UP NORTH

Nicholas was back this month, and so we decided to head "Up North" to northern Michigan for a few days. We decided on Petoskey at the recommendation of the novelist Ann Patchett, who has spent quite a bit of time in that area.

It was a 3.5 hour drive, but the company in the car with Kathleen and the kids made the drive go by quickly. We took in the sights in Petoskey on a cold, rainy first day. We had soft pretzels, bought candy, and stopped by one of Ms. Patchett's favorite independent bookstores, McLean and Eakin.

We had a wonderful supper in town and then retired to the hotel for a nice night in comfy beds.

The next day we had an amazing brunch at the aptly named Maple and Batter complete with pumpkin pancakes of course!

Then, we went on a beautiful hike outside Charlevoix to witness the fall colors. It was breathtaking!

We'll cherish this weekend until the next family vacation!