With a fantastic ocean view, the sidewalk on Ocean Boulevard is alive with activity. It’s a thoroughfare for physical fitness and peace of mind. Long and flat, this concrete paradise is a Mecca for just about every activity involving movement.


Full of life throughout the day, its peak usage is in the early morning and then again after supper.  Walkers of all ages and all speeds are out in full force, punctuated by joggers and casual bicyclists. Dogs and baby buggies all have their say. I’ve even see people doing Tai Chi and Massage Therapy out there.

One might ask why this particular sidewalk invites such liveliness. The answer - the ocean is a stone’s throw away, just past the dunes which lie at the lateral cusp of the sidewalk.

Those dunes are part of Delray Beach’s Dune Revegetation Project.
Started in 1974, the project’s original vegetation included beachberry, seagrapes and sea oats. The long term project calls for all plants to be native to their appropriate dune zones.

According to the Delray Beach Zoning and Planning website:

“Beach dunes and vegetation are part of the overall erosion control mechanism on the coast. Sand which forms the dune is trapped by vegetation; dunes provide a source of sand to act as a buffer to storm-driven erosion. The system acts as a shock absorber to protect upland property from storm damage.

In addition to their role in erosion control, coastal vegetation provides natural beauty and habitat for coastal animals. In Delray Beach, vegetation can aid the survival of sea turtles by partially screening artificial lights creating the background glow of the City.”

In addition to the beneficial properties, dunes just look nice. They’re pleasing to the eye and comforting to the soul. They’re six different shades of green and diverse in texture.

Blooming flowers offer a splash of color. And there’s one flower, whose identification eludes me still, even after all this time, that provides an aromatic therapy which, when combined with sunshine and the sound of the ocean, just can’t be beat for a little peace of mind.
 
On days when the ocean’s tide is high, I choose the sidewalk for my daily walk and I usually make time to travel home the long way simply to ride my bicycle alongside the dunes.

I was once enamored solely of the dunes on Ocracoke Island and the long walk to the ocean via a particular wooden boardwalk, and in fact I still am.  A small spit of land 30 miles out to sea off the North Carolina coast, the dunes of Ocracoke Island remain the yardstick by which I measure the joy of traveling to the ocean. They are also the inspiration for my pen name – Jackson Dunes.

Jackson Dunes is a small island neighborhood on Ocracoke Island’s southeast side. Overlooking the salt marsh and the ocean, it’s my favorite place to stay when I’m on the island. Much of my first book, Pug At The Beach, An island dog's reflections on lifewas written there. In my travels I cannot help but compare all other beach communities to this one.


Perhaps it’s a result of the joy felt while walking on the long boardwalk, over the dunes, to get to the ocean’s edge.


Take a walk on the boardwalk, over the dunes to the Ocracoke Island beach. (Video is 44 seconds long.)


My wish for you today is that you find your own joy through your own daily travels whether that means commuting on city streets, boardwalks or traveling inward to discover your path to peace and enlightenment.

<*(((><
Copyright 2008 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credits: Diana Taylor, Delray Beach, Florida & Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

For cut & paste:
http://www.mydelraybeach.com/Delray/Departments/Planning+and+Zoning/For+Visitors/Dune+Revegetation.htm
http://www.downtowndelraybeach.com/
http://www.ocracokeislandrealty.com

For more info on the projects the city of Delray Beach has planned visit their Planning & Zoning website or contact them via:
Telephone: (561) 243-7040
E-mail: pzmail@MyDelrayBeach.com

Send us photos of your favorite dunes and/or beaches. Send them as jpegs and keep them on the small side. Nothing naughty. No people. Only scenery. We’ll accept photos until January 31, 2009. Send photos to the following address: photos(at)pugatthebeach(dot)com. Make sure to include your contact/credit info so we can tell the world what a wonderful photographer you are! By sending us your photos, you agree that they are: 1) your property - you own the copyright to the photo(s) and 2) you agree to have these photo(s) posted here on this blog. Absolutely no funny business. It will not be tolerated. Get sassy and we'll sic the dog on you. He may be Zen but he knows how to bite.