A Bit of Venice in Oakland

The Bay Area offers so much to do and see that it is difficult to make a choice! Sometimes, we just act as if we were tourists and choose to do something that we’ve never done before.

For this outing, I purchased tickets for a gondola ride through Gondola Servizio. We caught our Venetian-built gondola at the historic boathouse on Lake Merritt next to Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill.

Alessandro, born and reared in Venice, met us at the dock.

The 50-minute cruise took us around just half of Lake Merritt. The lake is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods and has a popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path  along its perimeter. It is historically significant as the United States’ first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870.  It is also on the US National Register of Historic Places and a National Landmark.

There are many reasons to visit the Lake. Here’s the Rowing Club where you can learn to row for fun and exercise or join a team to compete.

Here’s a view of the Bellevue-Staten Building, designed by Herman Bauman and constructed in 1929 using an architectural blend of Spanish Colonial and Art Deco styles. In the distance you see the Oakland hills.

Here is a look at some of the detail of the gondola. The building on the left is the Scottish Rite Temple; on the right is a condo structure.

 And another detail — these hold the boat ties.

There are many of these very practical aeration fountains on the lake. They work hard and they are beautiful.

Just around this turn is Children’s Fairyland —  a 10- acre park designed by William Russell Everett, and built in 1950 in Lakeside Park. When Walt Disney was thinking up ideas for Disneyland, he visited Children’s Fairyland for ideas. I played there as a youngster.

Alessandro shared details about the gondola and its construction as we glided around the lake. He also shared a few bars of some opera arias. The time sped by!

Here we are coming in to dock. Tables with red umbrellas fill the long dock and provide ideal dining most of the year.

There are many more reasons to visit Lake Merritt. You can read more about the lake’s history and points of interest here.