Recently, Paul and I have been embarking on weekly “adventures.” (These have been the basis for the “Where am I” photos on Facebook.) Our definition of “adventure” is quite loose; basically it means getting outside and going to a place we’ve never been before, preferably somewhere that allows us to stretch our legs for an hour or more. Since our time frame is an afternoon, which are getting shorter and shorter as the year winds down, we’ve been exploring close to home. And that has reminded us how much beauty lives right under our noses.
Adventure #1: Narrow River SUP
We’d been talking for a few years about paddling the Narrow River, so we made that our first destination. In order to do a one-way paddle, we pre-staged a car at the south end—and since we only have one vehicle that can carry our boards, we had to do an extra round trip drive to reunite van and boards afterward. In the end, the extra planning and schlepping was well worth it for the freedom of a one way ride down the river—especially since the current was ebbing and the breeze was from the northwest.
Adventure #2: Norman Bird Sanctuary
A walk around the perimeter of this incredible spot may not seem that special to our Aquidneck Island friends, but I had actually never walked all the way around the northeast corner of the Norman Bird Sanctuary before. The day was incredible, and though we saw not a single bird the water views were spectacular. First Beach, Cliff Walk, Beavertail, Sakonnet, Third Beach: a Rhode Island panorama. And we were down to T-shirts by the end of the walk, even though the last bit was upwind into a capping southwesterly.
Adventure #3: Scarborough Beach
Rhode Island’s South County is justly famous for its beaches. We’ve seen them while passing by from safely offshore, but I’d never walked Scarborough Beach. There were a few people around even on a November Monday, enjoying the firm sand and open view of Block Island and Point Judith. At the north end is a distinctive structure, obviously built a long time ago with a long-since-rotted wooden roof. The stone walls are impressively thick, and the afternoon light turned it golden.
No matter where we live, I’m guessing there’s beauty close by for most of us; we’re just usually too caught up in our everyday worlds to see it.
Where will the next adventure take us? Stay tuned… and let me know if you have any suggestions.
