I find it hard to believe that all the years I’ve lived here, I can count on two hands how many times we’ve been to Lake Michigan.
That was a point in favor of this preserve this weekend.
There is only one parking lot in the preserve, so we thought it would be empty. Imagine our surprise when we turned into the lot to find it full, with a stream of families heading to the lake, beach gear in tow!
We managed to snag a spot as someone left, and we started out, heading toward the east.
As you come over the hill, a fortified artillery nest stands silent guard over the lake, echoing from the past, when anti-aircraft guns practiced against drones over the lake itself.
A long-silent vestige of military history overlooking the lake
Down the hill a little further, and you can get to the lakeshore. There is no beach, per se; it’s mostly pea gravel. That did not stop people from enjoying the cool lake breeze.
Because, yes, it was hot. Very hot. And cloudless.
It felt like we were walking last summer!
Tons of boats of all sorts were out and about
The clear day did allow for interesting color combinations, even without heavy surf:
Looks like a layered candle!
You can’t really get the full effect, but this is almost a straight drop down to the shore
And we could see up the northern shore. I spotted something, and a zoom shot confirmed my suspicion – it was the clock tower of Building 1 on Naval Station Great Lakes!
That big red tower is located on the Navy base in North Chicago
We didn’t actually go down to the water at first – we thought we might hit it on the way back to cool off.
But, as I said, it was hot, and I barely made it back to the car without collapsing (jeez, I seem to overheat easily!).
I do want to come back here, maybe in a few weeks. Apparently it’s a big stop on the bird migration trail and I’d like to see what I can spot then.
But, there is still one more post from Fort Sheridan, an overview of the history that has been preserved for the future.
Tomorrow – Fort Sheridan history
Images of Lake County 