Just Beachy

We have a beach trip coming up later this summer, plus the Hodgepodge questions this week have a beach theme, plus this month's Share Our Lives link up (which I missed) had everyone sharing their favorite vacation memories, and all this to say (finally!) I've been thinking beach-y thoughts. 

We live on a lake now which is beautiful, crystal clear, unsalted, and shark free. We don't do a lot of summer beach trips anymore because it takes a lot to peel us away from our happy place in peak season. 

Lake life is chill and there's no sand to sweep out of every nook and cranny at the end of the day. Our lake is big and there are quite a few islands scattered throughout that have small beaches which we occasionally pull our boat up to, and then haul chairs and snacks and sand toys over to spend a few hours beachin' it. 

Mostly though we swim off our dock, we jump off the back of the boat when we're out in the wide open water, and we motor over to friends docks for float parties and relaxation. 

Still I periodically need to see the ocean. 

I need to remember I'm small and the Creator of the universe knows precisely how many grains of sand lie beneath my feet. I need to feel the remnants of saltwater on my skin as I watch the sun sink into the water at the end of a glorious day. 

I've been to a lot of beaches on American soil and elsewhere but when someone says favorite I always return in my head to one place- Marco Island. 

When we started going to Marco, only people who lived in Florida seemed to know about it.  Marco was a sleepy town without much going on, and while it's not a crazy tourist trap today, it's not unknown either. 

The first year we went to Marco daughter2 was still sleeping in a crib so we're talking many many many moons ago. Hubs helped organize a meeting there and got to know the hotel manager, so when he brought us back later that summer the manager upgraded our room to one with a walk out which was perfect. We'd spend the morning at the beach then the girls would nap and we'd open the french doors and park ourselves in lounge chairs on our porch. It was perfect. 

This trip made it our place and we went back often as the years rolled by. 

Marco is covered in seashells and sorting through them to find ones that were special and unbroken was always a favorite activity. 

We spent our days sitting on the beach, reading books, talking, thinking, making plans, walking, exploring, eating at our favorite places and just soaking up all the family time our hearts could hold. 

I've read that while children may not remember every detail of a family vacation they do remember the overall sense of family closeness that develops when you travel together. Sounds and smells and tastes later in life can trigger memories from trips taken when they were young, and these trips become part of your family lore. 

It's been a number of years since we've been back to Marco. Life and all that jazz. But in my mind Marco Island will always be 'our place'. 

One that holds precious memories from the days when we were a family of four...

 When little girls waved goodnight to the sun as it sank into the sea...

of laughter shared...

and problems solved...

...a beautiful peaceful place where plans for the future that is now were born. 

This post is linked with Talking About It Tuesdays hosted by Joanne at Slices of Life