Tranquility At Its Finest

     For the entirety of my life, I have been blessed with living only twenty minutes away from Lake Michigan. The lake has always been a part of my life. For me, there is a sense of serenity when surrounded by a big body of water. The smell of the lake and sand, the feel of sand in between your toes and the water washing it off, the taste of the thick air on hot, humid days, and all of the various sights give a person a sense of peacefulness. I have always felt peace and comfort while on the shore of Lake Michigan.

     One of my favorite places to go is Saugatuck State Park which is located right next to Felt Mansion (a supposedly haunted place). When you park, you see a large area of picnic tables for families to gather and socialize on one side, and the other side of the park is woods filled with hiking trails. One of these beautiful trails is a little over two miles and leads to a secluded beach. Not many people chose to walk this beach since it is not family friendly. Families with small children or families who pack to the max do not want to walk two miles to get to the beach. I enjoy this. I can walk the entire two miles and not see a single soul and usually when I pop out onto the beach, there are only a few people there. My small bag consists of a water bottle, a towel, and a book. When I reach the small beach, I scout for a spot away from everyone else, set out my towel, sit down and dive into an incredible story that takes me elsewhere. This is how I find peace.

My Friend and I Just Reaching the Empty Beach

 

     Not only do I enjoy relaxing on the beach near the lakeside, I enjoy the trails as well. My favorite time of the day to walk these trails is sunset. I will stay on the beach until the sun starts to sink then I pack my bag and set off through the trail. I love the look of how the sun filters through the leaves and creates shadows among the trails. I also enjoy the quiet of the woods at this time of day. Most people have already left and all I hear is the music of the forest. I hear birds singing and squirrels running up trees. I can hear the tree frogs starting to croak and the crickets starting to chirp. Then I step out of the magic and back into reality when the trail ends and I climb into my car and leave everything behind me as I drive away. This is usually my experience with Lake Michigan now that I am an adult.

Part of the Trail to Get to the Beach

 

     Yes, my parents use to take me to the beach as a child and I also go with my friends but I like it most when I am alone with my book. My opinion of Lake Michigan is that it is a place of tranquility and it is difficult to stay tranquil when I am conversing with friends or trying to keep them entertained. I absolutely love being near Lake Michigan and am blessed and grateful to have something that marvelous in my life.