The weather reports were in, and New England was about to get blasted with upwards of two feet of snow. With Winter Storm Niko having just come in a few days before, and another storm lingering on the horizon, people were out in full force preparing for the worst. Grocery store shelves were bare, and crowds of shopping carts and bodies filled the check out lines.

There always seems to be a lull before a large storm. On the brink of when the snow was going to start, I found myself at the Old Orchard Pier, meeting a friend. The waves were crashing in, and the abandoned beachfront amusement park stood lifeless and cold.

Such a strange sight, imagining these same beaches packed full with tourists and children during the summer months. Often, July and August mean having to trek half way down the beach to find a bare spot to lay your towel. Now, as I looked out over the snow dusted sand, there was a breathtaking calmness before the anticipated turmoil that was to come.

As the snow started to pick up, and my hands quickly turned to ice, we made our way back to our cars. With two new feet of snow, another storm on the way, and winter finally in full swing, I expect that the next time I visit the pier, the sun will be shining, the beach will be full, and I’ll be swapping my L.L. Bean boots for flipflops.