tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30932826426036473562024-03-19T07:18:09.868-04:00Lacing up my hiking bootsA blog dedicated to the Michigan outdoors, as seen through the eyes of a Michigan resident and journalist.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-56255394553093897302023-01-30T08:53:00.001-05:002023-01-30T08:53:55.293-05:00Dodge #4 State Park is better visited in the summer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1D5DT8drHeBvFgQsgY53a_L7E_Fo3whTA" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1D5DT8drHeBvFgQsgY53a_L7E_Fo3whTA" style="height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cold waves of Cass Lake on the beach at Dodge #4 State Park in<br />Waterford Township.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt; text-size-adjust: 100%;">A new hobby of mine took me to a spot I never realized existed. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>I recently swung by to Dodge #4 State Park, a small beachfront park on the shores of Cass Lake in Waterford. I wanted to swing by and find a geocache hidden there, something I’d like to talk more about in a future post. </div><div><br /></div><div>This 139-acre park is a little peninsula park, mostly there to serve as a boat launch and beach. I made the decision to stop by in late January with the wind whipping and trees covered in snow. Truth be told, there wasn’t a ton to see besides the roaring water, which was great except for the fact that the wind was bitterly cold. </div><div><br /></div><div>The park was a donation to the state from the Dodge brothers in 1922. Since then, it’s provided plenty of outdoor activities, especially related to water fun. </div><div><br /></div><div>My visit was fairly quiet. I saw a handful of people, including some sledders, but overall a quiet place in the winter. I imagine it’s packed on a warm summer day, which is definitely the best time to head here. </div><div><br /></div><div>More adventures hopefully coming soon; it's a busy life as I manage work and family, which leaves me little time to recap adventures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Dodge #4 State Park, 4250 Parkway St, Waterford Twp, MI 48328, USA42.615083 -83.3700619999999914.304849163821153 -118.52631199999999 70.925316836178837 -48.21381199999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-61024834873609972352020-10-16T14:13:00.000-04:002020-10-16T14:13:33.073-04:00Fall is the best time to head out in Michigan: that's why we went to western Oakland County<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-RpmfwkOsg" width="560"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">The pandemic has upended plenty of outdoor plans throughout the year. The last seven months in Michigan have been a weird time to try and plan trips, especially those trips farther away from southeast Michigan.</p><p></p><p></p><p>After halting activities in March and moving everything online, the youth group I assist with began its fall season with in-person activities. Some things have changed, namely the fall outing we typically do: traveling several hours with a large group Up North did not seem like a good idea this year, so we improvised. That led us to western Oakland County, a true treasure of Michigan that has the feel of being north of the Zilwaukee Bridge.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Instead of a weekend trip, we spent the day out in the Milford area: the morning was spent on an orienteering course that had been set up for the kids to learn about compass usage and the afternoon on the Huron River canoeing.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It's been a very long time since I did an orienteering course: perhaps a first or second year in the Boy Scouts, so almost 20 years. The concept is simple: using a map a compass, find items designated on a map in a place like a park.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghni0tVcnSFvr49UlxvoQ5gCLGL82TCIkf7uXqmiacn_MGCpTNGgS0QQyphKD8cLuB9t-gs5ILAXjY7pdyUuoE4WcC0o6PzeHnqCz7dpAf6tFdgyrAHX8IaG0A6mSuaLSEhW4mmGkmvIQ/s3951/IMG_0600.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2975" data-original-width="3951" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghni0tVcnSFvr49UlxvoQ5gCLGL82TCIkf7uXqmiacn_MGCpTNGgS0QQyphKD8cLuB9t-gs5ILAXjY7pdyUuoE4WcC0o6PzeHnqCz7dpAf6tFdgyrAHX8IaG0A6mSuaLSEhW4mmGkmvIQ/w200-h151/IMG_0600.HEIC" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">About a dozen markers were set up by our main leader the day before, plotted on a map surrounding the Kensington Metropark group camp area. Using simple compasses and maps, we'd head into the woods and along the river to find waypoints.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p>It proved to be an interesting experience, bushwhacking through the brush and seeking the red-and-white cardboard markers. Using starting locations like road intersections, old water pump landings and outhouses to help pave the way to the destination is a valuable skill to have. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">After a traditional camp lunch of sandwiches and other fare, we headed to Heavner Canoe and Kayak Rental for a leisurely ride up and down the Huron River. I've always heard that stretch of the Huron was popular for day trips and those looking to just get out, and those tales were correct. Even on the last Saturday of canoeing for the livery, the river was packed with groups of all kinds, from scouts to corporate groups to families. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I can see why it's a popular destination: it's a simple, easy-going river. The water was incredibly low, with one area needing us to scoot the canoe across the riverbed composed of sand. I was concerned at first when I heard we would be paddling upstream, which usually tells me we'll be fighting current. But the Huron is slow in this part of Oakland County, and it more or less acts like a lake. It's a clear stretch all the way to the Proud Lake dam, a small dam for turning around at. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I've always loved Michigan falls, and being along rivers is one of my favorite things in the later months of the year. Trees with their spectacular yellows, reds and oranges along with the lingering greens make for some of the best views of the year. And while this year is a completely new experience due to COVID-19, having a sense of normalcy on a river and in the woods.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN-j3TkkQxIUHPGDmEhA2ZoS8vDlq_ieiY1kEC-P4xX_w4HZTsjs7AmtQdznuxG3JhVJdqLdMcoz9q3zoXCSMrQ-JKqMk3Blu3iFlWFhLdv4iT6ltsJ3OCdfWSkBDYU-05PXXXI2v7Bs/w640-h480/IMG_0575.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Huron River in Kensington Metropark near Milford.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Kensington Metropark, 4570 Huron River Pkwy, Milford Charter Twp, MI 48380, USA42.5411436 -83.63743529999999314.230909763821153 -118.79368529999999 70.851377436178836 -48.481185299999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-75430681871647250272020-05-20T19:51:00.000-04:002020-05-20T19:51:31.138-04:00A proud moment: my son's first visit to a Michigan state park <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kiddo enjoying the great outdoors during his first trip to a Michigan state park. </td></tr>
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Today's a day I've waited a long time to experience.<br />
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With the world in a seeming freefall because of the coronavirus, my wife and I have found some additional freetime this week between being furloughed. With the weather in southeast Michigan finally starting to break and spring feeling like it's going to stick around, we decided to take our little one out to experience his first state park outing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Br4zmiZ1iBBcf2WMLQbm1345EB3B0esutYO0mbSZRS0m-Zp2hf6sZ3S0CCn4AV31S-yaxEuvJ9_FpAY8325tlY8a-KX6TOeQuM1U_1-RWy_oZtrIcpJLi8WHimjuiWJv4OE_-VMCiKw/s1600/IMG_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Br4zmiZ1iBBcf2WMLQbm1345EB3B0esutYO0mbSZRS0m-Zp2hf6sZ3S0CCn4AV31S-yaxEuvJ9_FpAY8325tlY8a-KX6TOeQuM1U_1-RWy_oZtrIcpJLi8WHimjuiWJv4OE_-VMCiKw/s200/IMG_0794.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The map at a trailhead nearby a parking<br />lot.</td></tr>
