Echo Park Lake

Echo Park Lake is a relaxing place to spend a Sunday or pretty much any day. Morning joggers run around, early risers walk their dogs, and stop by Piknik to grab a cup of Joe, and Canadian geese forage for food. Although I do try, I'm not an early riser. Last Sunday, I pushed myself to meet up with a friend because I needed a major social media detoxing, wanted to go for a long walk, and to try out the Clark Street bakery.

I'm tired of X aka Twitter, Facebook, and basically the entire internet experience, so much so that there are times when I just want to disappear. They cut off my connection from other users through algorithms and shadow banning, and I often feel as though I'm just wasting time. It didn't used to be this bad, but the online experience seems to be getting worse with each passing day.

My friend and I walked for ten minutes and decided to eat first. Clark Street is popular. We didn't feel like going in late, standing in a long line to order, or wait for a table. We also wanted to make sure that they wouldn't run out of their sourdough seeded bread. I have to say that the patrons seemed to be regulars, and knew exactly what they wanted which made the line move along. And it was easy to find a table. Not everyone dines in; many locals order ahead and takeaway.

One of the things my friends and I have in common is that we can sit at a café and gab for hours. We ordered Cream buns. I know. It's an unhealthy way to start the morning, but my friend had raved about it so much, that I had to try it at least once. It's really good, and shareable. I got an almond tea latte. They didn't know how to do it right. They basically just poured almond milk over my tea. And the only tea they serve is black or a sugary chai latte. Maybe someday they'll get it right. My friend had brought her own tea. This coffee shop also has eggs and sandwiches.

 

After breakfast, we began our two-hour walk. The air was crisp, the sun started to peek, and as we walked, I tried not to get in the way of the geese. There are benches around for people who want to veg out or read a book.

Some of the outdoor scenes from Gilligan's Island were filmed on a tiny island in Echo Park Lake where the the bridge is situated in the above photo. Currently, it's closed off to visitors.

There are swan pedal boats. I think they charge something like $15/person to rent. My friend and I got into a debate about pedal boating. She likes it. I don't. I tried it twice, once when I was twenty with a collage friend, and with my nieces when they were younger. All of us hated it. You pedal and pedal and go nowhere. You're better off pedaling on a stationary bike. With that said, I don't want to discourage anyone. If that's what you enjoy, by all means, go for it and have fun.

Oh, and do buy a loaf of sourdough seeded bread from Clark Street. You will not regret it. The flour used is high-quality, and since it's fermented, it's good for digestion.