Rocks. Sand. Water (liquid or frozen)- ideally all three combined. Surround me with these elements and I’m a happy camper. Send Dustin off in his new ride with a coffee drink in hand and a podcast or football on the radio and he’s a happy camper.

Two years ago and about two weeks earlier, we took off for a 24-hour cruise up M-22 for a breath of fresh air. Literally. We were waiting for the poly to dry on our wood floors as moving into our new home was imminent. So we couldn’t really be in the house anyway. We drove through numerous Northern Michigan towns, making stops along the way, all while in Dustin’s parent’s orange beetle.

Fast forward two years and two additional weeks. The weekend before Halloween, Dustin decided we needed to escape the confinements of our bedroom for a weekend up north. We’ve recently been quarantined to our bedroom and bathroom as the entire front of the house- entrance, living room, dining area, stairwell, and kitchen are being taped and mudded. It is very satisfying, but also very dusty. However, tomorrow (!) painting will take place and OH MY GOSH I can’t wait for that. We’re basically living in a 12 x 12’ studio apartment. So anyway, we ran away for a couple days. And rocks and sand and water and foliage and coffee drinks and podcast-ing were had.

Here are some snaps of our drive up to M-31 and time spent in Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Wilderness State Park near Sturgeon Bay.

Coffee drinks and snacks from Outside Coffee Co and we are good to go!

We stopped by my parents for a quick hello and to see all their pretty trees.

In rock heaven somewhere around Wilderness State Park.

Taking a limo to dinner, as one does.

A stroll in downtown Petoskey and our usual drive-by home hunt.

Do you see that little baby Petoskey stone?!

That other little speckly stone is a Charlevoix- aka Favosite Coral.

And a few from Walloon Lake, Mt. McSauba, and downtown Charlevoix.

Did you see Sasquatch?!