Summertime beach day!

This past Monday a friend and I went and spent the day at Huntington Beach state park. It had been literally years since I'd been to the beach (which is a shame considering it only takes a little over an hour to drive there) and I was really excited. We were a bit unsure about the weather, as the early morning skies were overcast, but once we arrived the sun began peeking out from behind the clouds. By midday, it was quite sunny....as my sunburned legs and upper back can attest! We used sunscreen, but walking in the surf apparently washed most of it off my legs, and I couldn't reach my own back very well to apply it! The trip was definitely worth a few sore spots, though.

I love Huntington Beach. It's located in Murrell's Inlet, SC, which incidentally is where my dad grew up. The beaches are clean and beautiful, and the surrounding woods and salt marsh are a naturalist's dream. I'm convinced that salt water, ocean air, and beach combing are good for the soul. We're planning to go back next month to get another dose.

Here are some pictures I took to share.

 

 

The big find of the day. Two perfect sand dollars, one for me
and one for my friend to take home as a souvenir.

 

The jetty. A good 2-3 mile walk
down the beach from where we started.

 

Sea oats and sand dunes.

Wooded nature trail running parallel to the beach.

 

Quick photo taken from the car window
of the salt marshes as we drove away.