Ah, lakes. Central New York has a love/hate relationship with its fresh water neighbors, but the glacially carved bodies of beauty continue to be a major part of man’s connection with nature.

Around here we take pride in our local lakes, including Skaneateles Lake, Green Lake and the Finger Lakes. This list, of course, excludes Onondaga Lake, which will always be the redheaded stepchild of the group. It is the cause of lake effect snow and rain, easily the most talked about and hated aspects of going to school at Syracuse University. And it smells weird.

Just think about it. Water skiing, tubing and wakeboarding have an exclusive Facebook-official relationship with lakes. Any kind of watercraft is welcome on most lakes, all without the worry of whiplash from rogue waves. While you’re in the Northeast, lakes beat the ocean hands down.

First, a day at the lake is less of a hassle. Ocean beaches are often packed when it gets hot outside, and though the view across the breaking waves may inspire a song or painting, the sight of old guys burnt to a crisp sporting banana hammocks inspires everyone to, well, leave. And of course, there’s sand. Trips to the lake involve less body-crevice-to-sand contact, and less salt to stick onto every inch of you. Surfing is cool, but in the Northeast, the water is freezing and the waves are small. Any West Coast surfers surfing around here will have to pray for a hurricane if they want anything resembling a swell.

Lakes offer entertainment year-round, but oceans give little more than summer loving. Ice-skating, ice fishing and snowmobile racing are all welcomed activities on frozen lakes, but seashores are lonely during the cold months. An ocean home is great during the summer, but a lake house can be a great getaway spot any time.

Geographically, lakes just make more sense. After all, Syracuse and most of New York state would be a barren landscape of unpredictable snowstorms over rolling hills without them. Lakes are close by, easy to get to and frequently cost nothing to get in.

It doesn’t get much better than waking up to a glassy lake, strapping on a pair of water skis and ripping across the wake while those on the shore relax on a massive inflatable fort, soaking up rays. You can have your sea turtles and undertow, ocean lovers, but we’re sticking with a trip to the lake.

— Compiled by Aaron Gould, asst. feature editor, akgould@syr.edu

Published on November 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm