Point Gratiot, Dunkirk, NY

Last weekend we traveled to Cassadaga, NY to visit my mother-in-law.  My sister and her two boys, plus my sister-in-law, also came to meet us there.  The first night there, a friend came over and suggested we visit a place called Point Gratiot.  He said there were cliffs and that it was a pretty beach to visit along Lake Erie.  So the next day we drove twenty minutes north to find it.

"Pretty" was an understatement.  I LOVED it!  It was the highlight of the trip for me.  I not only love the beach, but I am crazy about smooth rocks.  Plus, one of my favorite things to photograph are repetitive nature textures.  I was in heaven!

Below you can see some of the various textures I came across while exploring the beach. 

The park was especially interesting from a geological standpoint because it did indeed have cliffs.  But the cliffs were no ordinary cliffs...they were composed of layer upon layer of shale.

Here is a short video of the cliffs and the sunset (sorry I went a little too fast over the water...I hope you don't get sea sick).

While looking for quotes for this post I googled "wabi-sabi" and discovered a new Japanese aesthetic concept.  I have always loved the idea of finding beauty in the aged and worn (wabi-sabi).  But I had never come across the term of "Shibui."  According to Wikipedia, "Shibui" is "an enriched, subdued appearance or experience of intrinsically fine quality with economy of form, line, and effort, producing a timeless tranquility."  The image below particularly struck me as an example of this aesthetic.

We enjoyed the beach so much we went back the next day so some of the photos are bright and sunny and some are overcast.  It was beautiful either way.

I searched and searched for a quote for the image below but finally gave up and wrote a short poem for it.  This photo shows a nice close-up of the shale cliffs.

I love it when life throws you a bone (or a stone) and you stumble upon something so amazing by chance.  Or maybe it isn't really by chance and we are all connected...pulling each other this way and that.