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Roadtrip Part 3: PoF’s Piece of Pleistocene Paradise

June 12, 2017 by Mr. 1500 Days 34 Comments

Ask the Readers takes a break for a final week while I’m on my trip. Instead, I’ll regale you with tales from my travels (see Part 1 and Part 2: Alepocalypse). In this week’s edition, I tell you about Physician on FIRE’s (PoF) piece of Pleistocene Paradise.

After a long strange trip with PoF last week, I needed some downtime. Between all of the biking and beering, relaxation was what the doctor ordered. Fortunately, PoF agreed to let me recover at his second home.

We departed Minnesota bright and early and hit the open road. Our first stop was Duluth, a beautiful city on the Western shore of Lake Superior. I like large mechanical things, so seeing the lift bridge in action was a treat:

We stopped in Marquette the next day where we saw this structure. It was built by mysterious aliens eons ago:

We say more signs of alien life at Lakenenland:

 

PoF’s Piece of Pleistocene Paradise

PoF was awesome enough to let us use his second home. You may think that an anesthesiologist would vacation at a 5,000 square foot mansion on a private beach, but remember that PoF adheres to the principal of stealth wealth. PoF bought his vacation property for the minuscule sum of $15,400:

But don’t let the price fool you, PoF’s vacation home is a little piece of paradise. His place sits on a beautiful, clear lake that was formed during the Pleistocene. The Pleistocene was the last glacier age and the lake was left behind when the ice retreated.

Our girls didn’t want to hear about glaciers though. Instead, they spent many hours trying unsuccessfully to catch fingerlings (baby fish):

The dinosaurs got up every morning before dawn to take in the sunrise:

And the Mrs. and I practiced our… um…

Big thanks to PoF for sharing his family’s wonderful home with us.

 

Madison

On the way home, we stopped off in Madison for an evening. We did what tourists in Wisconsin do on Friday night, eat fried fish:

Saturday morning, we headed to the farmers’ market before heading for home.

 

Slow Travel

This was our first experiment with slow travel. We were away for over two weeks, something that would have never been possible if I had a job. I still planned too much, but our pace was slower. A couple memories stick out:

    • The PoF and 1500 families like to read. One evening at PoF’s primary residence, we all grabbed a book and a comfortable place to sit and just read. In vacations past, I never would have taken the time to read.
    • At PoF’s cabin, there was a day when I didn’t plan everything. This is highly unusual for me. It was good.

I look forward to slowing it down even more in the future. I’d love to rent some place on the water and plunk my ass there for a month with a stack of books in my backpack, running shoes in my suitcase and some beer in the refrigerator. Next summer…

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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Physician on Fire, road trip, slow travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mustard Seed Money says

    June 12, 2017 at 4:09 am

    Reading on a vacation by a body of water sounds amazing!!! I use to read two-three books during a vacation week. It was incredible. However, those days are over until my 20 month old starts to get into books. He thinks looking at a picture and then closing it and throwing it at me is fun. He then finds a new book and repeats the process. Book reading isn’t my favorite activity with him 🙂
    Mustard Seed Money recently posted…One Way To Save 5% Each MonthMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Physician on FIRE says

    June 12, 2017 at 4:24 am

    We’re glad you got to enjoy a little downtime at the lake — after a busy weekend on call, I’m headed there today for a week of slow living.

    A quick question: can you fully relax with that surly looking skull staring back at you? I’d be afraid that Todd the Axeman was gonna get me. With an axe. Not a relaxing thought.

    Cheers!
    -PoF
    Physician on FIRE recently posted…The Sunday Best (6/11/2017)My Profile

    Reply
    • Gwen @ Fiery Millennials says

      June 12, 2017 at 8:36 am

      I highly doubt Todd the Axeman is going to get you with a cleaver or chainsaw. Then he’d be Todd the Cleaverman or Todd the Chainsawman. (I can understand why he went with Axeman. Much better ring to it.)
      Gwen @ Fiery Millennials recently posted…What’s A Lot?My Profile

      Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:51 pm

      Todd does scare me, but the more I drank, the less scared I was. Funny how that works out. I also had to pee more.

