Tag Archives: Lakes

Meet Webster Lake: Home to the Longest Name in the U.S.

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Welcome sign in Webster, Massachusetts featuring the full name of Webster Lake (Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg) and referencing the Nipmuc Indian heritage.

A Lake Name That Looks Like a Scrabble Accident

I thought I knew my home state pretty well. I’ve lived here long enough to pronounce “Worcester” without breaking a sweat, and I can even handle “Leominster” on a good day. But apparently I’ve been walking around completely unaware of a lake whose name looks like someone dropped a Scrabble bag down a flight of stairs.

Meet Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

Yes, that’s real.
No, I did not just make that up.
And no, I cannot pronounce it — I’m already out of my depth and possibly in over my head.

Why Locals Just Call It Webster Lake

With 45 letters and 14 syllables, this Webster, Massachusetts lake holds the title for the longest place name in the United States and one of the longest in the world. Locals, being practical New Englanders with no time for linguistic gymnastics, simply call it Webster Lake.

Honestly, I don’t blame them. If I had to say the full name every time I wanted to go kayaking, I’d never leave the house.

The Real Meaning (and the Joke One Everyone Knows)

The name comes from the Nipmuc people, and the real translation is something along the lines of “fishing place at the boundary.”

But New Englanders being New Englanders, a joke translation has been floating around for decades:

“You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fishes in the middle.”

Is it accurate? No.
Is it delightful? Absolutely.

A Beautiful Lake With a Sense of Humor

The lake itself is lovely — calm water, tree‑lined shores, and a whole lot of pride from the town of Webster, which has embraced its famously unpronounceable claim to fame. There are even signs with the full name, just in case you want to test your eyesight or your patience.

And honestly, if my GPS ever tried to pronounce this name out loud, I’d have to pull over. I don’t need my car swerving because the navigation system had a nervous breakdown.

I had never even heard of this lake until today, so discovering it felt like stumbling onto a secret Massachusetts side quest.

Things to Do When You Visit Webster Lake

Webster Lake or Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg if you are feeeling linguistically brave,  is tucked into central Massachusetts, where you’ll find no shortage of lake‑day activities

• Enjoy Memorial Beach
A sandy public beach with lifeguards in summer, picnic tables, and plenty of space to relax.

• Take a lake cruise
Seasonal boat tours give you the full view — and you get to hear the captain pronounce the name so you don’t have to.

• Rent a kayak or paddleboard
The lake is calm and perfect for paddling. Plus, you can brag later that you kayaked on a lake with a 45‑letter name.

• Explore the shoreline
Quiet spots to walk, sit, or just enjoy the water without needing to swim.

• Grab lunch in downtown Webster
Casual diners, pizza, ice cream — all close by and very Massachusetts.

• Snap a photo with the famous sign
The full name is printed loud and proud. It’s practically a requirement to take a picture with it.

Final Thoughts

If you decide to visit, don’t worry — calling it “Webster Lake” will get you there just fine.

 

 

Still Thinking About Colorado

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Colorado on my mind

Yes, I’m still thinking about a Colorado Vacation. I’m one step closer since I got my first vaccine shot last week. 2nd dose is scheduled for April 22. But I have a confession. I miss seeing the sights but I don’t miss the effort it takes to get there. Planes, TSA lines, layovers…my body gets tired just thinking about it. Too bad travel couldn’t be like the Enterprise. Beam me up Scotty and I’d be wherever I wanted to be. I always tell my traveling companions they need to embrace the journey, not just the destination. Half the adventure is getting there but my body is starting to get weary. 

Mesa, Colorado

 

Well enough complaining lets see what Mesa, Colorado has to offer for vacation. 
If you like to ski Goldenwoods Condominiums is located right on the slopes of Powderhorn, and the ski lifts are within walking distance of the resort. 

But what if like me you don’t ski and the old knees make hiking and climbing mountains difficult. What can you do in Mesa? 

Summer activities in Mesa

Maybe I need to get that knee replaced because the hiking sounds really fine. There are tons of trails and it’s reported that there are no crowds! You can hike through dense pine forests while others trails  trek along high ridgelines with unobstructed views in all directions. Camping is another attraction. Large sites (and a rumor says you can go car camping)  allow you to enjoy the mild evening temperatures to fall asleep under the stars.

If your joints are getting a bit creaky and camping and hiking aren’t your thing there are over 300 lakes in the region for your boating, paddle boarding and fishing pleasure. 

