Family Vacation at the Lake, Part 2 of 2

This year for family vacation we congregated at Lake Wylie, a 12,455-acre lake created by a hydroelectric dam on the Catawba River at Fort Mill along the North-South Carolina border. In 1904, the Catawba Power Company built the first dam, which was raised by the Southern Power Company (now Duke Energy) in 1924. It was named for one of the original power company founders, W. Gil Wylie, in 1960. There are both coal- and nuclear-powered stations on the lake today.

Two traditions on these trips are renting boats for tooling around the lake, swimming, and fishing, and shooting off model rockets.

To the left, Dear Husband caught me reading the book I am reviewing this summer, on the history of diabetes and race. Below, my mother watches the other boat. We lost an anchor and never did find the sandbar that was supposed to allow for wading in the middle of the lake, but it was a gorgeous day to be on the water any way.

ME made colorful t-shirts for the rocket launch that took place on some empty ballfields at a public park. This year as last year, we lost 2 rockets into the trees. But we missed all the planes flying overhead to and from the nearby airport, so not having traffic control call the feds on us for invading their airspace was a definite plus.

It's the "outlaws"! (Not pictured: Dear Husband or DH.)

And then there was miniature golf on a well-maintained course.

(Yes, they dye the water blue.)

It sprinkled on us a little, but that was a lot better than the hot and/or crowded trips we've had previous summers. Plus, there were all these benches with umbrellas if you wanted shelter.

It rained a little bit every day we were there. The last evening there was a rainbow.

What a good-looking family!
These visits are never long enough.

Click here for Part 1.