Solace at the Beach

It's weird to think that just about a week ago, I was posting sunny pictures of Florida's beautiful Flagler Beach and today I post pictures from my freezing cold trip to my local beach. While there was such a contrast in the weather (probably about 55-60 degrees!), in many ways, both beaches shared similarities. My favorite, that it was so quiet - solace. Today, I share with you the pictures I took on my hour or so walk along the beautiful Lake Michigan - despite the cold, I took in the many beautiful things along the way and enjoyed just being in the moment.

Aged Water Tower. In some ways, this walk brought me back to my trip in Alaska 7 years ago... the crackle under my feet as I walked towards the water tower to get the perfect angle for the shot was so pronounced in the silent environment.
Icy Chicago Skyline. I took this from a path that essentially runs all the way along the lake into the heart of downtown Chicago (or the Loop). This water edge is loaded with ice and while the water looks calm here, in other areas it is very rough - waves crashing wildly.
Bluish Cloudy Skies. I love this picture because it almost seems like the sky and ground don't belong together. Such contrast. I love the colors and simply just took in the beauty here.
Sandy Snow. The colors and shapes of the sand/snow was really interesting. At times, I didn't feel like I was in Chicago. This picture could be from another traveler's book.
Bending Trees. There isn't much snow on the ground here (most of it was blown in the 30mph winds a couple of days prior), but I felt the trees just look cold. Bending a bit and stark - it demonstrated how I would have felt, had I not been bundled up in many layers.