Last week my neighbor and I headed over to Illinois Beach State Park in Zion to soak in some sun and spend some time by the water. Although both of us are from Lake County originally, neither of us had been down to the beach in years, and we were eager to get reacquainted with one of our favorite childhood locations. After taking Route 41 to Wadsworth Road we would our way towards Lake Michigan, trees enveloping us as the residential area gave way to the state park.
We drove past the visitors' center, and a couple of deer eyed us with curiosity from a nearby patch of trees. Setting out on foot, we decided to take a stroll up the length of the beach and see what we could find. It was a perfect day to be at the beach; the weather was sunny with the temperature hovering in the upper 70's and a slight breeze rolling in off of the lake. Veering off of the waterfront, we followed a path through some small dunes that led into the woods. The path would its way through some sandy moguls, and I climbed up and down as we headed north, the warm sand feeling like a treat to my bare feet.
We continued through the trees and tall grass, and an enormous shape flapping overhead turned out to be a Great Blue Heron, the bird heading southwest in the direction of the marshes. A detour to the west took us alongside the campground, where several campers sat in front of tents and trailers, chatting and basking in the afternoon sun. We passed the old beach house where families and couples were sunning and frolicking in the water and decided that it was time for a swim.
Slipping into the lake provided a shock for about a half a minute, and then the water felt very comfortable as my body adjusted to the temperature. The rocks beneath our feet were completely smooth, and it felt like we were walking on some sort of elaborately polished tile. We swam out about chin-deep and then decided to go a little further, to where the depth was about eight feet. A little further out and we were able to stand comfortably in the chest-deep water on the sand bar. A flock of seagulls floating about twenty yards beyond us kept us under a watchful eye, unsure of our intentions.
The water temperature felt like it had to be in the 70's, and up and down the beach I could see dozens of people of all ages floating and splashing in the waves. Heading in to shore, I stopped and took a seat where the waves lapped the beach, and my eyes scanned the smooth rocks all around the water's edge. Most of the stones were oval-shaped and completely smooth and came in just about every color imaginable. Some rocks were brilliantly multi-colored, and looking closely at some revealed tiny fossils of unknown origin.
Heading back up the beach, my eyes stayed mostly on the rainbow of rocks, and I found many with curious markings and patterns. Continuing southwards, we arrived at a point that was different than I remembered. Giant rocks formed a hillside that connected the dunes to the water, undoubtedly placed there in an effort to prevent erosion. Given the choice of climbing up around to the sandy boardwalk or wading around them in the water, we chose to wade. The waves lapped us around waist-height, and the sand was extra-soft underfoot as we passed on. Finding ourselves back on dry beach, we soaked in a little more sun and dusted off the sand before heading back home. Though the beach had shifted shape a little bit since my last visit, I found it to be every bit as enjoyable as the beach I remembered as a kid, and vowed to make a return trip as soon as possible.
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We drove past the visitors' center, and a couple of deer eyed us with curiosity from a nearby patch of trees. Setting out on foot, we decided to take a stroll up the length of the beach and see what we could find. It was a perfect day to be at the beach; the weather was sunny with the temperature hovering in the upper 70's and a slight breeze rolling in off of the lake. Veering off of the waterfront, we followed a path through some small dunes that led into the woods. The path would its way through some sandy moguls, and I climbed up and down as we headed north, the warm sand feeling like a treat to my bare feet.
We continued through the trees and tall grass, and an enormous shape flapping overhead turned out to be a Great Blue Heron, the bird heading southwest in the direction of the marshes. A detour to the west took us alongside the campground, where several campers sat in front of tents and trailers, chatting and basking in the afternoon sun. We passed the old beach house where families and couples were sunning and frolicking in the water and decided that it was time for a swim.
Slipping into the lake provided a shock for about a half a minute, and then the water felt very comfortable as my body adjusted to the temperature. The rocks beneath our feet were completely smooth, and it felt like we were walking on some sort of elaborately polished tile. We swam out about chin-deep and then decided to go a little further, to where the depth was about eight feet. A little further out and we were able to stand comfortably in the chest-deep water on the sand bar. A flock of seagulls floating about twenty yards beyond us kept us under a watchful eye, unsure of our intentions.
The water temperature felt like it had to be in the 70's, and up and down the beach I could see dozens of people of all ages floating and splashing in the waves. Heading in to shore, I stopped and took a seat where the waves lapped the beach, and my eyes scanned the smooth rocks all around the water's edge. Most of the stones were oval-shaped and completely smooth and came in just about every color imaginable. Some rocks were brilliantly multi-colored, and looking closely at some revealed tiny fossils of unknown origin.
Heading back up the beach, my eyes stayed mostly on the rainbow of rocks, and I found many with curious markings and patterns. Continuing southwards, we arrived at a point that was different than I remembered. Giant rocks formed a hillside that connected the dunes to the water, undoubtedly placed there in an effort to prevent erosion. Given the choice of climbing up around to the sandy boardwalk or wading around them in the water, we chose to wade. The waves lapped us around waist-height, and the sand was extra-soft underfoot as we passed on. Finding ourselves back on dry beach, we soaked in a little more sun and dusted off the sand before heading back home. Though the beach had shifted shape a little bit since my last visit, I found it to be every bit as enjoyable as the beach I remembered as a kid, and vowed to make a return trip as soon as possible.
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