Pumpkin Regatta

Alright now if you read the last post you may be wondering why we left the camping trip so early.  We left because we wanted to be back in time for the annual Pumpkin Regatta the University of Wisconsin holds.  After attending this event I have fallen in love with UW (don't worry USU still holds a special place in my heart).  First, the student center at UW is right on lake Mendota.  The patio of the student center has steps directly down to the lake where there are docks for the sail club.  It is absolutely beautiful and really makes you forgot it is actually a school.  So because campus is right on the lake they can do cool things like a pumpkin regatta.  

Now UW did not invent the pumpkin regatta it actually is a real activity and there are groups that take it quite seriously especially in Canada (click here to learn more about it).  This gist of what happens at UW is there is a professor who grows giant pumpkins for research and every year he hollows out a couple of them for this event.  After the pumpkins are hollowed out they are placed in giant inner tubes.  Then you get in the pumpkin and paddle through the course racing your opponent.  It is quite the site to see.  When Ryan and I got there the line was so long.  I mean who wouldn't want to race in a giant pumpkin? We didn't want to wait in line so since we were there and it was so nice outside we decided to rent a canoe and paddle around on the lake.  When we got back there were only a few people still in line for the pumpkin regatta so we got in line, waited our turn and got to ride in a giant pumpkin!  Ryan and I almost tied but I got to the finish line first.  It was so much fun.  I feel like I've just checked something off my bucket list even though I didn't know a pumpkin regatta was on the list before going.  If you eve have a chance to participate in a pumpkin regatta I highly recommend it.

The giant pumpkin seed from the giant pumpkin!

Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures while we were in the pumpkins but at least this will show you what they looked like.