Last but not least is the Scenic Byway 65 (Grand Mesa Scenic Byway). The Grand Mesa leads through old-growth forests, aspens, meadows and so many lakes you’ll lose track. That’s Grand Mesa in a nutshell. Allow at least  2 hours to travel the full 63 miles. This drive is definitely best in summer as  parts of the road  may be closed in winter.

Wisconsin

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Land of the Cheese. I’m going to say yes but I probably should say no. I didn’t get much sight seeing done as I was only there a few days. I think I may have touched on the visit when talking about Illinois and Chicago O’hare International Airport. So rather than repeat myself; let’s just say it’s the journey, not the destination!

cheese

My brother retired from the Navy at the base in Wisconsin. He was stationed there and living in Kenosha so I had the chance to fly in for the ceremony and visit his home and that was about it. I’m sure there’s so much more to the state so let’s see what I can dig up.

Navel-Station-Great-Lakes

Wisconsin shares it’s shores with Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, 2 of the largest of  the 5 great lakes. In size Lake Superior is #1, Lake Michigan is #3, right behind Lake Heron.

Lake-Superior

Seems to me Lake Superior deserves a visit. It’s the largest freshwater body in the world and a great place to visit would be The Apostle Islands. 22 islands strewn over 450 square miles, they range from tiny Gull island (3 acres) to 10,000 acre Stockton Island.

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Heading south from the Great Lakes you’ll find the famous cheese country from Monroe to Mineral Point. Here the rolling hills and river valleys attracted dairy farmers starting in the 1800’s. Today it is the heartland of  Wisconsin’s dairyland where cheese making remains a generations-old fine art.

dairy

In Ontario, Wisconsin you can explore the “Driftless area”  all  serpentine valleys, crooked rivers, craggy bluffs and limestone. The Kickapoo River best characterizes this geology. Sometimes called the “crookedest river in the nation”. One of the oldest river systems in the world, the Kickapoo winds for 120 miles to cover a 65 mile distance. It’s a lazy spring-fed river of easy paddling except during the spring run off.

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Running from Prairie du Chien to Prescott is the Great River Road or at least part of it. The 250 miles is only a fraction of the whole byway running the length of the Mississippi River. This stretch slaloms between the Mississippi and it’s towering bluffs. The road will take you through sleepy river towns, past busy barge traffic, braided backwaters, wildlife preserves   and birds, birds, birds. This is part of the Mississippi Flyway. More than 40% of the Nation’s waterfowl and shorebirds pass this way.

greatriverroad-20133

In the southern end of the state, not far from Chicago, Illinois is Lake Geneva. The area has a resort-like feel and attracts vacationers from all over. The lake is a pristine spring-fed lake 22 miles in circumference. Being only 10 miles from the state line you can see how it would attract city weary residents of Chicago.

Lake-Geneva

There’s more, from the North Country to Circus World, Amish settlements  to Madison’s Dane County Farmers’ Market but I’ll leave some of that for another time.

The count is now 21/ 28. Only one more state to go.

3 More M States

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We’ve covered Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, so we have 5 left. The 3 today are Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi.

Sad to say I have not been to any of them.

M is for Michigan…No.

A quick hit on Michigan’s travel page reveals something I should have guessed…Fall is big business here. Any northern state must have a fall as the cool nights and warm days practically guarantee lovely colors. It certainly seems that Michigan is blessed with the phenomenon.

Fall-Color

The web site has a fall color’s map and the first link is to the many scenic drives along the coastline of Lake Michigan. From apple orchards and farms to Wine and Beer trails, Michigan looks like a fall vacation destination extraordinaire.

Grand_Rapids,_Michigan-Grdowntown

For Cities we have Detroit, the Motor city. (I’ve flown into the Detroit Airport many times), Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids to name only a few.

Speaking of  coastal drives , did you know Michigan borders 4 of the Great Lakes? Yup, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Here’s another intriguing fact, Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state! That was a shocker for me as I would have expected the most lighthouses to be on an ocean coast. I think I heard the are 115 Lighthouses in Michigan. Amazing!

M is for Minnesota…another No 🙁

So I’m searching for fun things to do in Minnesota and what do I find? The SPAM Museum. I’m surprised it’s in Minnesota. I know Hawaiian’s have a love affair with Spam so I thought that’s where it would be.

spam

But no, Just as every Elvis fan longs to visit Graceland, SPAM fans worldwide now have their own pilgrimage to make. In Austin, Minnesota a 16,500 square-foot SPAM Museum opened in September 2001.  Museum visitors will be welcomed to the world of SPAM luncheon meat. Now if we move it to Atlanta, GA we can put it next to the World of Coco Cola and then we can eat and drink. Maybe we should suggest that.

