Retreat Reflections 2011: Thursday

Traveling in Northern Wisconsin was a new adventure for us. We enjoy hiking and have a fair amount of experience with that, but we rarely go to the beach. Our friends, the Viks, have lived in Ashland for a couple of years and explored many of the beaches and trails so we asked their recommendation on the places to go that had a variety of things to do: hiking, swimming, picnicing, parks, etc.
They recommended Black River Harbor. This is a favorite hike for their older girls and they will hike it anytime of year. So we loaded up the kids and trekked a couple of hours into Michigan and hiked, beached, played for the day. I think the pictures will attest to the fact that we had a great time.

The water had a distinct tint which we believe is due to the ore in the area...but we are not sure.

So if anyone wants to correct me...feel free! :)

Roiling water: so beautiful; so powerful; a bit frightening.

  The river seems so serene until the ground drops away and the falls pound down to the rocks below. 

Conglomerate Falls

Rainbow Falls

 Sandstone Falls 

  This statement was  very true. As you can see in the picture below, the steps down to the falls just kept going and going and going...and then you have to hike back up! 

I used picture taking as an excuse to catch my breath. The kids and Jeff were far more fit than I!

 The beach at Black River Harbor was very different from the other beaches we had visited. The sand ran into black rock that came out about three feet before the water. So the feet took a beating going in and out of the water, but the kids just stayed in the water. The boys actually liked the rocks for building dams along the waters edge.
The different coloring of the sand, the rock, and the water made the monochrome pictures look beautiful. I loved this picture and my friend, Nina, thought it looked like a Beach Boys album cover. I thought it was one of the best pictures I've ever taken...until the kids said it looked like a movie poster for Zombies from the Lake! That thought totally ruined the image for me. Now I just enjoy the picture on my own. Here is another of my personal favorites...I'm not exactly sure why it appeals to me...but I like it.

 I really enjoyed the suspension bridge~the lines, the rock, the wood against the backdrop of water, trees and sky made a beautiful picture. And most of the kids enjoyed walking over it.

The suspension bridge is beautiful and fun for kids. It is really long and seems solid enough, but Lacey (our true middle child) is afraid of heights...so swinging bridges, the Space Needle...anything not securely on solid ground is not her cup of tea~of course, several of our children find making her freak out hilarious so they make sure and rock the bridge by jumping, running from side to side.. Hopefully they will someday channel that creative energy into something useful like a cure for cancer or a alternative fuel sources.

 Harbor Park has restrooms (very important when doing nature stuff~I'm not a go in the bush kind of gal!:), picnic tables, water fountains, a swingset, and lots of green space for a game of football or frisbee. Selah enjoyed a moment of swinging...a great little girl activity that had just the right amount of thrill for her.

Gracia and Me in our matching outfits!

Jeff doing his best imitation of a fountain statue! He's a natural. 

Reflecting on the Beauty of God's creation as we live, love, and laugh,

Lori

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com