Lake ... Big Lake

Call me crazy, but I often forget that I live near Lake Michigan. And that looks a lot like the ocean.

And there are plenty of days that I miss the ocean and a proper beach. I'm certainly not alone in this feeling -- as there are many people who find peace looking out over the vast, rolling waves of an ocean. It's healing.
Climbing the Rocks
So on the Sunday before school started, I tossed the kids and some supplies into the car and drove down to the first beach I found on the map.

Well, it turns out you have to be a Lake Forest resident to park near their fancy-schmancy beach. And the 5 long-block walk from the free. church parking wasn't going to happen. So we drove to the next beach in Lake Bluff. Great parking, beautiful neighborhood but once we walked to the beach entrance they charged us $10 each to get on the beach!! I mean really! So fine, we paid it and were on the beach.

And it was lovely.

And they had complimentary beach chairs and toys. And clean bathrooms. So I guess the $30 was at least for more than freezing lake water and the pretty view.

Of course we stayed on the beach for as long as we could. I looked out across the lake at a boat race, watched the puffy clouds, and felt my whole being relax. And the girls cooled off in the cold water, climbed the rocks and checked out the playground.

The View at Sunrise Beach
The perfect afternoon!


Related: My post from 2012 of Lake Michigan from Evanston. 

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