Frozen Lake Michigan

I grew up in the northwestern most part of Illinois where we were had small towns and cornfields. Almost 4 1/2 years ago, my husband and I moved to the other side of Illinois where we have Lake Michigan to the East and Wisconsin to the north.



Since living here, the winters have a mind of their own. Some winters we'll hardly have snow or it will snow, but be so cold that we can't play in it.

This is Lake Michigan from parking lot, last year. I had my cranky three year old with me in the car, so I didn't want to get out to get closer, but the site was still beautiful! The waves on a normal day, don't usually get to high, but these were at least two and a half feet high and they lined the whole beach. This was a more mild winter, so there was no ice. 

Last week, we had record breaking low temperatures with the lowest temperature reaching -50 degrees. A couple of days later, the temperature made it to 40.

So, naturally, we had to take the opportunity to check out the lake to see what changes had happened. Every year is different and this year, the change was amazing!

Lake Michigan/ Beach Park, Illinois Beach Resort Feb 2, 2019

Kids with Daddy and Grandma (Daddy's mom)

We have to put me in too!

There were a LOT of Glaciers and Icebergs

On a clear day, you can see Chicago's skyline right over where the last iceberg is sitting. 

This is the space between the top of the "glacier" and the beach. There was a small cave made from the erosion. 

This really made me want to take the kids to go explore a cave. Know any good ones in Illinois?

Ice meets pebbly beach.

40 degree weather means melting ice.

Other spectators. When we arrived it was just us and a woman and her daughter. Everyone is climbing on the ice glaciers. Always be aware of your surroundings. We warned our kids not to go past a point on the ice.

He was so excited!

Mountain woman!

*Sings* Climb every mountain! Ford every stream!- Sound of Music. 

Who needs a sled when you have a perfectly good bottom? Sliding down the snow covered ice. Again, we made sure they didn't cross a certain point. This part of the ice was still on the beach.

Who doesn't build snowmen on top of a frozen lake? This is the first time that we had a LOT of snow and it was packable!

This is why you watch your surroundings. Ice melts! I bet if we went back, today, the lake would look so different.

I was kind of sad that there were no whales to breach and make their presence. I guess that's a downside to the lake, but I bet there are some pretty big catfish and salmon in there. Yes! There's salmon in Lake Michigan!

Questions to leave with you:

Do you live in an area that gets cold?
Have you seen something like this before?
What do you do in the winter?
If you live some place warm, is this something you'd like to see?