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What To Do With Your Day Off

Photo by Dan Eggert

It’s beginning to be the time of year where locals cautiously peak their heads out of “when-I’m-not-working” hiding places. As the season slows into September, I find I’m eager to revisit Cave Point Park.

We like to bike in, and with less traffic the winding, freshly blacktopped roads are a joy to cruise on. Sheltered by dense foliage, this area stays cool and shady no matter what time of day. We park our bikes and walk over to the viewpoint, marveling at how low Lake Michigan has gotten. It used to be that you could jump off of a few strategic locations into the crisp blue waters below. Now jagged rocks are clearly visible under the shallows.

We walk farther down the trail, peering into the cracks and crevices in the rock. Which hole opens all the way down to the water? Rocks jut out of the shady trail. We sit in the sun and take in the view. Then we climb down the cliff to the water and walk along the shore.

Even as the air gets cooler, the water stays relatively warm. Don’t just dip your toe in – run, leaping over the waves until diving down into the water. It’s the only way to beat the fear and timidity that can overcome you when looking at Lake Michigan breaking against the shoreline.