For a poor graduate student, vacations were a luxury that was hard to afford, although they are something everyone needs for mental health. Ann said that if we did not get away together soon, one of us was going to go nuts. We planned an affordable 5- or 6-day getaway (Thursday to Tuesday or Wednesday) to the beautiful countryside of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, at the height of the fall so that we could see the changing colors of the leaves. The UP is only about 6 hours by car from Michigan State, so we left one evening after work and planned to drive until about midnight and find a hotel. We also brought Ellie and the goal was to go hiking along the old logging trails and take pictures of the foliage and the Great Lakes. So gas and accommodations were the major costs, but the day hikes we had in mind would cost little. For us, sleeping in the car was also not out of the question.

On Wednesday evening we did not make great time getting to the UP. By the time we left, it was late and we were tired, so shortly after crossing the Mackinaw bridge we found a place somewhere on Route 2 to park for the night. Ellie made us feel safe as we settled in for the night, eating some sandwiches and snack food for dinner. Ellie ate a little of her dog food but also had part of each of our sandwiches. She ate better than any of us. Then Ellie had a little walk outside and so did we, and we all went to sleep.

All three of us shared a blanket. Ellie liked being under the blanket nice and warm. We woke the next morning as the sun started to shine in the back window. We got up and picked up some coffee and donuts for breakfast and headed on to Marquette to find a hotel. We found a place and went to our room to shower and settle in. We did not stay long because we quickly headed out for some day hikes and photo safaris in the mountains. The hotel had some info on local attractions and we had some trails in mind too. Ann and I were excited and Ellie wagged her tail.

I was carrying the camera gear and some water. Ann had the leash for Ellie and some food. We found a perfect trail that had a bunch of waterfalls along the route and a lodge at the end where we could take a break before walking back. The first part of the trip was uphill much of the way, so it was somewhat strenuous, but always very pleasant. Ellie dragged Ann ahead and I kept lagging behind to take pix. Ann kept Ellie on the leash and I think that gave her the advantage of an extra pull up the hill. Occasionally the two of them would stop and wait for me and I could tell by the expression on Ellie’s face that she was not happy with me holding her and Ann back. Ann was happy to see me slowly trundle up the trail. We kissed and I told her about some of the great shots down the mountain I had been getting.

I took some pictures of a waterfall and with Ann in front of the waterfall and we continued on up. As we got higher we were treated to great views of the changing leaves and a panoramic view of Lake Superior. There was a wide range of waterfalls all the way up the trail. Some were quite tall; and one was long and broad. It sort of gradually cascaded onto a rock that was rippled, which caused to the water to look like it was bubbling vigorously as it flowed over the falls. I took multiple pictures of this, changing the exposure time to create different effects of the water on the rocks and falls. Longer exposure times made the flowing water look white and smooth; shorter ones made it look sharp and crisp.

We stopped for a light lunch—light because we hadn’t wanted to carry anything heavy. Ellie continued to forgo dog food and wanted human food, which we shared with her. There was plenty of water for Ellie to drink at all the falls, so we didn’t need to share our water with her. The walk back down the mountain went incredibly fast. Gravity helped, so much that Ann let Ellie off her leash. Ellie was off into the woods instantly like a dog on a mission.

We got to the car and Ellie waited patiently to be let in. Ann and I collapsed into our seats and drove back to the hotel. We showered, drank more water to re-hydrate and started making plans for dinner. Having Ellie along was a lot of fun, but it also meant we had to try hard to avoid leaving her in a hotel room. We decided to pick up some take-out pasties (a UP tradition). UP pasties are handheld pies completely covered in a tasty crust. The tradition of pasties is alleged to go back to Cornish miners, who would bring fresh baked pasties to the mines with them to eat for lunch. When the miners emigrated to the UP, pasties followed. Pasties usually contain meat, veggies and thick gravy. The pastie is entirely covered in a crust with a sturdy edge that can be held with one hand. The miners would heat the pastie on a mine shovel and eat it by holding the crusty edge. The last piece of crust was normally not finished but thrown back into the mine for good luck. Pasties are a meal in themselves, so Ann and I had one pastie each, with the crusts being given to Ellie. We played with Ellie by throwing around a Frisbee and enjoyed dinner and some soft drinks.

While in the UP we spent a day on the beach, went shopping around town and took a few more short hikes at different places. Research and thesis writing seemed a million miles away. I was enjoying taking pictures of Ann, Ellie and the beautiful countryside and natural wonders that abound in the U.P.

Having grown up near the beach in New York, I was used to the ocean and commented on the relatively calm water that started at my feet and met the horizon miles off shore. The water was cold, even though right then it was as warm as it ever gets. Lake Superior is a very large body of fresh water and very deep. It never gets very warm, hovering at about 50°F, so you do not see too many swimmers on the beach in the UP. But the beaches are gorgeous. Ellie thoroughly enjoyed chasing after birds and the waves. She played catch bounding after a tennis ball thrown in the water and chasing anything she could. Ann and I were enjoying a quiet and relaxing day after hiking all day yesterday, but Ellie was all energy. She kept us entertained.

It was a very enjoyable couple of days that ended too soon. The drive back home seemed to drag on and on. As Lansing got closer and closer, I could feel the stress and concern about my thesis grow with every mile. I kept looking at the highway in front of me as a career path. There were lots of exits and side roads, but I wanted to push forward with my thesis and get somewhere. Paris, France, was on the horizon, but there were miles to go to get there and I wanted Ann to be a passenger for the trip. I also did not want to get off track and really needed to focus on the Ph.D. prize. I knew what I needed to do, what was needed to get there, but I didn’t know what it would be like when I got there. There were too many things to think about, and I was thinking about them with great intensity as the car seemed to be driving me back into the fray of graduate school.