the Michigan ocean

12.24.06 - Waco Beach, Warren Dunes, & the St. Joe lighthouses

After 12.5 hours of NC, WV, VA, OH, IN, & MI, we finally arrived in Berrien Springs around 12:30a on Dec. 24. It's my Grandpa Jack's (dad's dad) house on Snow Rd.

I mentioned on the way up to MI that I wanted to go to the beach while we were up there. The first day we were there, everyone seemed pretty excited about going to all of the places I wanted to go to, so that worked out nicely. We fed ring-billed gulls at the first stop and I tried to make sense of feeling like I was next to the ocean. I'm always surprised at how big Lake Michigan is!

This little endeavor left my fingers covered in gull spit. At least when I got bit, they didn't draw blood. If I die of West Nile Virus or the Avian Flu, you are all responsible for hunting down the bird in this picture.

Next on our list was Warren Dunes State Park. For those of you who haven't been there, here is some perspective for you. My grandparents' van is dwarfed by the sand mountains.

David (dad's step-brother) beat mom and I to the top. We headed for the lowest part of the ridge we could find.

I tried to convince mom to roll down with me, but you can guess what she said.

And last . . . the St. Joe Pier