By Señor Momento
Some visitors think Elkhart Lake is expensive and only for the affluent. Others think vacationing here is quaint, relaxing and a real deal! It all depends on how you perceive value. In my eyes, you don’t need a fancy automobile, car condominium or home on the lake to enjoy the Elkhart Lake I love so much. No matter who you are or how you look at it, a visit to Elkhart Lake’s Fireman’s Beach is a sweet deal.
Although I live here now and can take advantage of Elkhart Lake’s residents beach, I decided to show my granddaughter, Zoe, the beach of my youth and where I took her daddy and uncle to swim when they were little boys. Back when I was a child, occasionally someone would take us to Elkhart Lake to swim. The long, hot car ride from home to Elkhart Lake seemed to take forever — although it was only about 30 minutes. Four friends and two moms packed in a sedan with no AC was not a fond memory; especially if you were the one stuck in the front between the moms. By the time my boys made the trip to Firemans Beach, at least we had air conditioning in the car — I think?
My fond memories of Firemans Beach have not changed much. The sandy area for digging rivers and building castles has been expanded. A sand volleyball court is quite the luxury as are the new restrooms. But it’s a joy to visit the same concession building which remains relatively unchanged over the past 60 years. Yikes! As a test of time, I gave Zoe just a $1 bill to see what she could find to fill her sweet tooth. Well, she didn’t need to spend it all to be satisfied. I love that little girl.
On the day of our visit, Bella Cain was working the concession stand for her family’s business. Happily she let Zoe examine the many containers of penny candy. There were bags of goodies for 50 cents and boxes for just 25 cents and, of course, there were ice cream treats and chips at family-friendly prices. At a gate admission of only $3/adult and $1/child, you can spend the entire day and evening on the shores of beautiful Elkhart Lake.
Today, with just a 2-mile trek to the beach, it’s a breeze to get there. And, sitting on the beach with a delightful breeze off the lake has become a family favorite.