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The location selected was <a href="https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=469&type=SPRK" target="_blank">Maybury State Park</a>, a 944-acre park in Northville Township. Despite living just a few miles from the park, it's one I've never actually visited; we took our son to see Santa Claus at the nearby Maybury Farm last December, but have never entered the state park area.<br />
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Arriving felt like any other state park experience. An empty tollbooth greeted us as we drove in and began looking for the best place to begin walking, preferably on trails that were stroller-friendly. It's a simple parking lot that overlooks the farms, but easy to find. Plenty of signage led us to a trailhead that took us right into the woods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioodbA_MELUF7C5Pw-dpiNxK5pXbXrcEuZ4mAYELbGu35f60LWjDBzIdMiVMgeg85guZiwj4HEncN4tDXJaxhoyRhWvW-aozMiH4C4haaX9lC9RMrZxktg2NNEhhvFgNGJRq6D-1vi8qM/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioodbA_MELUF7C5Pw-dpiNxK5pXbXrcEuZ4mAYELbGu35f60LWjDBzIdMiVMgeg85guZiwj4HEncN4tDXJaxhoyRhWvW-aozMiH4C4haaX9lC9RMrZxktg2NNEhhvFgNGJRq6D-1vi8qM/s320/IMG_0826.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green everywhere. A welcome sight.</td></tr>
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Perhaps the winter just felt like it would never end, but it felt incredible to be surrounded by nothing but foliage. From the wildflowers to the canopy of leaves, it was amazing to be engulfed with nature again for the first time <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2020/01/snow-just-in-time-at-annual-trip-to.html" target="_blank">in months</a>. The trailhead leads to several options, with us deciding on a 1-mile loop along a dirt path.<br />
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Unlike some trails at other parks, the ones right at the trailhead at Maybury State Park are made to be accessible. You can access the dirt path, which is about six feet wide, from the paved bicycle trail that continues farther along. The short hike we went on was well marked and there were maps when you arrived at forks. It's definitely designed for ease-of-access, especially to those not well versed in following such trails. Plenty of flowers lined the trail, including a few trillium, a springtime favorite of mine. I've seen photos that report jack-in-the-pulpit can be found in the park, but I was unable to locate any this time around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trillium flower.</td></tr>
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Even with the trail being wider and not a more-narrow trail that I'm used to, it was a great experience to take our son out to try the woods out. He's really enjoyed wandering outside, and really wanted out of his stroller to walk around on his own. Wide trails gave him plenty of space to pace back and forth, looking at the birds (one of his favorite things right now), the trees and the flowers. Some varying terrain was great to have as well, as he got some practice walking up and down hills, which, considering he's only been walking for less than three months, is an important feature. Pacing back and forth along trails was an awesome experience for him, even though he got hungry midway through and he's definitely not himself when he's hungry.<br />
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As for the park, we're hoping to spend a little more time exploring next time. Kiddo's hangry-ness prevented us from doing so, but it's definitely the perfect park to introduce him to the woods. Those with children or just looking for a simple outdoor experience hiking, biking or even horseback riding will find the park the perfect place to do so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyqzI4YjJfqh5B2g7HPLHsl1Dt5A4GK8O4ycHaKurtqEeoGsb2NQahzjY1O7PPshWcFP9NQmh6WMCj1envtZ4D4b9m7jCY8TlOfXbQIJjwOXaBM-xJlIaShU1pmQQT5TpmZjlksxUP3A/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyqzI4YjJfqh5B2g7HPLHsl1Dt5A4GK8O4ycHaKurtqEeoGsb2NQahzjY1O7PPshWcFP9NQmh6WMCj1envtZ4D4b9m7jCY8TlOfXbQIJjwOXaBM-xJlIaShU1pmQQT5TpmZjlksxUP3A/s400/IMG_0811.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dirt pathway in the 1-mile loop my family went on May 20, 2020.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Maybury State Park, 20145 Beck Rd, Northville, MI 48167, USA42.4294078 -83.528847816.9073733 -124.8374418 67.9514423 -42.220253799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-65082095638805786312020-01-20T21:59:00.000-05:002020-01-20T21:59:28.593-05:00Snow just in time at the annual trip to Island Lake State Recreation Area<br />
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It's been a weird winter here in Metro Detroit.<br />
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We got several inches of snow on Veterans Day in mid-November, and that's ... it. No substantial snowfall around Christmas or New Year's, and late December saw higher-than-average temperatures. The pattern of the winter so far led me to believe the annual trip I take to Island Lake State Recreation Area would be snowless as well.<br />
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Well, praise be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heikki_Lunta" target="_blank">Heikki Lunta</a>, because about six inches fell overnight the first night I spent in the rustic cabin with the youth group I help lead. After unloading the van and getting the cabin ready for a weekend of fun, Mother Nature dumped plenty of the fluffy white stuff in eastern Livingston County for a day of fun in the snow.<br />
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I've been going to the rustic cabins at the park for more than 20 years. They haven't changed much, and the area around the cabin hasn't changed much either. It's always a welcome sign to head to my normal spots for fun winter activities, like sledding.<br />
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It's an activity everyone can enjoy, and a simple walk from the cabin to a hill made for the best kickoff to the day. I only made a few runs on this hill, ones that can be viewed in the above video as shot on my GoPro action camera. After recording the sledding run <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2019/01/what-its-like-sledding-hill-at.html" target="_blank">last year at Kensington Metropark</a>, I decided the hills in Island Lake would be a good option for action recording this year.<br />
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The hill is an old rock quarry that's been reclaimed by nature, and it's a great place to sled. There are several slots made perfectly for running down the hill, and even spots that make for great jumps (for some people, at least...).<br />
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After this hill and a trip onto the area trails on cross-country skis, it was time to head to the area near the Spring Mill Pond, which has several hills worthy of sledding. Here, the grass has grown much longer than it had been in previous years, which slowed down many of the sleds. Another area on the front hill that used to lead to an easy set of jumps were so overgrown that you weren't able to reach the jump successfully.<br />
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It's amazing how quiet the park is during the wintertime, my favorite time to head there. It's so close to so many people in southeast Michigan, but I always feel like I'm being left alone when I head there every January. It's a feeling I hope to keep for a long, long time.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Island Lake State Recreation Area, 6301 Kensington Rd, Brighton, MI 48116, USA42.5025465 -83.71228780000001316.980512 -125.02088180000001 68.024581 -42.403693800000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-25324356755998155702019-10-08T12:38:00.001-04:002019-10-08T12:38:40.723-04:00Twisting and turning along the (tough) Rifle River in a Michigan autumn<br />
