Swim #18: Farm Pond, Sherborn, MA

August 16, 2010 -- I am so happy to rediscover Farm Pond!  My family and I came here many times in the early 1970s, until the town of Sherborn closed the parking lot to all but town residents.  Such a tragedy!  Almost 40 years later, I find I have a vivid memory of the bathhouse, but the beachfront doesn't look familiar at all.  What I do remember is how clean and clear the water was (and still is!)

I came here today with my friend Judy (of "Instant good mood" fame).  We parked a mile or so away and rode our bikes in.  A lovely, lovely lake, and we claim we will come back soon.  This would be a perfect lake for swimming across.......

Swim #17: Lake Cochituate, Natick, MA

August 14, 2010 -- While I wouldn't recommend the Natick beachfront as a paradise for distance swimmers, it is a great family place.  We went with good friends Ilona and Alex.  I swam along the rope after ascertaining from the lifeguards that I really couldn't duck under the rope.  Lake Cochituate is gigantic -- I remember sailing here with friends in high school.

Swim #16: Crescent Beach, Block Island, RI

August 13, 2010 -- Block Island is our family's favorite place on earth.  So many wonderful summer vacations here -- we spent hours and hours riding waves and building giant sand castles.  The island is one long beach; no such thing as private beaches here on Block Island.  And even better, dogs are allowed almost everywhere! We were here for a very quick overnight, primarily to celebrate Steve and Phyllis' engagement, but we did manage a trip to Crescent Beach and a swim for me.

Swim #15: Walden Pond, Concord, MA

August 6, 2010 -- Walden Pond, one of my very favorite places, typically visited with one of my very favorite people, my friend Deb.  I love it because it is legal to swim anywhere, so we can swim across and back without fear of capture.

The water level is unusually high this year due to the excessive rain we had.  The beaches are flooded and the benches around the edges are completely underwater.  Still a great swim, though!

Swim #14: Hotel Palomar, Los Angeles, CA

July 19, 2010 -- Our last day in California.  This is another Kimpton Hotel, and the pool is nestled into a tight little area between buildings.  It is very sweet, though, with luxuriously cushioned lounges at the periphery.  Very nice for an early-morning swim.

I regret that I couldn't get more ocean swims into this California trip -- but you can only have so many agendas going at once, and college visits and visits with friends were what this trip was about.  On several occasions I did say those magic words....."Why don't we live here?"

Swims #12 and 13: San Diego, CA

College visits over, we are spending a delightful few days in San Diego, joined by Dawn, Mike and Olivia.  The Hotel Solamar is our home away from home -- a Kimpton hotel, one of many Kimptons we have stayed in (strong recommendation for Kimpton hotels....http://www.kimptonhotels.com/).  The pool is on a roof deck, designed more for visiting with a drink in your hand than for swimming. I did my best for Swim #12, but most of the people in the pool found it odd to see someone swimming.  It was nice to hang out up there, though, with a book and a drink.











Swim #13 was better, at Coronado Beach.  We had a little trouble figuring out where to park:  much of the beach access seems to be controlled by the Coronado Hotel, and they wanted us to pay $15 to park.  We managed to avoid that, and I plunged into the surf.  A little chilly, but I enjoyed the waves.  We found a wonderful little coffee shop just down the block, making it a lovely California morning.

 
 

We also spent a day in La Jolla, which was delightful, but did not include a swim.  I was itching to swim or kayak with the seals, but happily settled for playing by the edge with Olivia.  I wish we had had more time to explore the coastline around San Diego -- I can see that there are many more charming villages and beaches.  

Another trip out here will be necessary!  I close with a picture of Leah and Olivia, our beloved little peanut.

Swim #11: Sheraton Fairplex, Pomona, CA

July 13, 2010 -- Another college tour!  We are in California for several days, visiting friends and looking at schools.  While the Sheraton Fairplex is conference center and therefore inherently ugly, its pool is considerably nicer than I expected.  We stayed here for just one night, and I got up early to swim.  On trips like this, where we have to spend many hours in the car, I really appreciate hotels that have decent workout facilities.  This pool was a winner in the realm of hotel pools -- it was large enough that I didn't have to turn around after five strokes!  The pool area is very nice, too.  I could envision a lovely day reading by the pool with iced coffee in hand.  Check it out at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=662.