Lake Harriet, Minneapolis

Travel half a mile south of Lake Calhoun on William Berry Parkway and you will find a lake that will make you wish summer were 12 months long. Named for the wife of Colonel Harry Leavenworth, the first commander of Fort Anthony (later named Fort Snelling), Lake Harriet is a lovely area consisting of sandy beaches, rose and rock gardens, a popular band shell and some of the city's most palatial homes. The Lake Harriet Trolley leaves from the lake's northwest curve, and Beards Plaisance, a large sheltered picnic area, occupies the southwest corner. The northwest shore is also home to the Lake Harriet Band Shell and refectory from which the Queen of the Lakes paddlewheel boat departs. The Lake Harriet Rose Garden, also known as Lyndale Park, located on the northeast corner of the lake, boasts some 250 different varieties of roses. This lovely sanctuary is a meticulously cared for and fragrant oasis of blooming flowers adjacent to a tranquil Japanese rock garden.