Travelogue: UP Michigan-Crisp Point

For a long time, Andy’s parent’s owned 1/5 of a share of a very rustic cabin on the upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan. (no electricity and an outhouse–a real pioneer experience) The cabin was a part of Andy’s childhood. However, by the time I met him, he had been living on his own for some time, and we settled down out west. My only knowledge of the cabin was that his parents owned one.

About eight years ago, that first generation of owners, including my in-laws, decided it was time to sell their shares. All of the now-adult kids got first dibs to purchase them. We lived in California at that time. To get to the cabin, it would have taken up to three plane rides plus a long car ride. The idea that we would make it to Michigan with any regularity seemed so farfetched. Andy and his siblings passed on the opportunity for a variety of reasons.

We had no idea that less than two years later, we would live a day’s drive away from the UP. Honestly, though, I still did not feel the draw or see the appeal despite being an avid outdoors person and camper. I keep a list of places I want to travel to, and the UP was on it but certainly not at the top.

Then along came the pandemic, and our dream locations were no longer a possibility. Andy’s parents have remained friendly with the cabin’s owners, and his mom approached us with the idea of meeting there. Without hesitation, we said yes. In other words, get me out of this house now. I know some of you are feeling the same way. She probably could have suggested we meet at the nearest Cracker Barrel, and I would have said yes.

Let me be clear. I had no idea what I was missing. If I had known how magical the UP was, it would have been at the top of my list in the first place.

I mean, come on! This was the Crisp Point lighthouse on our first morning.

I am going to share a ton of other photos because that’s just what I do. However, to get a real feel for our entire trip off the grid, I invite you to watch the video below. I know it’s kind of a bummer to watch someone else’s vacation, but the video is mostly nature. That first view of Lake Superior is one long exhale.

We all approached the vacation a little differently, but the main event was hunting for rocks, including Yooperlites, a type of glowing rock only discovered in 2017. The Great Lakes are rich with rocks and minerals, and there are at least 15 unique varieties at Lake Superior.

Once my son knew the kinds of rocks he might find, the hunt was on. He planned his strategy and list weeks in advance. Within a couple of days, he and his brother found everything on the list.

Our first morning at Crisp Point, the temperature was mild, and the water was calm. We pitched our tents on the sand, and I had the best night’s sleep I had in months.

Feeling fresh from all that rest, I busied myself with camp chores, which I found meditative and purposeful.

Millie took to forest and beach life immediately. She’s on the video a bunch, but as I am writing this post, I realize that she did not make it into most of the photos that I am sharing here.

As a town dog, Millie is on the leash at all times unless she’s on our property here at BHH. I was concerned that she might run off, but she reverted directly to good dog status with Andy and me sharing the alpha role. She spent her days swimming, keeping an eye on her pack members, and sniffing all the new smells.

Our daughter’s main goal was to bust out handstands in beautiful locations. Nailed it.

On our second day there, it was so windy that our tent collapsed, and we slept in the cabin instead. I slept equally well on the couch.

The cabin was too dark to take a lot of photos, but I did manage to take one of this ancient stove. What a beauty!

The stove situation was amusing. There were three of them in the kitchen, each one newer than the next. It looked like a little stove museum with over 100 years of updates.

For the rest of our stay, the wind died down, but the whitecaps on Lake Superior remained. The waves were large enough for surfing! Intellectually, I understand how this is possible on the Great Lakes, but it is still difficult to grasp that a lake can perform like the ocean.

I suppose the rest of this post should be a photo dump, or I risk resorting to hyperbole.

We found so many unique rocks that we thought it would be fun to have a Rock Show. After a cooperative discussion that included hashing out the rules and categories, we were all eager to head back to the beach to search for winners.

Hilarity ensued with the Celebrity Lookalike category garnering the most laughs.

Grandma, Grandpa, and our friend, Lyv were the judges. No prizes were awarded, only bragging rights.

I cannot remember ever having such a relaxing vacation. Except for a small crowd at the lighthouse on the weekend, we were alone. I had plenty of time to think and dream without the distractions of living and working in a project house.

What I have come to realize is that my current method of working myself to a frazzle isn’t sustainable. My work ethic is iron strong, and I kept thinking that if I worked more hours and more days that it would eventually pay dividends. I’ve started a business before, and that initial start-up phase didn’t last forever.

In my current job, I’ve just managed to reward myself with more work and no additional pay. I thought I was setting proper boundaries, but I now see how weak they are.

As Andy and I sat on the beach that first afternoon, I told him that I finished my “have-tos” for the day, and I realized that I did not have anything else that I needed to do. I felt so calm. My brain wasn’t racing. I did not feel like I was juggling so many tasks that I was pretty much half-assing them all.

He said, “Welcome to my world. I feel that way most of the time.” He has always done an admirable job of working hard and relaxing harder.

Sign me up. I want more of that.

I don’t know what that looks like for me exactly, but I am committed to paring down and carving out the work that is meaningful and beneficial to my business and family too.

As a long-time people pleaser, I’ve concentrated on producing content that makes other people happy but often discounts essential aspects of what makes me, me.

I assure you that I have been authentic, but who I am and my work are intricately intertwined. As I narrowed my focus, I stopped sharing and even living my backstory, and it shapes so much of how I approach every project at BHH.

Who knew that the Upper Peninsula of Michigan could be so transformative? It’s no Cracker Barrel, but it’ll do.

Now, I have to ask, have you been to the UP, and what are your thoughts on outhouses? (Pro tip: Stick-on air fresheners are pointless. Breathe through your mouth.)

PS: Please do watch the video if you would like a better representation of the area, weather, and the timeline. It’s more adventure-packed than the photos on this post. Also, if you are a big Millie fan, that’s where you’ll get your fill of our sweet black lab.