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Having a child just weeks after <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2019/01/what-its-like-sledding-hill-at.html" target="_blank">my last post </a>has inhibited my time outdoors this year. I can't wait until he's a little older and share the beauty of Michigan with him when it's a little easier to maneuver with a toddler.<br />
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But this past weekend, I got a chance to return to the woods for the first time in months to assist with a weekend canoe trip along the Rifle River in Ogemaw County. This stretch of the <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79136_79236_82211-95814--,00.html" target="_blank">Rifle River</a>, the northern portion south of Rose City, proved to be one of the more difficult stretches I've done in recent years.<br />
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Coupled with the fact we had lots of new canoers with us, the Rifle River was originally chosen because we expected it to be a good starting river for them. Little did we know it would turn out much differently.<br />
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What was originally planned as a five-hour trip quickly shortened, due to the fact that the river was littered with downed trees along the twists and turns. It's not uncommon for rivers in the fall to have so many down trees, mostly because the summer tourists are gone and canoe rental companies don't have the employees for clearing the path on payroll. Between the close of summer and the early fall timeframe, it gives plenty of time for trees to get in the way.<br />
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And get in the way they did. Early on, we had plenty of obstacles to dodge along the turns, which set the standard for most of the river. With plenty of new canoers, it went slower than usual, but nothing out of the ordinary.<br />
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That changed after we turned at a bend and discovered a tree laying across the entire length of the river. This caused us to think critically, seeing how the tree was A) low enough where we could not duck and canoe under it (for most of us) and B) high enough where we could not simply lift over the canoe on it. The water was waist high by the tree, and it would have been very difficult to lift in the water at it's colder temperatures.<br />
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While some could sneak under, I decided it to be best to do something I've never done on a fall trip: portage around the obstacle. Typically only reserved for trips between lakes like the one I did last summer, this portage wasn't nearly as bad on account of only have a few things with us in the boat. A simple bushwhacking and the boat was relaunched in the river, ready to face the challenges ahead.<br />
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After dealing with some tipping in the kayaks with some of the kids, we slowly made our way down the river. After stopping for lunch, we realized the rest of the trip would have to be abbreviated, because we had done a two-hour stretch of the river in four. It would have been dark had we not stopped. Thanks to the fine folks at <a href="https://www.trolllanding.com/" target="_blank">Troll Landing Campground and Canoe Livery</a> in West Branch who came out and got us out of the river earlier than we originally anticipated.<br />
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I've canoed several rivers across Michigan in the fall, my favorite time for river canoeing. I've done challenging rivers such as the Pine and the <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2018/11/playing-dodgem-with-fishers-while.html" target="_blank">Pere Marquette</a> in the fall, but I've never had a challenge like we had this past weekend on the Rifle. It was great for a challenge, but made more difficult with less-experienced canoers. Definitely a stretch of a river worth checking out in the fall if you're looking for something not leisurely.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com1Troll Landing Campground and Canoe Livery L.L.C., 2660 Rifle River Trail, West Branch, MI 48661, USA44.256932 -84.06495330000001318.7348975 -125.37354730000001 69.7789665 -42.756359300000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-91126730139921524702019-01-22T07:36:00.000-05:002019-01-22T10:06:14.211-05:00What it's like sledding the hill at Kensington Metropark<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hRNXgCLHVuqf8uV6OBWA_cDCTlClBgl1Et49TtALmYMTA6KuJSy1Tshtq9Y9hGPfKFxkROOaCBeLsj4oBbIQikiA-iEo-gXInn_7ktP8CzsR3oTHEippMCqdu2hJ_-0Xu7bt3DA-idg/s1600/GOPR0832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hRNXgCLHVuqf8uV6OBWA_cDCTlClBgl1Et49TtALmYMTA6KuJSy1Tshtq9Y9hGPfKFxkROOaCBeLsj4oBbIQikiA-iEo-gXInn_7ktP8CzsR3oTHEippMCqdu2hJ_-0Xu7bt3DA-idg/s640/GOPR0832.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up at the advanced sledding hill at Kensington Metropark near Brighton.</td></tr>
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After several years of spending a weekend in Island Lake State Recreation Area without snow, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heikki_Lunta" target="_blank">Heikki Lunta</a> blessed us this past weekend with the first major snowfall of the season. What better way to celebrate that first snowfall th<br />
an with a trip to one of the bigger sledding hills across southeast Michigan?<br />
<br />
I spent part of my weekend in eastern Livingston County this past weekend as I have done for most weekends in January the past 20+ years with the youth group I now help run. <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2017/07/summer-vs-winter-at-island-lake-state.html" target="_blank">Island Lake State Rec Area</a> is a special place to me, especially <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2014/01/yet-another-outdoor-adventure-at-island.html" target="_blank">in the wintertime</a>. With the large snowfall, we checked at nearby Kensington Metropark for their sledding hill, and were told it was open with fresh powder.<br />
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After loading up the vehicles, we headed to Kensington for the afternoon to a hill that's my favorite to sled.<br />
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I may be 30 years old now, but there's no such thing as being too old for a good sledding hill. The hill, covered in a wintry blanket of snow and leaves, ran quickly. We traditionally use metal runner sleds that are straight out of the 1980s, and those puppies run quick and accurate. I tried my hand at a more modern, plastic runner sled, but steering proved difficult.<br />
<br />
But you don't need my words to tell you this; check out the footage shot on my trusty GoPro Hero 5, which I acquired last summer in preparation for <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2018/08/spending-week-in-northern-ontario-is.html" target="_blank">the canoe trip I took to Canada in July</a>. Three times I hit "record" on my camera, and each time had a little different feeling. Take a look:<br />
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Kensington Metropark, 4570 Huron River Pkwy, Milford, MI 48380, USA42.5411436 -83.63743529999999339.4802311 -88.80100929999999 45.6020561 -78.4738613tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-85341342368024558522018-11-05T19:14:00.000-05:002018-11-05T19:14:00.139-05:00Playing dodgem with fishers while canoeing on the Pere Marquette RiverThis fall was time for some new adventures in northern Michigan on a new river.<br />
<br />
I headed to Baldwin at the end of September for a canoe trip along the Pere Marquette River, one I haven't done before. Armed with our paddles and my trusty GoPro, we headed out for a day of canoeing and dodging salmon fishermen along the river.<br />
