I’ve been boogie boarding quite a bit lately. Getting back into the water has been an enthralling adventure—even despite the Pacific Ocean’s three constants: it’s always cold, it’s always windy, and it’s always cold.

Sometimes, a feller just needs a warm lake and a boat.

Megan and I moved from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to San Luis Obispo, California this year. North Idaho has no ocean (which I hope you know), but does have close to three-billion lakes in it’s vicinity (mildly exaggerating). Needless to say, visiting lakes was not a priority for us.

A friend of mine recently purchased the Lopez Lake Marina, and I’ve been desperate to see what he’s done with the place. So we went to a lake.

Orcutt Road

Our day started with a beautiful drive on the backroads of San Luis Obispo. There’s a great little curvy road which takes you straight (well, curvy) towards the lake. We call it old Orcutt road.

Wineries have blossomed on just about every hillside. My friend Aaron put it this way, “at least they’re covering hills with grapes and not with houses and Costcos.” It’s true. Despite my reservations regarding these fast-expanding wineries, the beauty of these old SLO roads are protected.

Orcutt Road turns into Lopez Drive. And Lopez Drive runs right into the Lopez Lake State Park. The State now charges a hefty $10 for entrance. Leave me alone California fees; I hate you.

Marina Sauce

The Marina was great. It’s a must-stop for any tourist or lake dweller. My friend Aaron has his work cut out for him. The Marina rents fishing boats, patio boats, pontoon boats, Waverunners, kayaks, canoes, and paddle-boats… just to name a few.

The convenience-store side of the building has just about anything a shopper could need. The arcade was “bitchin'” (and I never even say that!) and the kitchen, with a local beer selection, was also great.

Since purchasing fishing licenses was out of the budget, we decided instead to rent a boat and explore the lake. This is where the Marina’s greatest asset shined best, their customer service.

It’s rare to come across genuine customer service, so I make sure to point it out when I see it. Their deck-hand (I think that’s what you call it) was great. His name was Brian. I pretended to know how to maneuver a boat, but asked him to “refresh” my memory. You know… just incase.

Brian patiently showed me everything I needed to know. My obvious questions were answered with confidence and kindness. So Megan and I hit the water with our trusty new boat and explored all the lake had to offer.

Here are some pictures from our day on the lake:

We had such a great time at Lopez Lake. We moved to the Central Coast for its ocean, and were completely surprised by its lake. Do yourself a favor: come visit San Luis Obispo County and stop by Lopez Lake when you do. The Marina will have everything you need.

For more information on the Lopez Lake Marina, check out their formal website here, and do me a favor and give their facebook a “like” here.

Do you guys have any good customer service stories? What is your favorite lake?