When it comes to summer, the beach is the place to be. On a hot, lazy day it’s difficult to find a spare space in the sand as bodies sprawl on towels and lounge chairs to soak up the sun. Relaxing is the primary focus with an occasional dip in the lake to cool and refresh.
During the summers that our family spent at our vacation place in a town on the shores of Lake Huron, afternoons were reserved for the beach. Right after lunch, we loaded up baskets of fresh fruit and cold drinks, gathered change for the fry place, packed towels, books, lotion and sunglasses and folding chairs before lugging it all down to the water’s edge.
There we stayed for hours on end, just chilling out as the kids played in sand and plunged into the surf. Along the way, families from one end to the other were doing the same.
A few years before we sold our place, and these halcyon days ended, something else was added to the landscape, though. Just down the way on the public side of the beach, a net suddenly appeared and the space became occupied by young, hard bodies on the move. Like a wave in a sea of calm, there was serious action happening.
For the most part, we just ignored it. But once in a while we couldn’t help but stop and watch the fun. It was an image that said summer at the beach as much as the ones we had come to know. These photo collections capture that vibe:
