Illinois Beach State Park

We were out geocaching and took a little side trip to stop at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion.  I can't believe that we live so close and I've never been there.  The area has an interesting history - it was once occupied by 3 Indian tribes, then by trappers and hunters.  During the Civil War it was used as a Union prisoner of war camp and later served as an Army training center for World Wars 1 & 2.  Beginning in 1950, the area has been protected and was turned into a State Park.  The beach itself stretches for 6 1/2 miles and apparently it's the only beach ridge shoreline remaining in the state.  The park has something for everyone with dunes, marshes, plants and animals.  I'd like to go back and explore the hiking trails another day.

It's a short walk to the beach from the parking area....

It was a beautiful clear morning and we could see for miles out onto the lake.  And get this - there were only 2 other people on the entire beach!  I was shocked that it was that empty on a Sunday.

We kicked off our shoes and socks and started strolling along the waters edge.  Before I knew it, Chablis and I were cramming beautiful stones into our pockets.  It reminded me of being on Sanibel Island and snatching up seashells.....

The stones were all worn smooth and were available in a wide variety of colors and shapes...

While Chablis and I performed the "Illinois Beach Stoop," Louie went for a swim....

I didn't have my bathing suit and since we still had caches to find, I didn't want to go swimming in my clothes. But I was very tempted....

Even Snoopy enjoyed the beach....

Afterwards we headed up the road into Wisconsin and did a fun cache called "Pump It Up!"  I know the cache owner and we are very familiar with his hides, so we went prepared.  Do you see the cache?

Even tho we brought our extension grabber, we had to maneuver the car into place in order to reach the cache - it was still a stretch!

Another cache we did was called "It's About Time."  It was hidden near this Carillon Memorial.

This is the Carillon.  Have you ever heard of a carillon?  I hadn't.  Apparently it's a musical instrument that's housed inside a bell tower of some sort.  I thought it looked like a huge wind chime.  While we were standing there it started ringing and it was actually pretty nice sounding.

We searched for the cache and we found the log sheet and a pencil stuffed into some flowers, so we're guessing the cache got muggled.  We signed the log sheet, placed it underneath the memorial plague and when I posted my log, we notified the cache owner that he needed to replace his cache.

Our final cache of the day took us to "PI Prairie's Chiwaukee Prairie."  This geocache was placed in what is now the largest section of prairie in Kenosha County that was never touched by a plow.  It's right on the shore of Lake Michigan and we were happy to get out and walk along the beach again.

This section of beach didn't have as many nice stones as the earlier section did, but you can tell by my pockets that I still managed to find a few to my liking....

Many of you know how much I treasure things I find in nature.  Here are a few of the stones I picked up and brought home.  Can you see the one small stone on the bottom?  It's kind of blue and white.  I'm thinking this might be a piece of pottery and not a stone because of the strange color and design.  Chablis found that one.

I kind of like them all piled up like that.  Sort of relaxing, don't you think? Very Zen....

The stones all look much better when they're wet because you can see the deeper colors and patterns.  If anyone knows what I should use to polish them up so they stay shiny, please let me know.

Caching by Lake Michigan

The other day we were down by Lake Michigan for a meeting, so we stopped and grabbed a few caches on the way home.  This one was in an alley behind a cachers house.  You had to read the cache page to figure out the combination to open the lock...

We were right on the lake front for another cache.  We were this close to grabbing it, but 2 women and their dogs were standing not 10 feet away and refused to leave.  We walked around and took a couple of pictures while we waited for them to leave, but apparently they had no intention of leaving for quite awhile.  Darn,  another missed cache!

That's all folks!

Del's Shells

I'd like to introduce a very special blogger friend of mine today.  Her name is Della and she's the author and jewelry artist over at Del's Shells.  She creates the most dazzling jewelry from shells that she hand picks from the beaches of her home state - Florida.  I'm going to let her tell you about her work....

Hello I'm Della, and Kim asked me to come over and do a guest post on her awesome blog! I couldn't say no, and I am so honored that she asked! Thank you Kim!

I collect seashells, and make pretty things with them. Like jewelry, bookmarks, and hair accessories. I personally love to wear things made with shells, it's a very beachy kind of style, and I enjoy being close to nature, and everything to do with the sea.

(Yellow seashell charm bracelet)

When I'm walking the shore looking for shells it's like Heaven on Earth. The salt air soothes my soul, and the sand beneath my feet is just like coming home. Sometimes I am on a mission to find certain shells, and sometimes I get lucky and those are exactly what I find! I only collect empty shells, not live ones. Once my shelling excursion is over, it's time to carefully pack them up, and head home to clean them. A little soaking in a solution of bleach and water is all it takes, and I like to spread them out on towels to dry in the sun, and natural air. After they are dry, I sort them into piles of alike shells, and if I have an abundance of a certain kind, I sort them into sizes, too.

(oyster shell bracelet)

And then the fun begins! If I have a design in mind for a shell already, this is where I start. I'm usually dreaming up designs while collecting. Certain shell types and colors go best with a certain metal. I really like Olive Shells and copper together. Such a pretty combination! I love using freshwater pearls with my shells, and some crystals for a little sparkle. You will see different combinations of natural elements coming together in my creations, such as tropical woods, mother of pearl, shell beads, gemstones, coral, and anything that has a beachy feel to it. I let the colors in the shells guide my mind and my hands in the process.

(Olive shell necklace)

I have done some experimenting with putting a gloss finish on some shells, and I love these results as well. The coating gives the shells a wet look, which brings out the color in them. Not all shells need or get the gloss treatment, some shells are naturally shiny...as long as you get them before the surf has tumbled the shine off. I also love the matte look that shells have, and tend to leave them natural more than not.

(Blue crystal fish seashell necklace)

Every shell is different in some way, even if they are the same species. The Calico Scallop for example, comes in a multitude of color variations, and you will never ever find two with exactly the same color pattern.

(Orange coral bracelet)


I'm really wild about seashells, and I hope you get a chance to collect some of your own. It really is addictive!

(Tulip shell necklace)

I have a little shop on Etsy where I sell my seashell creations, as well as awareness jewelry. I tend to craft more in the line of feminine pieces, but am trying to branch out into a mens line, as well as unisex jewelry. You can read more about me, and my trial and errors of drilling shells on my blog, Del'sShells.

(Sharks tooth necklace)

Thank you for joining me today, and Thank You Kim, for having me!
Have a beachy day!

Della

I'd like to thank Della for sharing her gorgeous creations with us today.  Keep scrolling down because I have more of her goodies to show you....

 (Seashell rose ring)

(Seashell starfish bookmark)  Isn't this a novel idea?  

(Seashell pearl hairpins)  I am almost tempted to grow my hair longer just so I can wear these.  I love them!

(Seashell mermaid bookmark)  My personal favorite!  Kind of makes you want to "dive" into your book, doesn't it?

(Peachy shell charm bracelet)  I think the colors on this one are stunning.  Who wouldn't feel happy wearing this on their wrist?

If you have a beach lover in your family, go check out Della's Etsy Shop.  One of her hand crafted items would make a very special gift under the tree this year for the special person in your life.

Thank you Della - I really enjoyed your post!