Lydgate Park

This morning we went just up the street to Lydgate State Park.  In spite of being on the East side of the island (translation: high surf in winter, beaches closed to swimming of any sort...), Lydgate is fantastic for kids.  It has a huge play area in case you/your kids are tired of the sun and sand (yeah, right!).  A swimming and pseudo-snorkling cove has been created by building a rock wall (seen below).   The lagoon is no deeper than an adults' chest.  The tide still goes up/down and waves lull in and out, but the surf has been broken up by the rock wall.  Fish will come and mingle on the edges of the rock, creating a great place for kids to take up snorkeling.  Stefan first snorkeled here when he was 4.  We still can not convince Dougie to do so at 5-1/2...

Ian and I sat on the rocks that divided the main lagoon and a "baby" lagoon (a lagoon inside the lagoon - shallower and very calm) and watched fish for a good long time.

Stefan snorkeled and engineered sand structures

Dougie tried re-creating the Panama Canal.

 Eventually Ian came to join them in their digging.

Ian tries out snorkeling...  from the lounge chair...