Out of town guests: Lake Merritt

OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Head to the East Bay

Official Oakland City site

Lake Merritt

So many people who live in the Bay Area don’t know about Lake Merritt, except the few blessed souls that are lucky enough to live within walking distance to this man-made lake in the heart of Oakland.

This week, take your out-of-town guest to the East Bay for a jolly day—with the first stop being Lake Merritt. Arouse your jet-lagged friend from the futon at 8:00 AM and head across the Bay Bridge to West Grand Avenue or Lake Shore Ave Exit.

But even I have a bit of compassion for your poor half-awake houseguest. First stop by Arrizmendi, one of the best bakeries in the Bay Area to grab a scone and cup of coffee. Arrizmendi, located at 3265 Lake Shore Ave. is one of those true "finds" in the East Bay and so worth getting up at the crack of dawn. (FYI—Arrizmendi is closed on Sundays—I found that out the hard way…)

Grab your caffeine of choice and breakfast goodie and head to the Lake. This man-made lake is near and dear to the city of Oakland. No, the water is suppose to be that greenish color—it’s actually sea-water, not fresh water. But, be careful not to let one of those wandering geese grab your muffin. They are part of the Rotary Nature Center, located on the edges of the Lake and well worth a quick visit. (Actually, you may want to take a quick walk around the Lake—it will only take about 40 minutes.)

Lake Merritt is one of the more popular places in Oakland for running around its perimeter: Old ladies taking their morning constitution next to roller-bladers whisking on by. And don’t think all the action is limited to the edges of the lake.

Lake Merritt has its own crew club, thank you, and its members have been building upper body strength on this lake for many, many years. Watching crew is almost as nice as actually rowing. It takes the grace of a ballet dancer to coordinate all those moves. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to try crew yourself—stop by the Lake Merritt Boat House any time between 8:30 and 11:00 AM on a Saturday to find out more. Rowing classes at Lake Merritt (both sweep and sculling) are inexpensive and the club members are sweeter than pie.

But the action doesn’t stop there. This year, Oakland has added something else to the lake to give this East Bay city a more European flair. Thanks to Oakland’s new mayor, Jerry Brown, you can take a ride in a gondola across Lake Merritt—pushed around by properly Italian trained gondoliers. This new attraction is worth a visit just so your guest can return home and spread the word of how bizarre the Bay Area really is to her many confused friends. Don’t think or question this surreal ride—just enjoy it and you too might get a chuckle telling your co-workers Monday about how you spent your Saturday morning.

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