      Reply
  3. Team CF says

    June 12, 2017 at 5:29 am

    A break day or two during a holiday is an absolute must in our book. It’s just so nice to just do nothing for a day and read a book, eat, chat, go for a swim or catch baby fish 😉 Those can be the best days of the holiday: quality time.
    Team CF recently posted…BENL FIRE Meetup Utrecht Edition – Final ReminderMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Matthew in Michigan says

    June 12, 2017 at 5:42 am

    Glad you had safe relaxing time, but no mention of your time in the UP?? I was curious to here your thoughts. Two weeks is a long time to be gone, we’ve never managed more than a week. However next month we will be close to 2 weeks gone for our road trip out to Montanna….with 3 kid’s 12 years and under…..all in a minivan……I hope we survive 🙂

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:53 pm

      We didn’t get to spend as much time there as we would have liked. Besides quick stops here and there, we mostly just passed through. I would have loved to explore more. My slow travel isn’t quite slow enough yet.

      Have a great time in Montana! I’ve only seen small parts, but it was incredibly beautiful.

      Reply
  5. My Sons Father says

    June 12, 2017 at 5:58 am

    Slow travel is the way to go. Our family just wrapped up a road trip and I tried to cram way too much into it. Wish I had slowed things down like you and your family. Well, there is always next vacation. Glad you had such a great time!

    Reply
  6. Mr. SSC says

    June 12, 2017 at 7:14 am

    Slow travel sounds awesome! Mrs. SSC and the kids are taking a 2 week roadtrip up to MT with stops planned for the cadillac ranch in Texas to paint some caddies, RMNP, Yellowstone, and more. She’s driving up with her parents and I’m kind of jealous and kind of feel like I may have dodged a bullet. 🙂 They’ll have a month of travel/vacation by the time we all head home.

    I’m flying up to meet them in MT and am looking forward to a nice long stay around there. It’s not as slow as I’d like, but slower than our usual vacations.
    Mr. SSC recently posted…Choose FI Podcast Interview: How we got here and even more SSC household background!My Profile

    Reply
  7. Brian says

    June 12, 2017 at 7:33 am

    Looking good. My wife can be a bit of a drill sergeant when we go on vacation. I have to reminder her that vacation are meant to slow down a bit and we don’t need to have every moment planned. I guess the slow part will be over and you get back in the NSX?
    Brian recently posted…Leaving a Legacy: Class of 2030My Profile

    Reply
  8. Friendly Russian says

    June 12, 2017 at 8:15 am

    Nice trip, I’d like to take my motorcycle and hit the road. Seems like a lot of fun. Especially when you get to see a lot of sceneries.
    P.S.
    Reading is the best. Try to read every night
    Friendly Russian recently posted…Don’t let your past define your future.My Profile

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      If you move out by me, we should do some motorcycle touring!

      Reply
      • Friendly Russian says

        June 12, 2017 at 5:38 pm

        I am making a list of nice roads and place to ride in CO. And there are A LOT of them.

        Reply
        • Mr. 1500 Days says

          June 12, 2017 at 8:18 pm

          Vroom vroom comrade! 🙂

          Reply
  9. TheHappyPhilosopher says

    June 12, 2017 at 9:11 am

    While you were in Wisconsin did you have deep fried cheese curds with a glass of Miller High Life?

    If not you must return there and complete this ancient ritual.
    TheHappyPhilosopher recently posted…Calling All Bloggers: Help Me Create a BlogrollMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      Deep fried cheese curds: Yes. Miller High Life? Hell no!!!

      Reply
  10. Done by Forty says

    June 12, 2017 at 9:59 am

    I love me some Surly. Though I do wish it were a bit hoppier. Maybe my tastebuds are going.

    That’s a pretty incredible sum for a vacation home. I feel like a sucker for buying our new place. We could have purchased a lake house instead and been FI already. 😉

    Reply
  11. Brandon says

    June 12, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    Sounds like you guys had a blast!

    What’s the next trip?!

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:55 pm

      Maine, Vermont, NYC and Scotland!

