I don’t even want to guess how many years I’ve lived in Boston. This recent time is a mere five years, arriving in August 2000 and still here and going strong as we approach August 2005. Before that I lived here right after college for about 5 years then went to New York, then came BACK to Boston … I’m a recidivist! Let’s just chalk it up to over 12 years.

And still … there are so many unbelieveable things here that I’ve never seen. It doesn’t seem possible!

And today, I drove to Alewife, parked, grabbed the T (which I love and always will) and red-lined my way to Charles/MGH to visit Community Boating and sign my kid up to learn to sail. I had never been there in all the years I’ve lived here.

What a cool place! Best of all, I spotted two boys in the subway not much more than 12 who looked like they might be headed precisely in the direction of Community Boating. They got on at Harvard Square, meekly trying to fit in, with their baggie swim pants (that look just like shorts) and backpacks and held the pole next to me and carefully counted out the stops, getting off at mine.

My son wasn’t with me, but off with his dad today, so I was just some lady who came up behind them and said, “You guys wouldn’t happen to be going to the Community Boathouse, would you?” They stood taller and said “yes,” and let me show them my kid’s application and follow them across a labyrinth of walkways that bridge the end of Storrow Drive, like a concrete Tarzan path high up under the jungle of trees to the other side of the highway, where the boathouse is tucked away. Glad I asked their help, it wasn’t obvious.

I don’t even dare try to describe this great place — instead I insist you go visit! On a hot day, it had the most lovely cool breeze and a ton of young sailors putting their sailboats through their paces.

Even if you don’t like sailing, it’s a delightful shady area to park yourself on a bench, eat your lunch and watch the river, the boats, the trees bending to honor this lovely old Boston institution.

Some great Boston Brahim who probably had a dozen sailboats all her own realized every kid in Boston deserved the fun of learning to sail and made the membership for kids ages 10 – 18 simply $1.00!

There are also classes and reasonable membership fees for adults. They sponsor moonlight sailing and even trips to islands out beyond the Harbor, some day trips, some overnight camping trips.

Check out their site and check out the sights, sounds, and moments of guaranteed revery as the river slowly laps against the shore right there in downtown Boston at the end of Charles Street. It’s not be missed.