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Take a look at the trip in my video below.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhNP-9oteks" width="560"></iframe>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Bowman Bridge River Access, Baldwin, MI 49304, USA43.8883333 -85.942222218.3662988 -127.2508162 69.4103678 -44.633628200000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-11978305160602371162018-09-27T09:54:00.000-04:002018-09-27T09:54:04.491-04:00The fall is the best time to go up north, as proven by my trip to Petoskey State Park<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Little Traverse Bay from atop Old Baldy in Petoskey State Park. </td></tr>
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<br />Much is made across Michigan of heading "Up North" every summer (where "Up North is, well, that's something every media outlet in Detroit tries to figure out every summer). But once summer's over, the people who live up north breathe a sigh of relief, thinking all those downstate tourists are gone and won't be back for nine months.<br />
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My recent weekend up at Petoskey State Park has confirmed my longtime suspicion that the fall truly is my favorite time to pack up the car and head to the woods.<br />
<br />
My wife and I headed to the area for a wedding in nearby Charlevoix this past weekend and found ourselves with some time in the morning before the festivities began that afternoon. Our hotel was just miles away from the state park, and we decided to enjoy the natural beauty to start our day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeFL-yAbmZNxbzfE6dQS6QYpuR-ICHfxdT-ArMsE_RqvRm9I2LJRJSEn4kQyAatihYB8ywqdtYoxcgmnCWhaRNwyKrwlNyOAUlFj7TXFKawo4UX-VkfdtvzrA00GpPIJdlXZAuNQ6pgo/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeFL-yAbmZNxbzfE6dQS6QYpuR-ICHfxdT-ArMsE_RqvRm9I2LJRJSEn4kQyAatihYB8ywqdtYoxcgmnCWhaRNwyKrwlNyOAUlFj7TXFKawo4UX-VkfdtvzrA00GpPIJdlXZAuNQ6pgo/s320/IMG_2883.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Traverse Bay.</td></tr>
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Upon arriving at the beach, I noticed how quiet it was that morning. The first day of fall and there were less than 10 people enjoying the water, walking along the shoreline and watching the waves crash on the sandy beach. While it certainly wasn't great for swimming with it being the first day of fall, the water was a wonderful site to see without all the interruptions. I can just imagine what the beach would typically look like in the summer, and I much preferred the fall.<br />
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The shoreline was lined with smooth, flat rocks, perfect for skipping in the choppy waters of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It was a wonderful place to start a morning.<br />
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After getting a close-up look of the lake, we headed into the woods and decided a short hike was a good use of our time. It was well worth the short drive and walk up the hill to capture an awe-inspiring view.<br />
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We headed to the Old Baldy trail, a short (less than 0.5 miles) hike up Old Baldy, which had some stairs constructed for the truly steep parts. The top of the trail was well worth the climb, as the view of Little Traverse Bay framed by the tree branches was an incredible payoff.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end of the trail up Old Baldy.</td></tr>
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A little further down the trail is a picnic area atop the bluff, which is great for admiring the trees and water surrounding the area. A quick walk down the hill made it for a great trip that took less than an hour but provided some amazing views of nature.<br />
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It wasn't a long visit to the state park but well worth a morning visit. I was surprised to see such few people enjoying the water on the first day of fall, but I'm sure that beach gets more than its fair share of usage in the summer months. But for me, I'll take a day on the beach with a fleece sweater any day over a swimsuit and towel.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Petoskey State Park, 2475 M-119, Petoskey, MI 49770, USA45.4041451 -84.90581980000001719.8821106 -126.21441380000002 70.9261796 -43.597225800000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-18703903594787373652018-08-19T19:00:00.000-04:002018-08-19T19:00:23.323-04:00Spending a week in northern Ontario is something everyone should do once in their lives<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9NPcwpwNZNo" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
Desolation is an incredible thing. It can lead the mind to wander, go places it hasn't gone before, even lead to some wild theories about what's happening in the outside world.<br />
<br />
Being in Canada for an entire week disconnected from reality is a harkening experience everyone should at least try. It was my turn recently, as I headed north of the border of the great state of Michigan to have a experience unique to a select few.<br />
<br />
This page is dedicated to Michigan, but this trip is so unique, so different, it deserves its own log and footage. Armed with my brand-new GoPro Hero 5 (bought specifically for this trip), I ventured into the Canadian wilderness in the Blind River Provincial Park with the church youth group for the one-every-two-year trip of a lifetime.<br />
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The route we embarked on was the <a href="http://www.tourismelliotlake.com/en/explore/dunlopmaceroute.asp" target="_blank">Dunlop Lake/Mace Lake loop</a>, which in total amounts to 42 kilometers. We did a little less than that, deciding to launch midway along Dunlop Lake and shaving a few kilometers off the weeklong trip. Here, we traversed nine separate lakes over the span of a week, carrying all our gear in four canoes and portaging across the rugged, rocky terrain.<br />
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Here's my log of the trip, day-by-day:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Saturday</u></b><br />
<br />
After launching into the water, we spent some time canoeing Dunlop Lake, a long, narrow lake but quiet that afternoon. Today's trek was all about getting comfortable in the boats and learning the paddling techniques. We had several newbies on the trek and others who were still new to this style of canoeing.<br />
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The lake itself that night was welcoming and fairly smooth, save for the wake created by the speedboats and pontoons traversing across its waters. Scoping the northern edge of the waters led to the discovery of the portage we'd take the following morning, plus a small campsite. With eight people and three tents, we resorted to having to use some of the path for the portage and hope no one came knocking on the shores.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Sunday</b></u><br />
<br />
Waking after after dealing with pouring rain was less than ideal, but the sun finally came out and we packed up and left camp down the first of eight portages we'd embark on.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the rocks along Ten Mile Lake.</td></tr>
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I should stop and mention we weren't sure we'd originally do the entire loop. There was some talk of canoeing in and out the same route, especially seeing how we had some teens on the trip who had never done a trip like this. Knowing the terrain can be a huge advantage, and we'd essentially do the same amount of canoeing either way. We knew we'd do eight portages, we just weren't sure if they would be all different.<br />
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This portage clocked in at about 400 meters, a typical length for this trip. The canoes felt heavier on this route, which had very little elevation changes. We carried the gear to the shores of Ten Mile Lake and began to paddle out.<br />
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This lake, the largest we saw on the trip, presented plenty of challenge and stress. Combine the size of the lake and the blowing wind coming in from all directions and creates a recipe for disaster. Whitecaps crested in the middle of the lake, smacking our canoes with a force I hadn't seen in over a decade. This lake took hours to cross, leaving us little time to enjoy the picturesque cliffs in the distance. Even docking along the shore waiting for the rest of our crew left us vulnerable to waves spilling over the gunnels, prompting some baling of water.<br />
