Candlewood Lake
     Candlewood Lake is a place in New Milford and that runs through other neighboring towns that is always the place to be in the summer. But even though everyone is there, everyone also has a different out view on what "the lake" means. To the older generation, the lake is a place to be in the summer on the weekends, when they take a break from the city and come visit the suburban scenery. There is a community right off the lake called Candlewood Lake Club, that is filled of New Yorkers and "weekenders". They even have the "old people" style of driving golf carts, as they cruz down the big main hill to the boat docks, to uncover there huge boats to get ready to sail away. Normally there is a group of them that are neighbors that go out together and go to the famous Down the Hatch restaurant that they pull there boats up to and dock. On a busy afternoon there is even a wait for boat slips, even on weekdays. With feeding stations as you walk up the boat ramps for the ducks that crowd the shore the closer you get to shallow water, the Hatch is welcoming to animals and humans. You can bring your dogs onto the outdoor patio which is where most people like to sit where the bar is and also seating for family's. People normally like to sit outside especially at night to see the sunset go over the mountains that you can see perfect from the outside deck area. They have great food and a hundred different options for everyones taste buds, theres not one thing there that I haven't liked. But one thing that the older generation don't tend to get too crazy about is the bar part of the Hatch, which is just many of the few things that the younger generation like to take advantage of.

     The bar at the Hatch is one of the best places for college students to be in the summer, especially during the weekends because of all the specials they have going on for them. They have karaoke night on fridays which if you have the guts to go up there and sing in front of a bunch of people the bartender pours you a free drink of whatever you want. Saturdays are half off drinks for kids who bring there school IDs and answer a trivia question right from the Bartender. Last but not least Sundays are half off beers where you tend to see a lot more frat boys getting together then any girls. Where the girls normally are is another place that college kids love to hang out on the lake, the sand bar. There are many different sand bars located around the lake but the most popular one is Skeleton Island. Not far from the shore near my beach, you can take a kayak or a boat, and if you don't have either, you can rent one from the marina down the road for an hourly cost. You pull up onto the edge of the sandbar and park your choice of watercraft and jump off. Its a long strip of sand that is literally out in the middle of the lake, if you look on both sides of the quarter mile long sand bar, all you can see is water. A lot of people like to bring there beach towels and tan out on the sand but theres also a lot more you can do. Theres a woodys looking area right next to the sand bar that is filled with a bunch of little paths that take all around the small island. It may not be very big but this one of the things that you will find youngest generation of kids doing.
      Although Skeleton Island is filled with colleges kids who are just trying to get there tan on, on the other side of the island are parents with there young kids. They all load off their boats, and you just see a cluster of kids disappear up the paths into the trees of what they like to call "the jungle". They play hide and go seek and tag in and out of all the island trees and bushes, until they get too tired to run from each other anyone. There are all types of different rocks on the island, which is a mystery of how they all got there, but the kids collect them so they can all compare when they get back on the boat. When they all gather back on, the next usual stop is the rope swing, which is just a five minute drive down from Skeleton Island. This is one that is normally not for the younger kids more of the teenagers. They have to swim from about 100 yards out to climb some slimy rocks, to get to the rop swing standing ground. There are 3 levels of the rope swing you can jump from; level one which wont send you very high into the air but just enough to make a big enough splash that your parents will cheer for you. Level two is from a rock perched up a little higher than level one that sends you farther out into the water, making you have to swim back faster if you want to keep your spot in line. Lastly, level three is at the top all the way up by the trees that sends you flying through the air giving you enough time to do about three flips and enough height to make your parents tell you to never do it again. But one thing the lake has that brings all the different age groups together is the Lyndemming Beach.
     Lyndemming Beach is a place where all different age groups can have fun, there is a separate swimming area for little kids so there not splashing everyone else with there maro pollo game. Also besides the regular swim area is a roped off lane area designated to people who just want to relax and swim laps, which the older people like to do for therapy on there old bones. There is picnic tables for families to enjoy lunch, and a pavilion that college kids can have all there friends come and throw a little BBQ, have some beers and enjoy the water as well. The best part of about the beach for parents is there are lifeguards on duty at all times during the day, so they can take a break from there kids and just relax, their kids are in good hands. Even with all the different places on Candlewood, there is at least one that has something that satisfies everyones needs.