A Trip to the Beach

the kiddie pool is the happiest place to be at my house. A foot of water, a few buckets of sand and imagination overload turn our Wisconsin backyard into a beach—at least that’s how the kids see it.

As I watch them play, I sit back in a chair and look for reallife beaches in the pages of Country. While we were putting this issue together in the spring, water emerged as the theme. Perhaps we were longing for summertime and swimming holes?

The fun starts on page 16 with a road trip to Cocke County, Tennessee. I visited last year and was impressed by the beauty of the French Broad River. The county, which is home to two more rivers plus the Smoky Mountains and a burgeoning rafting community, is a quiet place to find adventure.

If the ocean is what you seek, turn to page 30. There you’ll find photos of gorgeous coasts in America the Beautiful. It’s amazing to see how different the oceans can appear as they meet the diverse shores of our country.

Of course, a water issue wouldn’t be complete without the Great Lakes. On page 48 you’ll read about the majestic landscape and historic tragedies on Lake Superior.

The National Ocean Service says there are 95,471 miles of shore (including oceans, lakes, creeks and rivers) to explore in this country. We’ve highlighted a few of them; exploring the rest is up to you.

Marija Andric, Editor marija@country-magazine.com