Winter Visit to Bradford Beach on Lake Michigan

On a very cold March day, March 24th, 2013, to be exact, we went to the beach on Lake Michigan. It was a really windy day and the waves were fairly large, for this area anyway. The beach we were on was Bradford Beach in Milwaukee. The beach was completely empty for most of the time we were there but occasionally people would come along and enjoy it as much as we were.

In the summertime, this place is packed but today, we were some of the only people on the beach. A few people would come by every now and then but otherwise, we had the whole beautiful beach to ourselves. It was really nice. We didn't have to worry about finding a spot or stepping in someone else's territory.

This beach holds many events during the summer time. You'll see lots of volleyball games going on and lots of large groups of people along with families full of little ones. When it's really hot outside, you'll still get a nice cool breeze coming off the lake. During the cooler months, the air is sometimes warmer coming off the lake but most of the time it's even colder.

It's so cold that the shoreline still has snowbanks. There's a beautiful layer of ice chunks all along the shore. It looked like hard packed snow but when you stepped in it, you got a foot full of water. It was almost like slush but still frozen enough to hold it's form. Some of the ice chunks had met with water and were clear all the way through. When the waves would come in, they would bring floating ice chunks in to shore. Of course, the sound of the water slamming against all that snow and ice was wonderful. It was very different than the normal waves meet rock and sand.

I really thought about bringing a beach chair on this day but it was just way too cold and the sun wasn't shining. But do you want to ward off the sunburn while you relax on the beach on a sunny day? Some beach chairs come with a built in sun umbrella. They help block the glare on your handheld devices and keep the sun out of your eyes so it's easier to see your kids.

The winds were strong so the waves were coming in nicely. The snow chunks skipped right off them as they came in. There were plenty of snow chunks because they were breaking off as the waves hit the ice on the beach. The kids loved it! We spent a good 45 minutes just throwing stuff around as we watched the waves.

The water was pounding the snow that had accumulated along the banks. It was forming beautiful ice crystals as the water reached the banks. They looked so delicate! Even though they look delicate, they have to be strong enough to withstand the pounding waves.

I love birds so it was fun watching the seagulls all over the beach. They had flocks on the beach, flocks in the parking lot, and flocks in the water. I love the sounds that they make. You don't hear that call anywhere besides at the beach.

The wind was really strong so you can hear it in the video but every once in a while it's quiet enough that you can hear the waves. The sound of the waves is mesmerizing. The way they crash along the rocks and against each other is just magnificent. I think it's what makes going to the beach so relaxing and enjoyable.

The clouds were covering the sun so it wasn't a beautiful day but the birds were still flying around and the waves were still crashing. It was fun watching the boats off in the distance and throwing rocks into the water. It was nice family time!