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This lake then narrowed in its northwest corner, leading us to a more difficult portage. Worn out from the waves and stress of nearly flipping on the second day, the thought of doing another portage wore most of us out.<br />
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After lunch, we began to pack up when an ATV rode toward us. Turned out it was the owner of <a href="http://www.tenmilelakelodge.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Ten Mile Lake Lodge</a> headed to pick up fisherman for the day. We exchanged pleasantries, and he offered to transport some of our gear to the end of the trail, which we gladly accepted. He was a kind host and if you're looking for fishing, his lodge looked premier.<br />
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After hiking up the large hill and across the swampy area covered in a wooden bridge, we reached Ezma Lake. The lake was a welcome sight compared to the rough waters of Ten Mile Lake. We dipped in and headed to our campsite on the lake, where we'd call home for two days.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Monday</u></b><br />
<br />
Deciding to take a layover day, we spent Monday resting and exploring Ezma Lake, a decent-sized body of water with several campsites.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6ynAO54_LanYlYdsmCIbBh9OTSqv-g58Z3ycHbCvOyWF5WR0SmA22ArIrabNoO2mthdDD5qFPZQqZDtEv5fx6zAHqn1uSy5-VEnSzD9YfgUecJwoWUVyHDJ9SCVerZ1K1nVKC0VPIYc/s1600/GOPR0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6ynAO54_LanYlYdsmCIbBh9OTSqv-g58Z3ycHbCvOyWF5WR0SmA22ArIrabNoO2mthdDD5qFPZQqZDtEv5fx6zAHqn1uSy5-VEnSzD9YfgUecJwoWUVyHDJ9SCVerZ1K1nVKC0VPIYc/s320/GOPR0374.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezma Lake from our campsite.</td></tr>
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This lake was our first major wildlife spotting, one that would recur the rest of the week: a single loon, swimming and cooing in the middle of the lake. I've been fascinated with the birds ever since hearing them along the shores of Isle Royale <a href="https://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2012/07/flashback-friday-look-at-my-2005-trip.html" target="_blank">13 years ago.</a><br />
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<br /></div>
After locating the portage we'd travel the next day, we headed out around the lake in search of other campsites in case we headed back the same way we came. Two were visible along the water, including one that had a decrepit wooden picnic table that seemed to date back to the 1980s.<br />
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It was a solid site, but not as spacious as the one we occupied. We canoed back to camp, the kids swam and we set up a tarp to keep the looming rain away for the night.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Tuesday</u></b><br />
<br />
We woke up to a wet morning, similar to several mornings on the trip, not knowing the misery that awaited us while traveling that day to Upper Mace Lake. We packed the camp up and loaded the canoes to head a few hundred meters to the next portage, a 200-or-so meter trek along some rocky trails. Rain continued to pour and spirits were down, especially as we approached the next lake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landing spot to the portage from Swamp Lake to <br />Upper Mace Lake.</td></tr>
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It was aptly named Swamp Lake. Here, the landing wasn't large enough for all four boats to be loaded and we needed to launch one while finishing the packaging. True to its name, the landing smelled of swamp water and wreaked of mud that enveloped everyone's shoes. After fighting the rain, we all dipped into the water ventured to find the next portage at the end of the shallow body of water.<br />
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This next portage, less than 300 meters, would end up being the worst of the trip. We should have known from the fact we couldn't find the sign for the trail, which had been mostly ripped off the tree. All that remained was a small piece of yellow paper that looked like it was a part of the tree from a distance.<br />
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After scouting the trail, it was clear we were in the part of the loop that wasn't well-traveled. The trail was overgrown with plants and appeared to lead to nowhere at one point. Using the canoes as battering rams through the thick vegetation, we hunkered down and reached the end of the trail only to be met with a miserable landing.<br />
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The lake was low enough that swampland surrounded the portage. We began loading the boats before having to take a half-hour break to avoid the pouring rain and thunder that had come across the lake. Standing in the woods donning a poncho in silence save for the rain was a surreal experience, one I'm happy to not repeat.<br />
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After holding out for a while, we decided to push out. But because of the small landing and low water, our canoes were stuck in mud. It took one of the teenagers pushing boats out 30 meters in the mud before reaching any kind of water suitable for paddling. This young man pushed all four canoes out, including the one he was in with me, and hopped in. It was an admirable effort, one that left his jeans covered in filth.<br />
<br />
Slowly canoeing along Upper Mace Lake led us to the most scenic part of the trip. The skies began to clear up and the rusty-colored rock faces began to show in the distance. After some quick exploration, we discovered a beautiful campsite, complete with a fire pit and a clothesline along the shores of this wonderful lake.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1af3n8PGg5-ulGHMIJws7pmQ-t9KPm4BQw-vaJ14Ykip_rd5tE0c74XIvOibLSxIzcan__BugNikiBuwYntmAMD9j-pZ1Zhh3gkToHgaGvQrALdslLAXFNHcshucNggbfuwtc6_6iu-0/s1600/GOPR0451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1af3n8PGg5-ulGHMIJws7pmQ-t9KPm4BQw-vaJ14Ykip_rd5tE0c74XIvOibLSxIzcan__BugNikiBuwYntmAMD9j-pZ1Zhh3gkToHgaGvQrALdslLAXFNHcshucNggbfuwtc6_6iu-0/s400/GOPR0451.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, a beautiful day on the water. The first truly nice day of the trip on<br />Upper Mace Lake.</td></tr>
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I dreaded waking up this morning.<br />
<br />
Every other morning I had woken up to was dark, cloudy or wet. I awoke thinking I saw plenty of clouds in the sky, dooming us to another dreary day on our final layover day before heading out.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the sun shone bright and no clouds appeared that morning. It was a glorious feeling, the whole reason I agreed to go on the trip. The loons were singing, the sun was shining. It was the perfect day for a layover.<br />
<br />
After cooking breakfast, most of us headed out for a day trip to Secret Bay, a large bay off Upper Mace Lake accessible by a small canal on the west side of the lake. Without a map, the bay is nearly hidden, looking just like a channel off the lake. But making the turn onto the bay revealed one of the most beautiful sights all trip.<br />
<br />
Landing at a small rock outcrop, we surveyed the swampy area on the edge of the bay in search of moose. Like the rest of the trip, no moose were spotted, a disappoint to myself and the rest.<br />
<br />
We fought some windy waves on the lake back to camp before retiring for the day. From here on out, we'd be heading out of the woods toward the cars and home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nuI0ZcApANZ-4xMzP8JZZphdHV-Gs4l5xYGVnObrjrN2FphoHL8PgaMkhUYwyShouN_3pAy1Fc_7ZOfTJcYeAsbsnuwItQQD8Zp_8k6dGqpY9Snrx6ejL7gy7tpVCSwpWg49__GfLjw/s1600/GOPR0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nuI0ZcApANZ-4xMzP8JZZphdHV-Gs4l5xYGVnObrjrN2FphoHL8PgaMkhUYwyShouN_3pAy1Fc_7ZOfTJcYeAsbsnuwItQQD8Zp_8k6dGqpY9Snrx6ejL7gy7tpVCSwpWg49__GfLjw/s400/GOPR0476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The evenings, though filled with mosquitoes, provided for a wonderful backdrop.</td></tr>
