So after our visit to Cedar Lake we set off on our way to the badlands. Now this isn't going to be like the kind of story where i talk about our amazing time their and skip all the driving. This is about the trip their and the many of complications but many of miracles. Our trip to the badlands is one of the most inspirational parts of this entire book. Their are many of places and times when God really reveales himself to us and shows us his great mercy.
Usually you’ll find residents and tourists on the outskirts of Folsom Lake, walking, running, relaxing on the beach, or taking in the view. During the summer, you’ll also find a lot of activity on the water with boats, jet-skis, and swimmers. When summer is over, it’s another story. The tourists have left and residents have gone back to school or work.
To continue a standing tradition in my family, I would hike to Vernal Falls. First completing that trail at the age of ten, I finally understood the power and fragility of nature on that hike. Lasting many hours, much of the hike ended up sloping upward, as I neared my destination. Though, while I neared the crest, the atmosphere began to alter, mist swirling around me as water drops sprayed my face. Shivering, the chill felt foreign, considering I was drenched in sweat, and the rocks slipped under my feet, perilous from the constant spray. Just before reaching the top, the mist dissipated and sunlight shone through, guiding me to my destination. Such enchanting experiences completely altered my view of the outdoors; I soon began forcing my family to go with me on adventures.
“Hop in the car,” my dad said. His outstretched arms guiding my eyes to the open doors. Our 2009 Honda Odyssey was a beige colored behemoth. Comically overstuffed with passengers and cargo, the sporadic rumbling of the V6 engine was disconcerting as we hit the road. “Will we even reach Meredith at all,” I wonder. The drive up to Lake Winnisquam is exciting and uneventful as usual. Through smudged windows, I watch the passing scenery, anticipating all the fun we will have this fourth of July. The switch onto Lower Waldron road was a recognizable turn and a sign of our proximity. We each scoot towards the edge our seats, heads pressed against the glass, eager to be the first to spot our destination. “I see the house,” my sister squeals with excitement.
During the trip to Wekiva State Park we got to see some of the most dramatic habitat and hydrological changes yet. Starting out at the spring and watching the water being forced out from deep within the aquifer. The cavern where the spring is located is only approximately 20 feet deep and has been restricted to divers for many years due to the inherent hazard of cave diving. A constant 72 degrees year round, Wekiva Springs provides about 42 million gallons of some of the cleanest water you will find in Florida to the river on a daily basis.
The summer of 2017 I went with my uncle to Wisconsin Dells. It was my first time going to Wisconsin Dells. There were so many things to experience at the waterpark from the long lines of people, to the many water slides, to the loudness and the smell of chlorine.
My favorite places all have one thing in common, time seems to slow down when I’m there. One such place is Sebago Lake, specifically, during sunrise. Every year my family visits Sebago one week during summer, and on the second day, my dad and I wake early to put our boat in the water. On that morning I have to get dressed in the dark. I pad downstairs, grab a box of cereal, and hustle out to the truck where my dad waits, the boat trailer hooked to the back. It’s too early to talk, so we sit quietly as we drive down to the rickety old boat ramp. He pulls into the lot, I hop out, and walk over to the boat, tossing the buoys over the side for protection. I walk to the beginning of the dock to help direct the trailer onto the ramp. My dad backs
As I talked to one of my friends on the shore of Timberwolf Lake, I had a realization that changed my life forever. Timberwolf Lake is a Young Life camp in Northern Michigan that I attended the summer after my sophomore year. One of my friends was having a hard time in life and needed someone to talk to. While talking to him and making him feel better, it also made me feel better. It was then that I realized that I can make a difference in the world by make others lives more prosperous and more enjoyable. I wanted to make the world a better place than when I came into it.
A few weeks ago, I hit the surface of a lake while going forty miles per hour. It all started when we made the one and a half hour trip up to Bartlett lake. When we arrived, we promptly proceeded to unload everything from the small trailer. The trailer felt like it was two hundred feet long because unloading took forever. We then searched for flashlights and lanterns so we could see in the dark. While we were searching, one of the other scouts said “Hey, I think I found a flashlight”. When he held it up, I shined my flashlight on it and said “That’s only a rock!” We all laughed. A couple of other guys eventually found flashlights. Later, we found the two lanterns. We took one of the lanterns out of the case, put a wick in the lantern
The final carry of half a mile from Portage to Blackstone Lake was made with difficulty by groping our way through the dense woods in the dark, and we gladly betook ourselves at once to the hospitable mansion of logs of the settler on the shore of Blackstone Lake. The cabin being
From my cultural understanding of Lake Okeechobee, my imagination had conjured up swampy, reedy, you better have a fan boat, alligator infested waters. Cruising along the canal on the east side of the lake, there was very little swamp and plenty of wide-open land. Not at all what I expected for the interior of Florida. I wondered if maybe this was because it was a canal, instead of a natural river, and once we got out to the lake and river on the other side it would look more like I anticipated. I suspected it’s because this was a canal and many engineers and laborers had been employed draining the swamp around it. The night before we entered the lake, we anchored outside the levy. There was a big wall of dirt between me and seeing the lake, so I found myself full of anticipation for what it would look like.
Every time I stare out across a lake, a million questions flow through my head. But the number one question that I ask the most about them is “why?” or “how”, and I’ve wondered about these big reservoirs of water since I’ve journeyed onto one.
If you think jumping off a diving board is fun, you should try cliff jumping. At the end of the summer (2015) my family and I went to Smith Lake, Alabama. We had heard about this beautiful lake from some friends of ours who had went recently and loved it. After we had heard about the lake once we kept hearing about it more and more. Nothing ever said about the lake was bad, so my mom decided to look it up. From the pictures it seemed like a super fun vacation spot so we decided to book a lake house and try it out!
Today I woke up pretty early for a summer day, around 7am. I walked downstairs and asked my dad if we could go fishing today. He said yes and suggested that we get ready to leave. I got my fishing pole, fishing net, and my extra fishing pole string. While I was getting my stuff my dad called his friend Jimmy and asked if he wanted to come as well. He said yes, but he will be coming later. I brought my fishing stuff to my dad’s car when I realized he brought his old fishing pole out. I asked him, “Why are you bringing that fishing pole?” I only asked this because it was over 15 years old. He said, “This fishing pole is really good for catching bigger fish.” I didn’t argue with him simply because it was his fishing pole. We left our house around
After exploring the Black Hills, I fell in love with the open land. The suburbs of Minneapolis are inferior to the Black Hills in every way. The night sky was, by far, the most stunning difference that I noticed. I sat outside every night by the bonfire talking to the group while stargazing because I could see twice as many stars as I could back home. Due to the fact that I am no stranger to enjoying the outdoors, I felt right at home during the two week vacation. It was only about one month before I started counting down the days until the first day of the vacation.