Armed with hiking boots, trekking poles, gloves, and wooly caps, the four of us ventured into the “wilderness” this morning for a hike at Grand Mere State Park in our own Berrien County. I’ve lived here almost twenty years and knew of the park’s existence. But until this morning, I’d not seen its beauty up close and personal.
There is a mile of Lake Michigan beachfront, although November isn’t the time to enjoy it. Rather, we hiked what I would call God’s Cathedral: soaring trees, a leafy path, Autumn’s glory in full swing. In less prose-y terms, the Department of Natural Resources characterizes the park as having “magnificent sand dunes, deep blowouts, and three inland lakes behind the dunes.” We saw it all.
Rain was predicted, but it held off as we wandered for over an hour. Sometimes we chatted, although walking single file on a narrow path makes that difficult. Still, F and I compared our radiation experiences; and I heard P and A giggling behind us.
Sometimes we were lost in our own thoughts. Mine went back in time to when Earl and I did more physical activities together. With a nine year age difference between us, I’m grateful for the reminder of what fun we had. I hope to return long before the beach is open for swimming next year.
Maybe even as soon as next weekend.
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