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u><br />
<br />
Thursday began just how so many other days had: pouring rain on the tent before 7 a.m. At this point, it wasn't a surprise, just an annoyance. Packing in the rain had become commonplace, but still didn't get less annoying now five days in.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the rain we experienced vanished as soon as we pushed off from the smooth rocks slanting into the water. Blue sky emerged and we set out to leave easily the best lake on the trip.<br />
<br />
This was our last two-portage day, doing two tallying several hundred meters each. Both were unique in their own way. The first one, which took us from Upper Mace Lake to Lake No. 5 (apparently there was no official name for this lake), had us trek across nothing but slanted rockface. It proved tricky, <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QQBJQGOpv8zKIbwW_acs0qo4RwtEDmwodJ66pr9BP16d2MKUPSh26VvDdPp1wDLmu2KrB-Udwl4qrkAQALP1QYUxHnQkIXomNr7aesis7rGORg6bZDE4g7oYIaCV_nJz8Nl1xp6aGpw/s1600/GOPR0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QQBJQGOpv8zKIbwW_acs0qo4RwtEDmwodJ66pr9BP16d2MKUPSh26VvDdPp1wDLmu2KrB-Udwl4qrkAQALP1QYUxHnQkIXomNr7aesis7rGORg6bZDE4g7oYIaCV_nJz8Nl1xp6aGpw/s320/GOPR0483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake No. 5.</td></tr>
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especially with the wet, slippery rock created from the morning rain storms. We dipped into Lake No. 5 and admired the cabin on the top of the rocks, wondering if it was abandoned or still used.<br />
<br />
A quick paddle across the lake took us to portage No. 6, this one leading us to stunning Lilypad Lake. This portage was similar to the last one, adorned with plenty of rock making the hike tricky. A unique find was some signs of man near the entrance of the portage: metal spikes driven into the rock leading the creek running nearby. Our guess was this dated back to logging days, helping lumberjacks move the logs quickly down to the stream.<br />
<br />
After hiking the canoes, which are getting lighter at this point, down the hill to the lake, we followed the pathway created by the lily pads led us to the large portion of the lake, but the beauty of the aquatic flowers was incredible. The lake was the scene of perhaps my favorite photo I took the entire trip:<br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl3uMAKA3XA/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl3uMAKA3XA/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Nothing like rays of sunshine hitting Lilypad Lake during a canoe trip. #csbcanoetrip #latergram #canoeing #canada</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/davidveselenak/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> David Veselenak</a> (@davidveselenak) on <time datetime="2018-07-30T21:19:39+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 30, 2018 at 2:19pm PDT</time></div>
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Despite finishing the portages for the day, we weren't done with getting out of the canoes. The way out of Lilypad Lake took us through a river, the narrowest portion of the trip. There, we encountered a five-foot-tall beaver dam, one that had clearly been worked on for decades. Write-ups from the early 2000s describe the dam, indicating it had been a part of that river for a while.<br />
<br />
With the dam built up, it made it easy to lift over it and into the canal to Lower Mace Lake. It took the two of us to slide the canoe across the dam and down into the shallow water before we could head out. It was one of my personal highlights of the trip; I had done liftovers on previous trips through marshes, but never such a large dam. It certainly beat taking everything out and portaging it around.<br />
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The stream then led to Lower Mace, where we encountered more wind and waves, the most since Ten Mile Lake. A quick paddle across the large lake led us to a campsite on the rocks where views of the moon couldn't be beat.<br />
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<b><u>Friday</u></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv7XsAcAFMPkL0faXioJbBx8go7rWcD6f32fwGguRSJckcS7VTM37IGCgzB_HG8GWMs98OcVw8VDGAIGrItYQQMBk2Hengc-gt27i_TrqNDJIb_NzT-nFw_pZ061AP91Ben6nIT3gXJM/s1600/GOPR0563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv7XsAcAFMPkL0faXioJbBx8go7rWcD6f32fwGguRSJckcS7VTM37IGCgzB_HG8GWMs98OcVw8VDGAIGrItYQQMBk2Hengc-gt27i_TrqNDJIb_NzT-nFw_pZ061AP91Ben6nIT3gXJM/s320/GOPR0563.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Mace Lake at night.</td></tr>
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The last two days were shorter in distance, with plenty of members eager to wrap the trip up. We woke up, packed and headed out across Lower Mace (which was not nearly as picturesque as its upper counterpart) to the longest portage of the trip.<br />
<br />
This portage was more than 600 meters and had plenty more rocks and hills. Going through the thick woods led to the army of mosquitoes swarming more than usual, especially under the shelter of the canoes as we carried them on our backs. After an ample portage, slick with plenty of rocks, we emerged onto Claim Lake, a pretty little lake that would have looked nicer had it not been so cloudy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAubbWpKVe4fndYt5wyMMJJZdT7iKoOVQqoZBy3nkbJUTk460Vt68FZVF_ytGAohFHAvfVGqkeQFhULZDMqbY7JS-uw1ObfO5YPEeOGjxb_zX3WzR2txD4FDglkWO4YD24NjNyvW26Do/s1600/GOPR0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAubbWpKVe4fndYt5wyMMJJZdT7iKoOVQqoZBy3nkbJUTk460Vt68FZVF_ytGAohFHAvfVGqkeQFhULZDMqbY7JS-uw1ObfO5YPEeOGjxb_zX3WzR2txD4FDglkWO4YD24NjNyvW26Do/s320/GOPR0590.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campsite on Claim Lake.</td></tr>
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A fast paddle across, hampered by incoming wind that would howl later that night, led us to the best campsite of the trip. Perched on top of rocks, the site had a great view of the lake and plenty of space to spread out the tents. It even had a area shielded by rocks that made for a great kitchen that kept the wind at bay.<br />
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<b><u>Saturday</u></b><br />
<br />
The last day had some of the biggest challenges facing us.<br />
<br />
We could see the final portage of the trip from our Claim Lake campsite, a paddle of all but five minutes. The challenge came on land for this trip.<br />
<br />
We had planned it specifically in case we wanted to avoid this portage, which spanned roughly 1,400 meters. It's the longest one I've done, and one of the longest the group has ever done in its 30-something year history. We had originally planned to duck out the same way we came originally from Upper Mace Lake, but that portage between Upper Mace and Swamp Lake killed any desire. We opted to take our chances with the long portage.<br />
<br />
It paid off. With all our food packs empty, carrying gear down the trail was tiring but simple. About 25 minutes after departing, we arrived back at Dunlop Lake. Dropping our bags, we made the trek back and began carrying canoes, which felt extremely light at this point. Stopping just once each time, we carried all the canoes to the shores of Dunlop Lake and spotted the cottages that dotted the shoreline.<br />
<br />
Being in the woods for a week and away from all things worldly was an experience, and led us to come to some wild conclusions about what had happened in the world since we left. There were plenty of times we'd joke about situations, though one thought I had was whether the Queen of England, well into her 90s, had possibly died while in one of her commonwealths. That feeling was negated as soon as we saw Canadian flags at cottages flying at full staff. It was my first indication that something (or rather, nothing) had happened while we enjoyed the woods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiIKX9kDK3wE6imDvtFsJ_twfKc-oAKTrzNk09H4BEyT3cKNyjA4ZeQMdyOL_odfdaE2xVy5pLCLyYlGYpigm6iU0UqtdOuvP6ZQKE8axeSmhXW6hIjq1i1DLvKgkDGUf3cJ_yul7RVw/s1600/GOPR0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiIKX9kDK3wE6imDvtFsJ_twfKc-oAKTrzNk09H4BEyT3cKNyjA4ZeQMdyOL_odfdaE2xVy5pLCLyYlGYpigm6iU0UqtdOuvP6ZQKE8axeSmhXW6hIjq1i1DLvKgkDGUf3cJ_yul7RVw/s400/GOPR0636.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the boat launch for Dunlop Lake. My canoeing partner, <br />Christian, relaxes.</td></tr>
