Have you ever tried kayaking or canoeing? How about stand up paddle boarding or hamboarding? What about rock climbing? If not, why?

What if I told you, you could try all those things without the added expense of buying equipment, having the means to store it, or paying for an expert to show you.

Well, look no further than the Brookside Boathouse off the Fountain Lake Trail in Albert Lea.

So the story goes; about 10 years ago, Scott Hanna worked with Albert Lea Community Education to create an indoor rock-climbing wall inside the gymnasium at Brookside Education Center.

It has slowly grown to include a Climbing Club that meets Tuesday nights and a form of open gym on Friday nights.

The rock gym became part of experiential education, which has evolved to include kayaking, canoeing, geocaching, snowshoeing and archery, among other activities through what has become the Brookside Boathouse.

The Brookside Boathouse is on West Richway Drive near the boat landing and community gardens.

You can check out the bikes, canoes, stand up paddle boards, hamboards and other rentals, all available for rent for between $5-$10.

There is also a Punch Pass which gives you 5 “punches” or activity instances for $25.

Punch Passes are good for Rock Gym and Boathouse activities.

If activities like these have been on your bucket list but you have any of the aforementioned apprehensions, I suggest looking at Community Education, like this one in Albert Lea.

You might be surprised by what you’ll find!

For more information including hours and costs check here: http://albertlea.k12.mn.us/community-education/rock-gym-boathouse