at the Main Beach.

And buying tee shirts.

I got several that will be featured on “Message of the Day.”

There were a lot of young people.

And families.

Kids were having their faces painted.

And, did I mention there were families?

I decided to follow the route to get some pictures of hikers.

Following the signs past the Wedgewood Garden Club plant sale at the Dole Mansion, I found a man signing up people to pray for the center.

Next there was a water guy.

He had a L-O-T of water bottles.

He was on Sunset about midway on the route.

The hikers went west on Broadway, up Sunset and came back along South Shore Drive.

There were bright vested guys to ease folks’ way across our neighborhood’s busy Lake Avenue.

There were 6,500 vehicles a day the last time I asked.

When I got to Gate 13, there was a table where Board Chairman Joe Edwards was trying to sign up people for the new web site.

I decided to park.

And chat.

And take some photos.

There was a family of bikers.

A big family.

I count nine in the picture.

I thought this was a hike.

But obviously other modes of locomotion are allowed.

And, you know what?

Rowers were out practicing their sport on a day I bet they wished they had been lucky enough to pick.

There was an eight-person boat with accompanying instructors in an outboard.

I also saw a two-woman skiff.

One man had a little boy whom he was walking beside, teaching him how to ride. You can see them in the distance in the photo below. And the shadows tell you that the sun way out.

Edwards told me there were about 80 signed up when he checked for me about 10.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Mid-morning Saturday and the day is a bit nasty.

Not an excellent spring day to enjoy.

“Dad, it looks like a summer swim meet,” the ten year old observes.

He was referring to all the team tents.

Not the umbrellas.

Then, I realized it must be the high school rowing meet.

I assume it is the Chicago Greater Regional Rowing Championships, but I didn’t get a shot of the sign this year.

The weather was not as windy this year as last year.

I didn’t see the start of any races yesterday, but you can see from the photo below that last year the boats had a difficult time lining up at the West End.

No where near as good weather as two years ago when it was held April 9th, as you can see below.

It was raining as we went by about 10:30 in the morning yesterday.

When we returned about 12:30, the rain had pretty much stopped.

Girls were carrying their skiff across Lake Shore Drive toward the Dole Mansion.

They must have been tired because they took a short cut across the lawn of the corner house.

We found the best view was empty.

It was at Gate 3 in Lakewood on South Shore Drive.

Good view of the finish line.

Next year, I think my Country Club Property Owners Association should rent out Beach 3. No one was using it.

Maybe it’ll bring in enough to keep the dues from going up.

Well, it’s not a beach anymore. There’s still sand.

But the CCAPOA Board decided more boat slips were more important than allowing little kids another place to swim.

says the sign.

That’s where I took these photos of the race from the completely empty boat docks.

I have no idea who won the races I took.

I know I got better pictures last year.

And better information.

Certainly, none of the three races I watched were close.

A man from Upper Arlington, Ohio, rode by Gate 3 and watched the race with me. His screaming for his team as it crossed the finish line first told me that part of the race’s outcome.

This time the most interesting thing came from a boat rowing to the starting line at the West End of Crystal Lake.

came the amplified voice.

He repeated it several times.

The guys looked at me when I yelled, “Whose butt is wet?”

But I didn’t get an answer.

= = = = =
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Mid-morning Saturday and the day is a bit nasty.

Not an excellent spring day to enjoy.

“Dad, it looks like a summer swim meet,” the ten year old observes.

He was referring to all the team tents.

Not the umbrellas.

Then, I realized it must be the high school rowing meet.

I assume it is the Chicago Greater Regional Rowing Championships, but I didn’t get a shot of the sign this year.

The weather was not as windy this year as last year.

I didn’t see the start of any races yesterday, but you can see from the photo below that last year the boats had a difficult time lining up at the West End.

No where near as good weather as two years ago when it was held April 9th, as you can see below.

It was raining as we went by about 10:30 in the morning yesterday.

When we returned about 12:30, the rain had pretty much stopped.

Girls were carrying their skiff across Lake Shore Drive toward the Dole Mansion.

They must have been tired because they took a short cut across the lawn of the corner house.

We found the best view was empty.

It was at Gate 3 in Lakewood on South Shore Drive.

Good view of the finish line.

Next year, I think my Country Club Property Owners Association should rent out Beach 3. No one was using it.

Maybe it’ll bring in enough to keep the dues from going up.

Well, it’s not a beach anymore. There’s still sand.

But the CCAPOA Board decided more boat slips were more important than allowing little kids another place to swim.

says the sign.

That’s where I took these photos of the race from the completely empty boat docks.

I have no idea who won the races I took.

I know I got better pictures last year.

And better information.

Certainly, none of the three races I watched were close.

A man from Upper Arlington, Ohio, rode by Gate 3 and watched the race with me. His screaming for his team as it crossed the finish line first told me that part of the race’s outcome.

This time the most interesting thing came from a boat rowing to the starting line at the West End of Crystal Lake.

came the amplified voice.

He repeated it several times.

The guys looked at me when I yelled, “Whose butt is wet?”

But I didn’t get an answer.

= = = = =
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.