The beach!

A week in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore wouldn’t be complete without at least one day spent at the beach.  But going to the beach isn’t as simple as loading up the car and driving there.  Well, it can be … but we prefer to take the road less traveled.  In this case, the road less traveled was actually a mile-long trail that took us directly from our campsite to a nearly deserted beach on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan.

Along the way, we enjoyed more of God’s beautiful creation … butterflies, flowers and lots and lots of rich, lush ferns.

Eventually, though, the woodsy trail opened up and we got our first glimpse of the lake!

A post in the sand let us know we were getting close!

And finally, we arrive!  We were so excited we just had to run!

Being at the beach affords lots of photo opportunities.  I found myself enthralled with the beach grass and kept envisioning a very large print hanging in my basement.

The gentle, crashing waves provide the perfect symphony of sound.

Shells and sand provide the perfect backdrop for a memory making photo.

The beach is the perfect place to play … to be kids … and to sit and rest, in awe of the beauty and splendor all around us!

More beach grasses … told you I was enthralled.  I think it’s the layers of texture and color that I love.  Soft, grainy specks of sand, sharp, spikey blades of green grass, and finally a soft, creamy blue sky interrupted only by sporadic wisps of clouds.

At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, we’re thankful for the beautiful day at the beach.

Then we make that mile-long trek back into the woods, away from the sand and the waves, and back into the campground where we dream of the next time we can spend the day on the shores of Lake Michigan.