Lake Martin girlfriend getaway

At the first peals of saxophone, Amy cranks the Jeep’s radio. Sure, George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” debuted before half the passengers were born, but that doesn’t stop us from crooning along at the top of our voices. By now, the interstates have narrowed to one-lane highways; the towns have dissolved into dense pine stands. It’s like we can feel how close we are to a weekend of fun, sun, and water—and we’re pumped. Then, the first brilliant silver flashes through the trees. The lake!

We park and, abandoning the groceries in the trunk, hurry out to the tip of a little peninsula. The setting sun lights up the pristine reservoir in neon pinks and saturated peaches. Kerry, a photographer by trade, is already clicking away behind me. Way to roll out the red carpet, Lake Martin, I think to myself.

Lake life

Meg Murphy, author Jessica Fender, and Amy Donahue toast their friendship at Lake Martin.

For decades, a wealth of kids’ activities, private cabin developments, and a laid-back atmosphere have drawn families and retirees to this sprawling central Alabama destination. But a new spate of fashionable nightlife, gourmet food options, adventure activities, and rustic accommodations have put Lake Martin on the radar of “friendcationers” like us.

We are thirtysomethings who are married, single, and in-between; we’ve found that there’s something magical about traveling together. Once a year, Kerry Maloney, Meg Murphy, Amy Donahue, and I pile into a car and road trip somewhere new. Turns out we’re not alone in flocking to Lake Martin. Though lake-wide numbers are tough to track, Wind Creek State Park, nestled along the northern shore, has clocked a 4.4 percent increase in visitors from 2016 to 2019, when more than 255,000 people dropped by.

“There are more things to do, places to eat, and places to go,” says our host, Herb Winches.

Six years ago, Winches opened a restaurant, The Landing at Parker Creek, on the lake’s once-quiet west side. In 2018, he debuted the nearby Eagle’s Landing community, three stylishly small cabins (each about 528 square feet) that borrow their clever designs from the trendy tiny-house movement. And we’ve got one all to ourselves.

Tiny homes, big fun

Eagle’s Landing’s tiny house–style cabins sleep four and include a boat slip.

We “ooh” and “aah” our way through Cabin 2, gravitating toward the screen porch with glimmering lake views, and settle in for some grilling, chilling, and what ends up becoming an epic game night.

Eagle’s Landing offers tiny house–style cabins with modern conveniences, such as air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and 120-square-foot screened-in porches.

Hours later, we’re embroiled in a round of Scattergories that’s threatening to go from hilarious to downright slapstick when Kerry disappears into the cabin. She returns wide-eyed. Her sister texted her a picture of a bun in an oven—a not-so-subtle signal that she’s expecting, Kerry explains excitedly. She pauses for a second before adding, “But I’m not supposed to tell anyone.” We all bust up laughing. Everybody knows she can’t keep a secret.

Cabin life aside, the banks and islands of Lake Martin bustle with concerts, hiking, cornhole tourneys, karaoke, and impromptu parties between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But there’s one activity in particular that reigns supreme here.

Floating.

Lake lazing is popular for chilling out or catching up with friends.

A cool drink, a raft, some tunes—seems simple enough. But before the trip, I called up Betsy Iler, Lake Martin guru and editor of Lake magazine. She told me about a surprising number of ways to enjoy this signature pastime. Hundreds of out-of-the-way sloughs snake off the main reservoir for privacy-seeking floaters; the state park boasts some of Alabama’s cleanest beaches; and ubiquitous pontoons moor at hot spots such as Big Beach, on the lake’s eastern side. But she said the quintessential Lake Martin float experience comes with a dive show.

You my also like: Spring outdoor activities to try in Alabama

Taking the plunge at Chimney Rock

At Chimney Rock, 60 rugged feet of cliff face rise straight out of the water, brightly tagged with the names of past climbers and emblems of SEC pride—Roll Tide, Geaux LSU. While my crew has arrived during the quiet shoulder season, at peak, more than a hundred boats, personal watercrafts, and floats pack the blue water surrounding the iconic monolith to watch the bravest plummet from the top.

I asked Betsy if she’d ever taken the plunge, and she laughed the laugh of a fellow acrophobe. “Are you kidding? No way! That’s sheer craziness.”

Meg and Amy jump off a dock at Lake Martin, recognized as one of the cleanest lakes in Alabama.

I thank my stars that Amy, Meg, and Kerry feel the same way. The greatest heights we brave are the 2 feet between the dock and the water. But with these friends, even that diminutive elevation can be dangerous.

Slicked in sunblock and adrift in my inner tube, I’ve completely zoned out when I hear the thundering of bare feet on wood planks. I turn my head just in time to see Meg and Amy launch off the end of the dock in an impromptu high-jump contest. Frantically, I try to paddle out of the splash zone before giving up. So much for keeping my hair dry. Laughing, I shove little walls of water back toward them.

Meg grabs a tube to join me, and we marvel at the water—cool enough to take the edge off the sun’s rays and clear enough to watch schools of little fish flitting around our feet, occasionally going in for a nibble. In all of Alabama, only Lake Martin meets the state’s environmental purity standards for Treasured Lake status.

The author, left, and her friend Amy unwind dockside after a day on the lake.

“What a day,” Meg says, drawing out the last syllable. It’s one of her many catchphrases, but it somehow perfectly sums up my state of mind. I’m starting to realize why this floating thing is so popular.

Water sports

Don’t feel like floating? Boating is another great option for getting out on the water.

Lake Martin’s endless opportunities to laze may be what my crew came for, but the reservoir—home to several water-sport outfitters and surrounded by thousands of acres of trail-webbed forest—offers plenty of possibilities for more-active pursuits.

I call up near-lifelong resident Alexis Goldhagen for her take on the lake’s athletic activities. Her must-see spot? The restored Smith Mountain Fire Tower on the lake’s east side.

A 93-step climb to the top reveals Lake Martin’s true expanse. Its 750 miles of zigzagging shoreline, if stretched straight, could reach from Birmingham to Pittsburgh. Dozens of islands dot its surface.

Alexis, who owns the Lake Martin Flyboard rental service, recently introduced the thrilling sport (think wake board–meets–jet pack) to the lake. At the same time, an 11-zip-line aerial park debuted. Lake Martin’s evolving.

“We used to sit on our dock and be excited when boats passed our house. Now boats never stop,” she says. “It’s pretty awesome. The lake has exploded with activity.”

You may also like: Epic waterfalls in Alabama worth a road trip

Good friends, good times

In the end, I suppose it’s not the number of people at the lake, but who you’re there with. On our last night, Meg, Kerry, and I grab cushions and head to the docks. Lying on our backs, we trade gossip and reacquaint ourselves with a Milky Way we rarely see at home in New Orleans. I count the shooting stars on two hands.

“It’s so nice to get out of town, see all the stars in the sky, and talk,” Meg offers from somewhere in the darkness.

I couldn’t agree more. It occurs to me that I’d have trouble seeing all of Lake Martin in a single summer, let alone a single weekend.

That’s okay, I decide, already making plans to return again. We love road trips.

Jessica Fender enjoys lakes, oceans, hot tubs, bathtubs—all bodies of water, really. She’s an award-winning journalist based out of New Orleans, where she recounts her globe-trotting adventures on the female-focused travel blog travelerbroads.com.