Some of our favorite stories while traveling in our van occur as unplanned happenstance. The beach we found in upstate New York is one of those stories. For us, this private beach was the perfect place to discover sea glass. It was also a quiet and beautiful place to watch the sun go down over Lake Erie.
Weeks earlier, Gail and I had discussed our upcoming trip. We knew we wanted to visit Niagra Falls, Rochester and the Adirondacks. The rest of the details were fuzzy. We had no reservations and no real schedule.
We crossed the New York State line on Interstate 90 from Pennsylvania late in the afternoon. It was a long day for us. We had driven hundreds of miles and we were tired. It was time to slow down and find a place to spend the night.
As chance would have it, we opted to get off the interstate and travel a two lane route called Highway 5. This highway follows the coast of Lake Erie. As soon as we transitioned to the smaller road and slowed our speed, the beauty of New York began to introduce itself to us.
This part of the state is wine country. Vineyards line both sides of the highway for miles. I drove along the winding road at a modest 40 miles per hour so we could soak in the beautiful countryside. We were also looking for a place to park and rest for the night.
The Lake Erie Beach Sea Glass
Fortunately, we soon stumbled upon a privately owned campground that had a space open for us. Although we usually boonedock and camp alone, on this day we were happy to share a campground. The best part of the small RV park was its location. It bumped up to the shore of Lake Erie and we had access to a beautiful private beach!
As quickly as we could, we found our way to the water. We only had an hour or so before the sunset.
As soon as we reached the shore, our energy levels returned to our bodies. We were excited to be there and Gail immediately began to comb the beach for any type of treasure it had to offer.
Then it happened…
Gail found a piece of sea glass; then another and another. The glass she found was clear, green and blue. The sizes of the glass was larger than we had ever seen on other beaches we visited. Before long, we were both combing the beach for glass. Together, we found a nice handful of beautifully aged sea glass in less than an hour of hunting.
The Sunset on the Beach
As we surveyed the beach for treasure, the late afternoon sun cast a beautiful amber light across the waterfront. The beach had blessed us with a small bounty of glass but it was not done offering gifts.
After a while, we set up our chairs in the rocks for a front row seat to some of mother nature’s magic. It was time to move our attention to the sky. The amber light of early evening slowly turned into a sky full of vivid yellow and pink. We were surrounded in color that started in the atmosphere and reflected down into the rough waters of Lake Erie.
Between the sea glass and the glorgeous sunset we knew this isolated lake front was something special.
For about 40 minutes, Gail and I watched the sun fade behind the horizon. Sitting there hand in hand we spoke quietly to each other. We discussed the trip ahead of us with anticipation. We found this New York beach on the second day of a six week trip and we wondered if it was possible to find another waterfront this beautiful again.
Only time would tell.
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Unexpected presents, such as beautiful sea glass and gorgeous sunsets, can’t be outdone.
True. Every beach seems to have its own distinctive treasure to offer and unique beauty. Our day on this beach was a memorable one!