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<br />
An hour across Dunlop Lake led us back to the vehicles which we had left a week earlier. Waters remained calm, something we benefited from as the lake was larger and susceptible to waves.<br />
<br />
<br />
It was a trip I hadn't done in 11 years, and was nervous at the prospect of doing something like this again. It began rough with some balancing issues in the canoes, which made me fear the worst. After a simple fix, we headed out for a trip that, nearly a month later, I want to return to.<br />
<br />
The wilds of Canada remind me plenty of northern Michigan, but so much more desolate. Barely seeing anyone for a week was always my goal, and while it's difficult to leave the real world for such a timeframe, it's a trip I'll continue to treasure and remember forever.<br />
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0ON-639, Elliot Lake, ON P0R, Canada46.52289232186159 -82.78671044303268946.47917532186159 -82.867391443032687 46.566609321861591 -82.706029443032691tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-4487240095679337522018-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:002018-07-07T07:00:02.901-04:00Testing out my new GoPro on the disc golf course in Grand Rapids<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">In preparation for a big canoe trip I'm taking in less than two weeks (one that, despite taking place in Canada, will probably find its way onto this site), I bought a GoPro camera. I'll be away without a cellphone and my SLR is too large to carry for the weeklong trip, so I opted to go for the tiny action camera.</span></div>
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To get ready and learn how to use it, I brought it with me to Grand Rapids last weekend. My wife and I typically go to Lake Michigan at least once a year to swim, and while there, ended up playing a round of disc golf with my sister and a few of her friends. I decided that was the perfect opportunity to test this little device out.<br />
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If you haven't played disc golf before, it's quite the game. It's as simple as it sounds, and can be challenging at times, though not on the holes we played. You can learn a little more about the game in <a href="https://www.hometownlife.com/story/sports/2018/07/06/disc-golf-craze-all-rec-and-relaxation/716507002/" target="_blank">this story</a> written by one of my colleagues. We played 11 holes on the <a href="https://www.pdga.com/course-directory/course/cascade-township-park" target="_blank">18-hole course at Cascade Township Park</a>, opting mostly for the wide-open holes with longer distances.<br />
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I'm still looking for advice on how to best utilize this little camera, a GoPro Hero 5, for a weeklong canoe trip in the backwoods of Canada. If you have any advice, please let me know!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Cascade Township Park, 3810 Thornapple River Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA42.8932757 -85.50379269999996317.371241199999996 -126.81238669999996 68.4153102 -44.195198699999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-43647174284267472322018-05-22T18:55:00.000-04:002018-05-22T18:55:51.807-04:00A gloomy day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45CxjCvWLCGcP4JWqTHUqphmvtAr8Tbi4uEhjmrv52jLv2v3XbYYbrlPz6A6CIQwjs8KY99Y9tuSGhHlNUX8XMG6_SLPiXcUyAnTZxtg13GseC6ljDUXXLNP-8KSTKDGbC3e3oFvWMxI/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45CxjCvWLCGcP4JWqTHUqphmvtAr8Tbi4uEhjmrv52jLv2v3XbYYbrlPz6A6CIQwjs8KY99Y9tuSGhHlNUX8XMG6_SLPiXcUyAnTZxtg13GseC6ljDUXXLNP-8KSTKDGbC3e3oFvWMxI/s640/IMG_1137.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The look over Glen Lake from the top of the first dune in the dune climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.</td></tr>
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Waking up to the sound of raindrops on your tent is never a nice surprise.<br />
<br />
Doing so Saturday morning while waking up in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore wasn't my ideal vision of that day, but I had had worse (see <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2017/06/there-are-plenty-of-dunes-to-be-found.html" target="_blank">2017 Warren Dunes entry</a>). But after some mid-morning raindrops, the skies dried and a day of haze and clouds awaited us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6McmjYij9ARoGFE6BNuRPTsRbyOWAGuhYdVGShqFh3TCorUWuCpSAXSjgx8fOWR92NtQkpvTLylYDxOxTnASC3XB2fgYPUuOJ2vJO4qFLhg73OLPwN0AgahZL_DxLFpojde_yf0ti-Qg/s1600/IMG_1110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6McmjYij9ARoGFE6BNuRPTsRbyOWAGuhYdVGShqFh3TCorUWuCpSAXSjgx8fOWR92NtQkpvTLylYDxOxTnASC3XB2fgYPUuOJ2vJO4qFLhg73OLPwN0AgahZL_DxLFpojde_yf0ti-Qg/s200/IMG_1110.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A structure at the Maritime<br />Museum.</td></tr>
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I spent this past weekend in Michigan's northwest corner on a spring outing with the youth group I am a leader of. After dropping our gear at the Platte River Campground, we headed out in the morning to see the sights all around the lakeshore.<br />
<br />
While there was some rain, it cleared up in the morning, leaving Lake Michigan a hazy shadow. After trying to check out the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/maritimemusem.htm" target="_blank">Maritime Museum</a> in the morning (to no avail; the museum doesn't open until Memorial Day), we headed to the spot most people think of when Sleeping Bear comes to mind: the dune climb.<br />
throughout the day. After trying to stop in at the <br />
<br />
I've climbed that dune several times in my life, and I always forget just far it it truly is to the waterfront. You climb the main dune starting at the base of the parking lot, thinking you'll be led to a beautiful overview of the lake. Not so. At the top of that dune is ... more dunes. You look out and see plenty more sand to trek before making it to your destination.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cottonwood Trail, a 1.5-mile loop.</td></tr>
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Despite not seeing the lake on this specific climb, peaking at the plateau of the dunes is an impressive sight, and being from Michigan can jade you a little from admiring the majesty of them. A young man in the group moved to Michigan from Liberia last summer, and has gone on a few trips with us. He marveled at the dunes, continuously sending photos of them back to his friends. Seeing this young man impressed by something I've visited several times before made me realize just how special they truly are.<br />
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After an <strike>exhausting</strike> truly fun dune climb, we headed out to the trails for a hike. We headed to the Cottonwood Trail, a simple, 1.5-mile trek around the dunes and through the grasslands. This is a fairly simple hike, though does have some elevation changes and sand to trek through, so bring your best boots to move efficiently. The peak of the looping trail actually overlooks the dune climb and Glen Lake, which provides for some breathtaking views. It's not a bad hike, though it would have been better had the sun decided to come out.<br />
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As for the Platte River Campground, it's a nice group area, though parking can be challenging if sites are full like they were last weekend. You do have to walk all your gear to the site, but they are spacious and wide open, with pads for tents. Not a bad spot, I'd camp there again.<br />
