Monday is never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast, especially come summer. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy.
To help ease this trying transition from out-in-the-Sun-day to Mon-I-wish-I-were-back-in-the-sun-day, we’re running a new feature every Monday, at least during the summer, called 90-Second Escape. Essentially, it’s a 90-second mini-movie of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s out in the sun. Because there’s a good chance you might want to make such an escape yourself, we’ll include a resource list with each escape showing where and how to make it happen.
Today’s 90-Second Escape: Paddling Lake Crabtree.
Because Lake Crabtree may not be 15 minutes from your doorstep like it is from mine, our resource list is of other lakes — mostly municipal — where you can rent a canoe, a kayak or possibly another type of watercraft for as little as $3 an hour.
Note: I know this list is far from complete: If you know of a venue that should be included, leave a comment with your suggestion and I’ll add it to the master, which I’ll rerun in a week or so.
Enjoy your desk-bound paddle.
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Rent your own escape
Click on the venue for details.
Charlotte area
Morrow Mountain State Park
49104 Morrow Mountain Road
704.982.4402
U.S. National Whitewater Center
5000 Whitewater Center Parkway
704.391.3900
Crowders Mountain State Park
522 Park Office Lane
704.853.5375
Triangle
Fred G. Bond Metro Park
801 High House Road
919.469.4100
Lake Johnson
4600 Avent Ferry Road
919.233-.2121
Lake Wheeler
6404 Lake Wheeler Road
919.662.5704
Shelley Lake
1400 W. Millbrook Road
919.420.2331
Umstead State Park
Entrance off U.S. 70/Glenwood Avenue between I-540 and Ebenezer Church Road, Raleigh
919.571.4170
Orange County
University Lake
South Old Fayetteville Road near Jones Ferry Road
919.942.8007
Cane Creek Reservoir
Nine miles west of Carrboro on N.C. 54 in Orange County
919.942.5790
Morrisville
Lake Crabtree County Park
Off Aviation Parkway just south of I-40 in Morrisville
919.460.3390
Triad
Brown Summit
Lake Townsend Watershed Park
6332 Townsend Road
336.373.3694
Lake Brandt Watershed Park
5945 Lake Brandt Road
336.373.3741
Lake Higgins Watershed Park
4235 Hamburg Mill Road
336.373.3739
Salem Lake Park
1001 Salem Lake Road
336.727.8000
Note: Call before heading out; dam construction may affect boat rentals.
Mountains
Julian Price Park
Milepost 297
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