On Friday, the New England Coastline braced for "Hurricane" Earl, but what we experienced was (at best) "Tropical Storm" Earl. We received some much needed rain and in return had a break in the sweltering heat. By Saturday, the weather made for a beautiful day for a drive and the remnants of that tropical storm made for a perfect day to check out the ocean. If you find yourself in the South County area of Rhode Island, follow the bridge to Jamestown and drive to the end of this tiny island where you will find Beavertail State Park. It's open year round and at the tip of its 153 acres, you can visit the 3rd oldest lighthouse in the country. Parking near the entrance will give you a stunning 1.5 mile loop along the jagged coast which runs right by the historic lighthouse (and its museum). There are secluded little nooks, rocks to scale if you are feeling adventurous and plenty of lawn to set up your grill or kite or frisbee or hammock. This is a gentle walk, during which you are surrounded by a powerful sense of nature - from the crashing waves to the gusts of wind. On this afternoon, with the sun shinning off the deep blue sea, all we could taste was salt from the spray of the waves. With thunderous roars, every inch of the rocks were slammed by wave after crashing wave. The waves rolled and crashed with such fury that their foam became net-like forms, clinging to the rocks and shooting bubbles into the air. The winds whipped through the park, along the water front, strong enough to nearly knock us down. Behind that shining sun and beautiful blue sea, nature made clear her ferocious strength.
