HAWLEY -- The sun and warm temperatures drove thousands to Lake Wallenpaupack on Independence Day.
"It's very relaxing, we all love swimming and actually my cousins are here," said Ashley Groeber who spent the day splashing with cousins from Georgia.
Many people said spending the day at the lake is a holiday tradition for them.
"It's fun to come out to the lake and cruise around on the boat and watch all the other boats and catch some sun," said Bob Schniers of Quakertown who spent the day on his boat.
Some enjoyed sitting and relaxing on the shore of the lake, enjoying nature.
"I just sit here and I can watch them out there playing and there was a beaver swimming out there just a little bit ago and a day ago, we saw a bear out there and we have some nice deer just in back of us," said Harold Fredrick of Souderton who relaxed in a chair listening to the waves lap against the shore.