RIP Lake Plata

Randomly waxing nostalgic this morning, I got to thinking about Lake Plata, where my grandma used to take me to swim when I was little.

So I googled it thinking that maybe I could trek out there sometime and hike around. Presumably it's abandoned and god only knows in what state of disrepair nowadays.

But all I could find regarding it is

a) a map of where Lake Plata is located,

b) that there are now developments all around the area, and

c) these three pics, which seem to be the ONLY pics or information on the internet indicating that there ever WAS a swimming area in Lake Plata (taken a good 20 years before I was ever there).







(Photo's snagged from Dallas Roger's photostream)

How sad is that?

I mean, look at how ENORMOUS that place was! And yet: not even historical information about the fact that it used to exist or any information about its demise.

Nonetheless, I have many fond memories of it, namely:

Catching frogs with my friend Annie from the nearby lake and then accidentally dropping them in the swimming area;

Learning how to swim and dive there, and also learning how to jump off diving boards;

Having old Hungarian men buy me and my friend Annie Klondike bars so that we would leave my grandma alone and they could hit on her in Hungarian;

Eating raw green onions as a snack;

Catching snapping turtles in a lagoon nearby.

Maybe I'll need to hike out there one day anyways, just to see if anything remains. I picture cockeyed diving boards and rundown concession stands, but chances are all that's left is brand new pricey houses. And that's just a goddamn shame.

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