All smiles

There were white tail deer prancing in the shallows of the lake shore when we emerged onto the beach. Here the firs and aspen march right up to the waters before receding to beach pea and dune grass in the sands. Its a windless sunny day and the enormity of Lake Michigan stretches out to the hazy horizon somewhere between water and sky. Becca and I have come to Manistee National Forest, my favorite place in Michigan, my secret spot. Here the dunes of Nordhouse wrap around the coastline of the lower peninsula North all the way to Sleeping Bear. Its an unbelievable day and we have the entire coastline all to ourselves...

We laid a quilt down on the sand and basked in the sun between the forest and the freshwater sea. After the sun gasped beyond the horizon in a crimson flash shooting stars came out to streak across the night sky. All lit up now by a looming orange sickle moon perfectly reflected double over the waters. The sound of silence is so complete it is only broken by shy crickets or the wailing of a loon somewhere off in the distance giving you goosebumps.

Snuggle up tight under a blanket of stars and fall back to sleep. All smiles under the open sky!