      Reply
  12. Mrs. BITA says

    June 12, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Sounds like a successful first sojourn into the world of slow travel. A gorgeous lake and a day with books – that is hard to beat.
    Mrs. BITA recently posted…Long Term Capital Gains, Roth Conversions and Harvesting GainsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      June 12, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      Life doesn’t get much better than when you’re on the water.

      Reply
  13. Mr. Tako says

    June 12, 2017 at 3:58 pm

    Fantastic part 3! Two weeks is a great family road trip!

    Seems like your enjoying the newfound freedom!
    Mr. Tako recently posted…Want To Get Rich? Skip The Buffet!My Profile

    Reply
  14. Mrs. Picky Pincher says

    June 13, 2017 at 6:56 am

    Awww yeah, that fried fish looks good (and I hate fish). Glad to see you’re enjoying that early retirement life!
    Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…79 Ways To Have Fun For Nearly FreeMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Jason says

    June 14, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Sounds like a great trip. Did you stop off at the Dinosaur Park in Rapid City on your way home? http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/business/dinosaur-park

    Reply
  16. Ed69 says

    June 18, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    Great slow travel, that is my ideal perfect vacation. Not planning anything and just go where the flow takes you….

    Reply
  17. redrider_00 says

    July 2, 2017 at 6:57 am

    If I didn’t enjoy our second home so much I’d let you use it next summer for a month. We bought it last December intending to rent it out on Airbnb but decided we would only pay way more taxes by earning more money so we might as well enjoy it as a family. Plus it has AC and the farm doesn’t! These muggy Iowa nights call for air conditioning!

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      July 2, 2017 at 7:55 am

      Awesome! Since you live in Iowa, I’d be curious to know where your vacation home is?

      Reply
      • redrider_00 says

        July 2, 2017 at 9:04 pm

        15 miles from our farm in Northwest Iowa.

        Reply
        • Mr. 1500 Days says

          July 3, 2017 at 1:08 pm

          Awesome! I’ve probably rode my bike right past on of your places on one of my many RAGBRAIs!

          Reply
          • redrider_00 says

            July 5, 2017 at 9:40 pm

            You were most likely within a mile or two!

  18. Bill Johnson says

    July 3, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    Seems like you are a regular traveler.
    Where will be your next trip in next vacation?

    Reply
    • Mr. 1500 Days says

      July 3, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Maine, Vermont, NYC and then Scotland! Oh yeah!

      Reply
      • Boris Meyer says

        May 2, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        I was planning for NYC as well but this COVID kicked me in my house 🙁
        Boris Meyer recently posted…How To Become A Pipeline Welder – Step By Step GuideMy Profile

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Sunday Best (6/18/2017) - Physician on FIRE says:
    June 18, 2017 at 1:57 am

    […] I’ve been on vacation at our modest but comfortable little second home for the last five or six days. If you read 1500days, it’s the same place he and his family occupied for a similar length of time the week before as documented in this post. […]

    Reply

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Freedom!

My goal was to build a portfolio of $1,000,000 by February of 2017; 1500 days from the birth of this blog (January 1, 2013). And hey look, I’ve since retired!

Investments only
1/1/13 (The Start): $586,043
1/1/14 (1 Yr Later): $869,635
1/1/15 (2 Yrs Later): $987,351
1/1/16 (3 Yrs Later): $1,057,961
1/1/17 (4 Yrs Later): $1,257,128
1/1/18 (5 Yrs Later): $1,527,701
1/1/19 (6 Yrs Later): $1,549,440
1/1/20 (7 Yrs Later): $2,035,040*
1/1/21 (8 Yrs Later): $3,379,746**
1/1/22 (8 Yrs Later): $4,762,642

2022: Investments only
1/1: $4,762,642
2/1: $4,404,447
3/1: $4,214,068
4/1: $4,499,622
5/1: $4,007,476

Overall
2022 investment gains: -$755,166
Investment gains since 1/1/2013: $3,421,433
Net worth***: $4,237,476

* The big jump between 2019 and 2020 was partly because we bought another home, but kept the previous (much more expensive) one as a rental. We have since sold it.

** Tesla.

*** Includes our primary home equity in addition to our investment portfolio.

Finally, we still have about $290,000 in mortgage debt (which I love!). No regrets about the debts!

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