Schoolhouse Beach

Ever been to "one of those places" that just sticks with you? I did recently. It was Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island.

Edwin, Estelle, and I went to Washington Island for a camping trip before school started back up. Unfortunately, we had pretty terrible rainy weather for the majority of the trip, but one day we managed to have a beautiful sunny day at Schoolhouse Beach.

While most people think of a beach as sandy, Schoolhouse Beach, on the northern edge of Washington Island, is one of just a few smooth limestone beaches in the world.

The stones provide the perfect backdrop for crystal-clear water that is best visited when a north wind blows warm surface water in from the deep, protected harbor.

Historic glaciers battered the stones on the beach into the smooth, flat surfaces they are today. The naturally-formed stones are only replicated a few places in the world including the Philippines, New Zealand, and England.

It was just wonderful to lie on the sun-warmed rocks and relax, watching Estelle stack cairns...especially after swimming out to the raft with the kids in that very "refreshingly brisk" Lake Michigan water.

I look forward to getting back up there again.

Now, school is back in full swing, as is soccer, and cub scouts, and riding lessons, and piano lessons...and it keeps getting busier!

But my suggestion would be to take a moment every now and then and close your eyes, take a deep breath, and go back to that relaxing place you visited this summer. For me, my eyes are closed and I'm resting my head on a limestone 'pillow' at schoolhouse beach!