Running head: WARREN DUNES MEMORIES 1

Warren Dunes Memories Carly Janowia College o! Du"age Mul#i Modal "ro$e%# & Eli'a(e#h Anderson No)em(er 1*#h+ ,-1&

WARREN DUNES , Warren Dunes Memories E)er sin%e I was li##le #he !irs# wee o! Augus# has (een reser)ed !or #he !amily %am.ing #ri./ E)ery summer my !amily and I .a% u. #he %am.er wi#h endless amoun#s o! $un !ood and e)ery swimsui# we own and hi# #he road wi#h Warren Dunes Sa#e "ar lo%a#ed in Mi%higan as #he des#ina#ion/ My sis#er and I %ram in#o #he (a% sea# o! my dad0s red .i% 1u. #ru% wi#h our dog si##ing in (e#ween us and eagerly wai# #ill we rea%h a sign #ha# announ%es our arri)al a# Warren Dunes/ On%e we arri)e+ a s#a#e o! .andemonium is unleashed/ Regardless o! how many #imes we ha)e gone %am.ing+ #he same si#ua#ion o%%urs e)ery #ime we ge# #o our %am.si#e/ My dad is suddenly yelling #rying #o (a% in #he ,2!# %am.er+ #he dog is (ar ing a# e)ery inno%en# .erson wal ing (y+ #he ho# summer sun is (ea#ing down !ull !or%e as my .aren#s a##em.# #o .u# u. #he awning+ and my sis#er and I are des.era#ely .leading #o %hange in#o our swimsui#s and head #o #he (ea%h/ In #his momen#+ I am %on!iden# #ha# my !amily is ready #o ill ea%h o#her/ 3u# alas+ we wor i# ou#/ 4he %haos su(sides and #he %am.si#e is !inally se# u./ 4he %am.ing %hairs are lined around #he !ire .i# nea#ly+ #he .laid #a(le %lo#h is laid ou# on .i%ni% #a(le+ my dad has %ra% ed o.en a (eer and my mom is in #he %am.er .re.aring lun%h/ All is (a% #o normal and I %anno# hel. (u# lo)e my %ra'y !amily/ As we ea# our lun%h o! s#andard %am.ing !are+ ho# dogs on #he grill and .o#a#o %hi.s+ we laugh loudly a(ou# our usual an#i%s se##ing u. #he %am.si#e and re%oun# #he (es# lines #ha# were shou#ed (y my dad #hroughou# #he .ro%ess/ A!#er we de)our lun%h+ we wal #o my Aun# and Un%le0s %am.si#e and my sis#er and I run u. #o my %ousins+ 5elly and Ro(yn+ and gree# #hem wi#h huge hugs and e6%i#emen# in our )oi%es/ My %ousins and I are )ery %lose+ we were raised more li e sis#ers #han %ousins/ So o! %ourse+ we had (een .lanning and #al ing a(ou# #he summer %am.ing #ri. mon#hs ahead o! #ime+

WARREN DUNES & (uilding u. e6%i#emen# #ha# is $us# now s#ar#ing #o (u((le o)er/ A!#er all o! #he hugs and hellos+ we was#e no #ime heading #o #he (ea%h/ "er #radi#ion+ all o! us girls %lim( in#o #he !la#(ed o! my dad0s Dodge Ram .i% 1u. !or #he shor# dri)e #o #he (ea%h/ I ha)e no idea how i# s#ar#ed+ (u# whene)er we go #o #he (ea%h+ we mus# ride in #he !la#(ed o! my dad0s #ru% all #oge#her/ I guess we $us# %anno# s#and (eing a.ar# !or !i)e minu#es/ As I see #he (ea%h in #he dis#an%e and I am surrounded (y my !a)ori#e girls+ I %anno# hel. (u# (urs# in#o a huge smile/ 4o me+ #here is no#hing (e##er #hen soa ing u. #he sun and si##ing (y #he la e wi#h #he .eo.le I lo)e mos#/ On%e we !inally hi# #he .ar ing lo#+ we all 7ui% ly s%ram(le ou# o! #he (a% o! #he #ru% and (egin #o s.rin# #o #he wa#er/ We lea)e our .aren#s in #he dus#+ ma ing #hem %arry e)ery (ea%h (lan e#+ %hair and %ooler #hrough #he ho# sand/ On%e we are %lose #o #he wa#er we all $oin hands+ and $us# as .lanned+ we run in#o #he %ool la e wa#er in unison/ We all shrie a(ou# #he wa#er (eing %old (u# ma e no a##em.# #o run (a% #o our (ea%h (lan e#s nea#ly arranged on #he sand/ 4he !un has $us# (egun+ and we s%ream eagerly !or #he res# o! our !amily #o %ome $oin us/ We s.end #he res# o! #he a!#ernoon wading #hrough #he %lean+ (lue wa#ers o! 8a e Mi%higan+ $um.ing o)er wa)es+ %lim(ing in and ou# o! ra!#s+ and #hrowing #he !oo#(all around/ As we #em.orarily lose in#eres# in #he wa#er+ my dad (rings ou# his sho)el #ha# he uses in #he yard (a% home and we (egin #o dig/ 4his sho)el is way (e##er #hen #hose %hea. .las#i% sand sho)els and we ma e .rogress on our hole we name 9#he .i#9/ 5elly and I+ nown #o (e a (i# la'ier #hen Ashley and Ro(yn+ 7ui# digging and de%ide #o %rawl on#o our (ea%h (lan e#s !or a (i#/ Ashley and Ro(yn %on#inue #o dig #ill we ha)e a huge hole+ or should I say+ .i#/ We all %lim( in #he .i# and laugh un%on#rolla(ly a# wha# we %rea#ed/ No.e+ we did no# ma e a sand%as#le or a moa# we made a .i#/ Our .aren#0s sna. a !ew .ho#os and (e!ore we now i# our !irs# day a#

