30 Days of Creativity - Day 28: Beach Time

Today we're feeling a little melancholic. We just spent an amazing weekend on the northwestern coast of Michigan camping at Orchard Lake State Park with some of our nearest and dearest Michigander pals. The park was much nicer than we had expected; and although the sites were very close together and weren't especially private, it worked out just fine.

The weather cooperated. We got to yell at kids that weren't ours to get out of our campsite. We ate what I swear to be the world's largest marshmallows. We spent an entire day on the sandy beach. And, we had fun. All in all, it was a wonderful trip. I've got to say though, it sure was hard to make the trek back on Sunday. I needed at least one more day of complete relaxation. (An easy task when no cell phone carrier has service.)

This photo was shot during our day at the beach with our fisheye lens. Just looking at it makes me want another day at beach with good company.

Smile! You're outside.

Love it. Love it. Love it!

I've got to say, I am a sucker for sidewalk art. (As noted here in a previous post.) It's a shame that I wasn't wearing my Merrells; this photo would have been 100% complete then. *sigh

I feel like this saying really does capture the great outdoors in way we never vocalize. "Smile! You're outside." Exactly. After being shut indoors for a long, cold winter it sure is easy to step outside (preferably in the sunshine) and smile.

Being outside and doing things outdoors certainly does make me happy. I love to hike, camp, swim, walk, and explore. In fact, I like to plan out (or in many cases just think about) all the fun warm weather trips we'll make in the spring/summer/fall. Last year I really wanted to camp at Sleep Bear Dunes in Michigan. This year, it's my goal to make it happen. It's funny that we actually live closer to the park now, even though we're out of state. I've got quite the laundry list of places I'd like to go in the warm months this year too. Now if only it was easier to have access to more vacation days. :P

Not being a native of Nashville, Tennessee (where this photo was taken), I wonder if this message wouldn't have been more appropriate for a more northern climate. I could imagine the folks from the east coast would appreciate seeing this message after this past brutal winter. Oh, but wait -- for 4-5 months of the year I guess it would be covered in snow, slush and ice. Regardless, I hope this message makes its way to many sidewalks around the country.

Time for me to step outdoors and get a breath of fresh air. Smile and all.