The Frugal Traveler

A new summer is up on us and the semester just ended a couple of weeks ago. Me and couple of friends decided to take a weekend trip. Pictured Rocks is on the shores of Lake Superior, about 6.5 h North of Ann Arbor. We departed from Ann Arbor on Saturday at 4 AM and our first destination was Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula. The Tahquamenon Falls comprises of two falls the upper and the lower falls. Due to time constraints we decided to visit only the upper falls. The sheer force and enormity of the falls was amazing. Several viewing platforms at short hiking distances provide excellent vantage point to view the falls. Tahquamenon Falls After spending an hour near the falls, we drove to Munising, MI and checked into our hotel. With a few hours of day light left, we decided to visit Miners Castle  and explore the surrouring area. It is one of the icons of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Short paved trails provide excellent view points of the rock formations and l

End of April brings with it the joy of summer holidays. Although 'summer-holidays' does not mean much to a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D, it does provide more time to balance research with non-academic fun. It also marks the beginning of pleasant weather, at least for a few months, and lots of hiking options for amateurs such as myself. Warren Dunes State Park is just off of Interstate 94W close to the exit 16. About 160 miles from Ann Arbor, approximately 3 hours drive, it is a perfect place for a weekend hiking trip. The trails here, along the lake Michigan's beach and the sand dunes are reasonably tough to hike (when done backwards) and takes roughly 6-8 hours. This time of the year, there is hardly any crowd there, making it very peaceful. On the downside, be sure to pack lunch and snacks and carry plenty of water! none of the eating options are open. One would have to travel for several miles to find an eatery. Also, if you are thinking of hiking the sand trai