WARREN DUNES : #he (ea%h has %ome #o an end/ 3u# we are no# #he leas# (i# sad (e%ause we now we ha)e more (ea%h days #o %ome/ All !our o! us %lumsily %lim( (a% in#o #he !la#(ed o! #he #ru% %arrying large so!# ser)e i%e %ream %ones we go# a# #he %on%ession s#and on our way ou#/ As we dri)e (a% #o #he %am.ground+ #he (ree'e is (lowing #hrough my la e wa#er #angled hair as we all sing a# #he #o. o! our lungs #o songs li e+ 9Swee# ;ome Ala(ama9 and 9"ar#y In 4he U/S/A/9 (y Miley Cyrus/ 4he sun !illed day has go##en #o us+ and our silliness le)els rea%h an all #ime high/ I %an see my .aren#s laughing a(ou# our shenanigans in #he !ron# sea#+ as we o(no6iously gree# e)ery .erson in #he %am.ground wi#h loud hellos and %om.limen#s a%#ing li e we are #he !unnies# .eo.le in #he world/ In #hose momen#s we are o()iously a %om(ina#ion o! o)erly e6haus#ed and $us# ridi%ulously ha..y/ 8a#er+ we ha)e %ome %rashing down !rom our high/ We shower in #he no# so glamorous %am.ground (a#hrooms and a##em.# #o wash o!! #he layers and layers o! sand #ha# seems #o (e e)erywhere/ We 7ui% ly ea# ano#her grilled dinner+ and ho. (a% in #he #ru% #o %a#%h #he sunse# o)er #he la e/ We ma e i# in #he ni% o! #ime and admire #he glowing shades o! red+ .in + yellow and orange/ Ashley and Ro(yn+ #he !amily a#hle#es+ de%ide i# is #he .er!e%# #ime #o %lim( u. #he gian# sand dune Warren Dunes S#a#e "ar is nown !or/ We (egin #he $ourney o! %lim(ing u. #he dune named+ 94ower ;ill9+ whi%h is an e6haus#ing ,:- !ee# #all/ 5elly and I ma e i# u. a(ou# hal! way and de%ide a (rea is ne%essary/ Ashley and Ro(yn s%urry u. #he dune li e i# is no#hing and ma e i# #o #he #o. way (e!ore 5elly and I %an e)en #hin a(ou# ge##ing u. !rom our (rea / E)en#ually+ we ma e i# u. #o #he #o. o! #he dune+ hu!!ing and .u!!ing #he whole way #here/ 3u# on%e we are #here+ #he )iew is (eau#i!ul and de!ini#ely wor#h #he %lim(/ 4he s y is !illed wi#h a swirl o! %olors and #he %rys#al %lear wa#ers o! 8a e Mi%higan seem #o (e glis#ening/ I

WARREN DUNES 2 loo o)er a# my %ousins and sis#er and #hey are all smiling widely+ and so am I/ 4hen (e!ore I now i#+ we are running and s i..ing a# high s.eeds all #he way down #he sand dune #ill we rea%h #he .a)emen#/ We dri)e (a% #o #he %am.si#e+ #he long day %oming #o an end/ My dad se#s u. a %am.!ire and we all ga#her around i# in a %ir%le/ We roas# marshmallows and re%oun# #he (es# momen#s o! #he day/ We all laugh loudly as my Un%le Dan %ra% s a $o e and sim.ly smile when #he laugh#er and %ha##er dies down+ en$oying ea%h o#her0s %om.any/ When %lim(ing in#o my (un #ha# nigh# wi#h slee.y eyes+ all I !eel is ha..iness/ I !eel %on#en# nowing #he days #o %ome will (e s.en# s.lashing on #he 8a e Mi%higan shore+ wal ing around in #he small la eside #owns+ soa ing u. #he ho# Augus# sun+ and mos# o! all s.ending #his #ime wi#h my !amily/ I reali'e how (lessed I am #o ha)e su%h a lo)ing !amily+ and how I ho.e #o %rea#e a (ond $us# li e #his wi#h my own !amily one day/ 4his %am.ing #ri. e)ery year reminds me o! #he im.or#an%e o! a s#rong !amily (ond/ I# %rea#es memories+ e)erlas#ing !riendshi.s+ and sim.ly .u#+ i# %rea#es ha..iness/

WARREN DUNES <