Minnesota also has a rich outdoor heritage. There are 5 national Parks or Monuments. One is  Grand Portage National Monument – Located on the  magnificent shore and boreal forest of Lake Superior in northeastern   Minnesota, Grand Portage National Monument preserves a vital  headquarters of 18th, 19th and 20th century fur trade activity and Ojibwe heritage. The monument is enclosed within Grand Portage Indian        Reservation, for centuries home to Ojibwe Indian families.

The last “M ” State for today is Mississippi…No, have not yet been there

Does anyone else remember the spelling rhyme . M, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter , crooked letter, I , Hump back, Hump back, I ? For the longest time it was the only way I could spell Mississippi.

Once again I turn to the search engines of the internet. One of the first things that comes up to visit is  the Hurricane Katrina Memorial located in Biloxi. Also in Biloxi is a little lighthouse we could tour.

Natchez

A must do scenic route is the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway follows an old Indian trail and a route used during the American revolution. In 1796 Natchez Trace was a mail route. Today it is a scenic parkway that travels from Natchez, Mississippi (a beautiful small city on the Mississippi River in the southwest part of the state) to Nashville (passing through Jackson and Tupelo on the way). There is a small park on the river in Natchez with a stone monument to the beginning of the route.

I’ve run out of space and time so we may have to revisit Mississippi in some future post.

Only 2 more “M ” states to go. Have you got all 8? We’ll tally up the count in the next post.

Don’t forget…If you live in or have visited any of these states, chime in. We want to know your recommendations.

The Story of Romeo

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Ok I promised to tell you about Romeo so here it is.

This is the story of Romeo, the Mendenhall Glacier Wolf. I first heard it from our guide, Phil, but since then I have seen many children’s’ books. This version is condensed from The Alaska Cruise Companion.

Romeo’s story began one day in April 2003, when a young black wolf was struck and killed by a car within  1/4 mile of Mendenhall Visitor Center. Sad as this event was, park officials made the best of it  and retrieved the wolf so that at least  it could be prepared for display in the visitor’s center. They determined it was a female black wolf, which is a sub species of the gray wolf, and they also determined it was a young female. Young females will generally only leave a family pack with a new mate to start a family of their own, so park officials expected to see the mate in the area. Over the summer there was no sign but during the long, cold  winter nights of November that year, residents repeatedly heard howls of a lone wolf ringing across the wilderness of the lake.

The first sighting came shortly after the new year, in January 2004.  A local naturalist and author, Nick Jans , was skiing across  the Lake with his dog Dakota when he noticed a lone set of wolf tracks stretching across the lake. He took Dakota home and returned to the lake , and encountered the wolf for the first time.  It was alone and it was a young male black wolf.  A solitary wolf is unusual , especially in winter  when wolves typically regroup with their family packs  to ensure successful hunting, so when Jans reported the lone wolf sighting, wildlife officials presumed they had found the mate for the young female killed earlier in the year.

As the winter stretched on, the young wolf began to appear regularly  , even accompanying Jans and Dakota on their routings across the lake. The wolf would play with Dakota , just like any other dog might, and even took to following the duo home. There he waited outside  the house for the female lab to appear, leading to his nickname, Romeo. Unbelievably, this went on for many years. Romeo would disappear over the summer but return each winter once the visitors had left  and the lake was frozen over.

romeo

The iconic appearance  of a lone black wolf against the dramatic backdrop of the snow-white lake was enough to draw attention on it’s own , but Romeo was also sociable, and other visitors to the lake had the same experience  as Jans and Dakota.  Romeo would appear and play with the pets even fetching tennis balls. He didn’t become a pet. No one tried to feed him or pet him but he quickly became a living legend in the region.

In 2009, the story took a sad turn. Romeo failed to reappear that fall and in fact was not seen or heard of again. Eventually a wolf pelt surfaced that was identified as Romeo’s, and in May 2010, two hunters were charged with illegally shooting the protected wolf.

Although Romeo is gone now he dispelled many misconceptions about wolves and in so doing has become a legend.

For more details Nick Jans has written a new book, Glacier Wolf, about his encounters with Romeo.