Oktoberfest at Playa Lucia

If I had to pick just ONE weekend out of the year that I wanted to be home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, well, okay, it would probably be Christmas.  But thankfully I have 3 weeks off at Christmas, so I’m making that happen.  BUT if I had to pick just one OTHER weekend out of the year that I wanted to be home…
It would be this weekend.  The beginning of Oktoberfest. 

Why I want to be home is not so much that I want to join the rest of the city in a 10 day drinking binge or eat my year’s share of bratwurst.  It’s the people, and the atmosphere.

Unlike high school, after college there are no 5 and 10 year reunions to look forward to.  But if you were in marching band, there’s something better.  And it is called The Alumni Band, and marching the Oktoberfest parade. 

Oktoberfest weekend, almost every person I remember as a friend from college comes back to La Crosse.  Friday night brings Alumni Band practice, reuniting with friends, and usually going out on the town.  Saturday, of course, brings the parade…more friends…a 3 mile march with a drum and lots of free adult beverages (many offered from people in the crowd), and a sea of familiar faces—many that I only see once a year…and more fun after the parade ends. 

It’s a time I hate to miss.  But, this year, I did. 

Instead, I was here.



Danielle and Kelsey and I tried out a new beach today called Playa Lucia, and we found it to our liking. 

The beach is beautiful—though the water wasn’t as clear or blue-green as at some beaches we’ve seen.  As we pulled off the road, we entered a forest of planted palm trees with sandy drives winding among them.  We pulled up to a deserted spot on the beach and planted ourselves there. 

Later, we explored further down the beach, and discovered that though the south end of the beach is breathtaking, with enormous boulders lining the shore, it is also full of seaweed, making swimming there impossible.

We mainly spent the day just relaxing.  Lying in the sun listening to the waves, with an occasional short dip to cool off, was exactly what I needed.






Of course, as I lay there, polka music played through my head.  Roll out the barrel… (Hurray, Hurrah, La Crosse!  La Crosse!)  

You're right little button...my friends ARE all there.
But I've got friends here too.

Comments

  1. Called to GoSeptember 26, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    Nice post, friend! I too missed Oktoberfest... but I had a great weekend in Taiwan... so I can't really complain. :)

    ReplyDelete

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