This morning after breakfast with the kids, I began organizing our spring "staycation." We had hoped to travel somewhere out of town, but by the time we started planning, everywhere was already fully booked. On to plan B! 

While browsing "fun things to do in Illinois" (yep, really), I came across a post for Illinois Beach, State Park. Perusing the photos online of the rocky beaches you typically find along the Lake Michigan shoreline got me thinking. "Hey, kids! Feel like going to the beach today?" I mean, why not? It's warm and sunny, and the rocky beach will most likely be far less muddy than our backyard. Let's go!

Jack and Ellie had a ball! Throwing and skipping rocks into the water, hiking up and down the hilly terrain, stacking beach stones, running through the sand... which is now all over the back of my van. I love days like today. Unplanned yet unforgettable memory-making days that warm my soul and help push us through the last few weeks of winter. 

XOXO

Two people sitting on coastal rocks overlooking calm blue waters on a bright day.
Orange life preserver ring mounted on wooden post with beach safety signs on sandy shoreline.
A young person stands in tall grass wearing a blue winter jacket on a cold autumn day.
A figure in a blue tie-dye jacket sits on concrete blocks against a sandy landscape.
Misty winter beach landscape with bare trees and boats in the distance.
Close-up of orange and white life preserver ring mounted on wooden post against blue sky.
Child in blue jacket squats down to examine stones scattered on beach.
Beige beach grass blowing in the wind with blurred ocean horizon in background.
Beach scene with waves lapping at rocky shore on sunny winter day.
Bare winter tree with exposed roots growing on rocky terrain in black and white.
Someone wearing a tie-dye blue jacket sits on concrete blocks at a sandy beach.
Sandy beach with gentle waves rolling onto shore on a clear winter day.
Two people in winter coats explore a rocky beach shoreline on a bright sunny day.
Ice-covered limestone cliffs along a frozen lake shoreline under cloudy skies.
A black and white portrait of someone standing in a field of dried grass and bare trees.