October is our favorite time to photograph weddings in Chicago. The combination of mild temperatures, crisp air, early golden sunsets and changing colors create ideal wedding photography conditions. For those same reasons, plus lack of mosquitos, it’s also our favorite time to travel and seek solitude. We always make an effort to get away during October, typically during Columbus Day weekend, which makes it a very appropriate weekend to explore the unknown.

As with most of our adventures, going to Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area was rather a spontaneous decision. We wanted to find a “remote” place but not more than 6 hours away from Chicago. As always, we turned to Google Maps to help us to find this magical place.

Located on the shores of the Lake Michigan, Nordhouse Dunes  is a  part of Manistee National Forest, therefore a public land. The trip took place during infamous government shutdown, which created a bit of dilemma as we were not sure if the forest will be accessible to the public. It turned out the shutdown worked in our favor as we did not have to purchase backpacking permits. No government, no fees ….. sweet!

We spent two days camping along the shore of lake Michigan, catching up with some reading, watching golden sunsets and shooting stars at night, all in total solitude. Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness turned out to be one of the most amazing places we’ve visited. What a way to reset a mind and spirit.