Walking to the Sand at Cocoa Beach / Taking the Long Way
Wooden Walkway
A wooden boardwalk walkway leads over the sand dunes and out to the beach at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as seen during our 2019 Florida Summer Vacation.
These boardwalks lead over the sand dunes, providing protection for the dunes and for the sea oats that grown on them. It is good that someone took the time to protect some valuable natural assets such as those so that others of us would get to enjoy the beaches for many years to come. So many of us who are not from that area may not realize the importance of those natural features and just walk right over them. Be mindful of the great natural systems that God has set up to protect the earth.
As you may know, I always like these wooden boardwalks at Cocoa Beach. They provide some great photo opportunities with their lines that lead your eyes to the beach. During just about every beach visit we make, I spend some time walking around with my camera to see what all photos I might take and what interesting things I might see, and I keep coming back to these boardwalks. It is a challenge to find different angles and views from what I have photographed in the past as we have visited there so many times, but that is part of the fun of it all.
I especially like this boardwalk pictured here, because it is not just a straight shot out to Cocoa Beach. Instead, it zigzags and meanders out across the way, eventually reaching the sand. I suppose that if you are in a hurry to get to the beach, or in a hurry to leave if a storm starts up suddenly, you might prefer a more straight shot than this. But if you like taking it all in, it is more fun to wander back and forth as you journey along your way instead of getting right there immediately.
Taking the Long Way
People often ask us why we do not fly on our trips. One reason is because of cost, saving the money of airline tickets. Another reason is because of schedule, because I would rather be on my own schedule than on the airline’s schedule. But then another reason is because getting there is part of the fun.
When we go to Florida, we have certain things that we always make sure to see, even if it is just pointing out a landmark along the way. We have some places where we like to stop and walk for a bit. And we like seeing the scenery as the views out the window change from Tennessee to Mississippi, then Alabama, and then Florida. Pretty cool to see the gradual changes as we go.
When we went on a cruise that left from Galveston, Texas, Laura and I really enjoyed the drive there and back, because we had not been there before. We got to ride a ferry, shop in New Orleans, drive where the speed limit is 75, and see a different landscape from the one we are used to seeing. Everything was new and fun.
On top of all that wonderful scenery and those fun places to visit, we like just getting to spend the time together. Yes, a car ride to Florida can be rather long, but we get to do it together. While we have gotten to spend lots more time together during the COVID-19 crisis, before that our time together was rather limited. It was fun to do anything together, even if it meant riding in the car for a long drive. And a car ride like that does not seem all that boring if you have someone good with you to help you pass the time.
On those trips, we don’t even mind the stops along the way. We could only stop for absolute necessities and get there a little faster, or we can enjoy the trip and make few interesting turns here and there. Much like that wandering walkway in the photo above, we will get there eventually, even if we take a few extra turns along the way.
The journey is part of the experience. We might as well enjoy it!
Bible Verse
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. - Ephesians 5:1-2
About the Photo
For this photo, I did something that I do not usually do. I turned down the color saturation.
Yes, I am usually the kind of guy to push the color saturation as much as I can. I like lots of bright, bold colors, after all. But I dialed them back here.
There is still a good bit of color saturation in this photo. That is built into the processing preset that I have been using lately. However, I decided to reduce that saturation somewhat after running the preset. The sea oats were just a little too green. And if there can be such a thing, the sky was almost a little too blue. I think this version focuses on the wooden boardwalk just a little more without so many bright colors to distract you. It works well here.
By the way, the lifeguard hut pictured here recently can be seen off in the distance. Just in case you were wondering.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
Date: June 11, 2019
Location: Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach, Florida
