Lake Harriet is my favorite Minneapolis lake. I've loved it since I was a young child and the times I've biked around it are too numerous to count. On the lake is a place called Beard's Plaisance. It's on the top of a steep hill. I've always wondered what a plaisance is. I've always assumed it was some kind of gather space since the park has benches, picnic tables, grills, a picnic table shelter, tennis courts, a playground, and such. As a teenager I was invited to a picnic there. Our church had reserved the picnic shelter for an event and neighborhood family we knew from the parishasked if I wanted to come and help out with their kids in exchange for feeding me. Due to another commitment I wasn't able to drive over with them but said I would be able to bike over and meet them about an hour after they got there. It turned out to be such a gorgeous day and the plaisance was so crowded that I couldn't even find them. They perfectly understood and were very nice about it. I point this out only because it's an example from my own personal experience of how utilized the lakes are by the people of this city in the summer during nice weather. The above photo was taken at the top of the hill and looks over on to the Lake. The photo was taken April 28. The trees were just barely starting to bud.
