What a perfect way to spend a day.

Wonderful photos, my dear Callalily.

You must have had a great ride!

And the day was perfect!

Thanks for the accolades.

What a perfect way to spend a late summer afternoon! Your photos are wonderful.

I’ve always wanted to try kayaking, but I’m such a klutz I know I’d probably end up ass backwards in a pond somehow. I could never manage to get on a Sea Doo without wiping out.

Now a Sea Doo is another story!

And yes, the lagoon was absolutely beautiful.

We also saw several sandhill cranes along the shore, which is always a treat.

Presque Isle State Park at Erie, PA.

in decades, though.

I used to spend a lot of time on the beaches, or walking through the nature trails, fishing in the channel between the bay and the lake, or paddling around the lagoons.

Really the whole place is so beautiful. I live an hour and a half away and don’t make it up there as often as I would like. My parents took my sister and me up there to the beach as kids.

How lucky you were to have it right in your home town!

work in summer on weekdays, and in the afternoon on weekends.

It is breathtakingly beautiful in winter after a fresh snowfall.

Fall, yes. Gorgeous in the fall.

Hubby and I used to pack a picnic lunch, bike up to the monument, have our picnic, he would sit by the water and fish and I would bring a sketch pad and draw. It’s been way too long since we’ve done that.

was entering into another world. City noise from traffic, sirens, and the general hustle and bustle just faded away into the sounds of nature and water lapping on the shore. It felt almost magical. One minute the noise is there and the next it's gone. There is a lot traffic on the peninsula during summer, of course, but it is slower moving and there are only turn offs to the various beaches, picnic areas, trails, or marina. No major intersections.

That feeling is emphasized in winter with the silence of little to no traffic on the peninsula, and even nature's sounds are muffled by snow. Everything is closed down and all you can do is drive through the park, or leave the car for a walk. The sand dunes get covered in ice and snow. By February, most of the water that touches the beaches is frozen in ripples. On the bay side, the ice gets solid and thick enough for ice fishing.

My husband used to go ice fishing on the bay with a friend. I would tag along, clear a large patch of snow from the surface, and ice skate.

It sounds perfect. I know exactly what you mean about leaving city noise behind and entering another world. I always felt the people of Erie were so lucky to have this park. I really should try to visit in the wintertime. Now I want to go again! I haven’t been up there in about 2 years.

I have known folks over the years who go up there just for Waldameer Park and never enter the peninsula and I think they are really missing the best part!

It has improved since I lived there, but it used to be a very tame and boring place. We drove to amusement parks farther away that offered more.

But, the grounds at Waldameer did have a large building called Rainbow Gardens that was often used as a ballroom for special events in Erie. It's where my high school prom was. In summer, the YMCA sponsored teen dances there.

On the lake, just before the entrance to Presque Isle, there was a large motel complex called The Beachcomber. They had a New Year's Eve party there each year, with a band, 3 dance rooms, and a buffet breakfast. We went with other couples a few times.

Thanks for sharing them, also for the reason why these turtles are so often spied sprawled on a rock or log with their head and neck extended as well as their legs. Cool.

I too found that interesting about the turtles.

Evolution is really amazing, isn't it!

Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos with us! It's always a good reminder of the glorious natural scenery that somehow still lives and breathes, despite the destructiveness, short-sightedness, and greed of mankind.

And yes, no matter where we live, we can always enjoy nature.

Lovely photos, thanks for sharing. You've inspired me to get my kayaks cleaned up.

It's so peaceful and relaxing out on the water. Very meditative.

of your surroundings! Nice, nice, nice!!!

I just love reflecting photos.

And it is! Where is this?

It's the lagoon at Big Bay Town Park on Madeline Island!

We get that in the bogs in NW Washington.

Fluctuation is very little.

And thanks for looking up the turtle facts, that is very interesting. Turtles are mysterious, I have met a few and I wonder whether they comprehend things even slightly as we do.

The lagoon looks lovely and peaceful.

Just the noises of nature.