Initially I was planning to write about a bottle of wine I bought while on my September vacation, but somehow this post grew and grew, and it became one in a series of 5… Here are my memories from my September road trip.
Being Polish I don’t like the heat, so September is my favorite month to go on vacation in. The weather usually cools down a bit and, if I’m lucky, I get to enjoy the leaves cautiously starting to change colors.
This year my fiancé and I decided to go for a road trip to Lake Michigan, a road trip that included visiting multiple locations, lighthouses, food establishments, and a cruise on S.S. Badger across the lake from Ludington to Manitowoc. I was anxiously wondering how the trip will go, since this is the furthest we were traveling in COVID times, although I tried to stay informed on potential travel restrictions and account for last minute adjustments to the plan.
Day 1 – 340 miles
We have left early in the morning and headed east. Our first destination was Michael Jackson’s house in Gary, IN, and then – Indiana Dunes National Park. The visitors’ center has been a rich source of information and it was great to see so many maps and guides in multiple languages – including Polish!
Encouraged by a helpful ranger, we decided to go for a short but intense hike – walking uphill on sand is a true workout! We had to stop a few times to calm our breathing, but finally we made it to the top of the tallest dune: Mt. Tom.
It was an interesting experience for me; walking on the dunes. In my home country, this activity is strictly forbidden and punishable by law. Here, dunes are a tourist attraction and walking on them is encouraged.
We climbed up the tallest of them, then climbed down, took off our shoes and socks, and waded in the water. This is when I finally felt the stress of the daily grind and work leaving me, and the relief of not staring at the computer screen. There was endless horizon in front of me, colorful rocks under me, and my fiancé’s hand in mine. We have collected multiple rocks from the beach and headed on, as it was getting dark.
In preparation for my trip, I mapped out 32(!!!) lighthouses on our way. It became painfully obvious (duh) that we won’t be able to see them all (we would have to take a month-long vacation), but the ones we saw were all beautiful and all different. Each one was like a collection item I was putting on a prominent shelf in my memory, and the first one of them was Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse. It hit me again how different this endless space is from my home office, and I heard my boss’ words in my head: “I believe in disconnecting”.
I now do too.
