It’s almost time for our 42.2 mile hike through Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. This will not be our most challenging hike but it will be our longest. We’ve taken many things into consideration planning this trip and thought it would be a good time to reflect. Why Pictured Rocks With this being my first …
Presque Isle Park is truly a diamond among gems. This 323 acre park is located on a peninsula that juts into Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan. The park contains two picnic areas, concession facilities, hiking trails (which we took advantage of at least a little), playgrounds, grassy open areas, a historic wood band shell, restrooms, …
For the past 68 years, Mackinac Island has celebrated the bloom of the lilacs with parades, tours, art exhibitions, food tasting, and my personal favorite, fudge. This was my first year visiting the island when the lilacs were in bloom. I was impressed by the colors; purples, pinks, whites, and wine. Some were fragrant while …
The Sturgeon River is a 106 mile long wild, raging river with some pretty amazing waterfalls. One such waterfall is Canyon Falls, called such for a good reason. Canyon Falls is located at a scenic rest stop on US-41, making it a fairly well known and visited waterfall. At roughly 15 feet in height and …
There’s a little known waterfall in the Keweenaw called Hungarian Falls. Hungarian Falls is made up of several drops; Upper, Middle, and Lower. The Upper and Middle drops, though shorter in height, are remarkably beautiful. If ever there was a waterfall that looked like it belonged in an enchanted story with knights, castles, faeries, and …
Celebrating the Dutch Heritage, the Tulip Festival is a week long event that takes place all over the city of Holland. Activities such as dutch dancing, 19th century crafts, authentic dutch dining, a parade and of course the viewing of over 5 million tulips makes this festival one worthy of experiencing.
For months Steve and I have been talking about different ways to reduce more camping weight and started investigating hammocks vs tents. It took awhile but I finally decided to take a chance and bought the Hennessy Hammock Explorer Ultralight Asym Zip Hammock. The Specs Height Limit: 7′ Weight Limit: 250 lbs Packaged Weight: 2 …
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Six years ago Steve convinced me to step out of the familiarity of an established campground and venture out into the wilderness to pick a spot and set up camp. The place I picked to do that was Pigeon River State Forest. One night there and I never looked back. With a massive 105,000 acres, …
I recently expanded my skill set to include reading topographical maps. Oddly enough, I’ve never learned. But when I started planning hikes that have little to no information and no established trails, I resorted to these maps for help. So what is a topographical map?
Seney Wildlife Refuge is a place of peace, relaxation, and wildlife. It is our favorite stop after a long week of hiking. With everything from waterfowl to eagles to bear, there’s no place quite like it.
Fall Creek Falls State Park is a wonderland. It contains Fall Creek Falls, a massive 256 foot tall waterfall, five other waterfalls, 34 miles of hiking trails, a golf course, a campground, and a zip line. Not bad for a state park.
Crawling through mud, wiggling sideways through narrow passageways, climbing over cave walls, and sliding down slippery mud-covered slops. One of our best adventures yet.
I have my first camping trip for the year planned this March, which got me thinking about last year’s food recipes and this year’s possibilities. We’ve gotten pretty good at simplifying meals but I’d like to take it up a notch, especially since I’m planning a lot of hiking trips along with the usual camping …
Every year I look forward to visiting Lake Michigan in the winter. There is something very special about this time of year. Yes, it’s freezing (and I mean freezing) with bone chilling wind but the ice formations on the lake and lighthouses are masterpieces sculpted by nature and well worth it. At least to me.
On one of “resting days” between our hikes, Steve and I came across this 17 mile long section of Parkway that follows the backbone of the Chilhowee Mountain. The road, called the Foothills Parkway, is between Chilhowee Lake and the town of Townsend. Little did we know how peaceful and beautiful this drive would be.
We had a great time on this trip. We met up with some of my best friends and explored the many beautiful sights and stops found in Cades Cove.
As usual, Steve and I were eager to seek out the supposedly impressive waterfalls in our visit to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. One such waterfall was Rainbow Falls.
Grotto Falls is a 25 foot waterfall that has one major drop. This drop falls over a ledge, providing visitors the chance to walk in behind the waterfall for a different perspective
Slate River, located just east of L’Anse, Michigan, is one of those special places where time just slips away. This wild, isolated river is an adventurers haven. We trudged up the river, climbed up and slide down high gorge walls, waded across extremely slippery and oddly angled rocks, and climbed over waterfalls. With 5 waterfalls …
Black Slate Falls is small but it offers so much. With variety levels in the drops, the roughness of stone, and the overall peacefulness of the area, Black Slate Falls makes the perfect location for a quiet escape. Black Slate Falls is located just east of L’Anse, Michigan on the Slate River. It’s easy to …
heer rock cliffs, unruly waves, miles of forest and wild waterfalls. Who could say no to that? That’s the scenery you can expect to see when you hike the North Country Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. The trail follows, literally, along Lake Superior from Munising to Grand Marais and offers some spectacular views.
Michigan has some pretty unique lighthouses. Designed to withstand the raging storms of the Great Lakes, it’s hard to not be impressed. Even if lighthouses aren’t your thing. Crisp Point Lighthouse, once inaccessible by car, is one such unique structure.
The River Road Scenic Byway runs 22 miles, running from Hale to Oscoda, Michigan. The historical information and amazing scenic views make this a great scenic byway to check out in the lower peninsula.
Tucked away in the Snail Shell Harbor of the Garden Peninsula is 170 acres of pure Michigan history. Fayette Historical State Park was once a thriving community, manufacturing charcoal pig iron.
The Chapel/Mosquito Loop in Pictured Rocks is perhaps one of the most visited portions of the trail. This trip, my mom and I decided to taken 6.6 miles (RT) of the trail that included Chapel Falls, Chapel Rock, and Chapel Beach. Chapel Falls The waterfall is about 60 feet tall and cascades down rock face …