Are you missing?

Lake Chelan is a large lake...I don't need to go into the details about how large it is because I already did that in a blog entry during the last blogathon.  Why am I repeating myself than, about how big Lake Chelan is? Well, something happened last night which drove home the bigness of the lake.

Two young women, Heather and Teresa, decided to take a canoe out on the lake. The sun shimmered on the water, even though it was 9.30 pm. They rowed out to the half way point as the sun slid behind the hills. At 10 pm, the sun disappeared as if someone had reached up to turn off the light. Darkness enveloped the entire lake and the two young women were no where to be seen. 

At first we waited patiently, assuming they would be paddling their way back to the dock. A little after 10.30 pm, we begin to get a bit worried because no matter how our eyes strained we could not see any proof they were still on the vast lake. We called up some locals in the area to ask what we should do and they immediately informed us of how dangerous it was for the two girls to be out on the Lake in the dark.  The police were alerted and we soon received a call from them- we didn't realize it is actually illegal for someone to go out on the lake after dark without a light. A speed boat could accidentally crash into them.

We stood out on the dock and prayed for the girls to return safely. After what seemed like an eternity (but it was probably only 20 minutes), we heard the distant sound of Heather's laughter. We stopped waving our rescue lights and shouted, "Heather and Teresa- is that you?"

"Yes!"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh we are fine, we see you. We will be there soon." Their voices echoed across the still waters. I could tell they were in high spirits. They had been enjoying themselves and did not even realize they had been in danger.

I was thinking about the entire incident this morning. How many times do we go off rowing through life when darkness suddenly engulfs us and we assume we are fine. We don't even realize we need a light to show us the way. We rely on other people's light to direct our path, but we need our own light. 

Jesus said, "I am the light of the World, whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Thankfully no matter how dark things get in life, I have the light to guide me.

Chelan

Last year, during the blogathon, I did a post on Lake Chelan, Washington.   This time I decided to focus on the actual 'downtown' area of Chelan. I was never able to explore it before, so I didn't have much to say about it. Now I've had a chance to see it....

1. It is small; in other words, easy to get around.

2. There is a great shop- Main Street- which features local painters...great pieces!...they also have local jewelry and some clothing (which I doubt was local- but might have been). It was a fun shop to go into and I managed to come out with a necklace!

Although, there are some nice restaurants, I would not purposely go to Chelan to eat. The prices were a bit steep and the food was just 'average'. 

church built in 1898 still standing in great condition

3. There is a log church which was built in 1898...it is still standing and has been kept up in great condition.  A small beautifully landscaped  garden surrounds the church. In the garden, at the side of the church, there are some memorial plaques.

Garden at the side of the church.

4. The view from anywhere you stand in the center of town is spectacular. The mountains (or hills) surrounding the town are breath taking.




All in all, if you are going to Lake Chelan, you should take some time to explore the center of town. There is even a free downloadable audio walking tour you can take! Definitely a great tool in getting the most out of your exploration of Chelan.
 
You can drive just a over an hour away and see Leavenworth. If you like sweets, you can stop over in Cashmere, WA and pick up some of their famous Aplets and Cotlets. (Speaking of Aplets and Cotlets ....that would make a great blog for another day!)

Is it a Lake?- Lake Chelan, Washington 2010

(Today's Blog update was inspired by a comment left by Anil on a previous post I did)


  I do love Western Washington, but I must admit there is a place in Central Washington which entices me. Lake Chelan boasts of being 50.5 miles around, according to the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce. Is this really a lake? Yes, it is!

  Take a boat across the widest section of the Lake and you will be going 1.5 miles. Do you want to try and dive down to the bottom of the lake? You will have to dive 1486 Ft. down. 

  The breath taking view surrounds you no matter where you are on the lake. You see majestic snow capped Mountains peeking down. The hills nearby used to be filled with apple orchards, they now overflow with grape vines.
 
   Swimming in the clear waters of the lake is very appealing. Water skiing across the surface of the lake is exhilarating. In fact, it is difficult to leave the Chelan Valley with all its beauty. When you are there you  start dreaming about selling your house and moving to this tranquil location. However, when you price the houses near the lake reality sets in as you discover most of the houses right on the lake run a cool one million dollars. Ouch!

  Whether you spend one day enjoying Lake Chelan or one week, you will enjoy every moment of your time there. Unfortunately, all good things do come to an end and then you clamber back into your vehicle and head down the road back to your real life. Remember, the same road which takes you away from Lake Chelan can just as easily bring you back!