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Sleeping Bear Dunes is large, so it's difficult to hit everything up in a weekend. Add on the Manitou islands and it's plenty to explore. But hiking up a dune climb hit just the spot on a gloomy Saturday in northwest Michigan. If you're in the Traverse City area, be sure to hit it up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dune hike.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4VPjsBfEFf6Svqik2MSCmNtYtzzny0qRP07-b3A2YC2hgpFZmZo7HJLHNkuhhmzVQT-4Xi3YAJ8vOX9wo5JyzTbIMnl35ABTVQ7Ek_3XGBdRfGPMpEBi84sJu-J4yZQlOWd3cHh1zZ8/s640/IMG_1125.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dunes in northwest Michigan are spectacular.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan, USA44.8757238 -85.99967470000001444.1560228 -87.29056820000001 45.5954248 -84.708781200000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-54646883935677052822018-04-15T20:21:00.001-04:002018-04-15T20:21:28.459-04:00A cold and blustery (but not snowy) day on the Leelanau Peninsula<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even without sun, the shores of Lake Michigan are beautiful, especially on the Leelanau Peninsula.</td></tr>
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April is not a typical month to go up north for most people. My wife and I are, admittingly, not most people.<br />
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So we decided to head to Traverse City, a place neither of us had much of a memory of being at for years. I last was there covering the Special Olympics Winter Games in college for the newspaper and for class, so it was time to return. We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary up north doing as much "up north" things as possible.<br />
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The biggest adventure took us to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, where we spent part of our day visiting the <a href="https://www.grandtraverselighthouse.com/" target="_blank">Grand Traverse Lighthouse</a> and <a href="https://www.michigan.org/property/leelanau-state-park" target="_blank">Leelanau State Park</a>, a small park at the tip of the peninsula. Here, we discovered not many people spend a Saturday in mid-April at the beach, as we were the only visitors around lunchtime.<br />
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We walked to the rocky beach, covered in wonderful stones for skipping, and spent out time admiring the rough waters of Lake Michigan. It's not a large beach, which you are reminded of if you walk too far to the west: a sign stating a wildlife conservancy meets you and warns against entering private property. Along this beach is the light that continues to shine over the waters, as the Fresnel lens and any form of light source has been pulled from the tower.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Traverse Lighthouse, built in 1858 and<br />
decommissioned in 1972.</td></tr>
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After scouring the grounds, we discovered there were people inside the lighthouse as well as the gift shop. After speaking with them, we find out their volunteer keepers there for the week, tending the grounds and running the gift shop on a volunteer basis. They've traveled all the way from West Virginia to do this, and have done it multiple times. They told us they've fallen in love with the lighthouse and can never get enough. I may have found my new favorite hobby, if I can snag a week off work in the future.<br />
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I remember vaguely visiting the point when I was very young, but never setting foot in the lighthouse. That changed Friday, as we climbed in and went back in time to see the old lighthouse keepers items, stoves and other memorabilia. I've seen lighthouse museums before, but it always fascinates me to go back in time before they all got decommissioned by the Coast Guard (This one was decommissioned in 1972).<br />
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The view from atop the lighthouse was well worth the price of admission. With no light in the tower, there's room for 2-3 people to admire the view of Lake Michigan all around. Someone had even painted a diagram of what points were which if you looked out. One was the Manitou island, etc. Of course, we couldn't see much since we didn't see the sun all weekend.<br />
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If you're on the Leelanau Peninsula wine tasting, make the trek north to the tip for some wonderful views. It doesn't take long and the water is breathtaking to view, especially from a lighthouse tower. How often does one get to do that?<br />
<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Leelanau State Park, 15310 N Lighthouse Point Rd, Northport, MI 49670, USA45.2093105 -85.54602849999997731.646553500000003 -106.20032549999998 58.7720675 -64.891731499999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-40060376938706177622017-09-23T08:51:00.002-04:002017-09-23T08:51:55.883-04:00Canoeing the Au Sable River is always better in the fall<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2fhPW2emqaJJAeFPOR1AC1LgkQXVZVgfe5HLrAJ0vo_YjSpy7FB9FcnqGR0H-7xWNFtUyIz519Tb6VesIbPQHJe3GCSU475ft0uQUsSjBHlExAbO2SnGExm0vPzR0I9V4joA9vMFSrU/s1600/_MG_7212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2fhPW2emqaJJAeFPOR1AC1LgkQXVZVgfe5HLrAJ0vo_YjSpy7FB9FcnqGR0H-7xWNFtUyIz519Tb6VesIbPQHJe3GCSU475ft0uQUsSjBHlExAbO2SnGExm0vPzR0I9V4joA9vMFSrU/s640/_MG_7212.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few times you'll see an image of me on this page. And yes, I am wearing a bandana with skulls and crossbones<br />on it. Thanks, 2007 CMU Homecoming. (Photo by Jim Kenning)</td></tr>
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My first times canoeing as a child came along the <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-31154_31260-54033--,00.html" target="_blank">South Branch of the Au Sable River</a>. Some close family friends have a cottage near Mio, and I vaguely remember drifting down the river with my paddle, getting exhausted in the process.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colors along the river looked just like this: mostly green<br />with a splash of bright red and orange. (Photo by Jim Kenning)</td></tr>
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I returned to that same portion of the river this past weekend, heading up north to canoe one of Michigan's premiere canoeing rivers. It's just as nice a river as I remember from doing it a few years ago, and this is the time of year I recommend doing it.<br />
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The youth group I help lead does a fall trip each year, opting to canoe every-other year or so. We did the Rifle River back in 2015, as well as the <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2012/10/canoeing-south-branch-of-au-sable-river.html" target="_blank">South Branch of the Au Sable in 2012</a>, and decided again to hit the waters this fall this year. With younger, more inexperienced canoers joining us this year, we decided doing the Au Sable would make for a great first trip for member of the young men.<br />
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That was certainly the case. We had at least one young man who had never gone canoeing before and had recently moved to the U.S. from Liberia. He seemed to enjoy the calm waters of the Au Sable, which were higher than I'm used to. There's at least a few sections of the river that typically have dried up in areas this time of year, but that wasn't the case last weekend.<br />
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As for my excursion, I finally succumbed to something I haven't done a river before: managed to take a spill and flip my boat. After stopping for others to catch up, our boat turned around. While trying to right the ship, we began floating sideways, having both the bow and stern get lodged on some downed trees in the river. That left us vulnerable to another canoe making its way down: once another boat tapped us, there was no for us to go but over, our canoe becoming a swivel. Into the drink we went, with our canoe floating down the river and the contents, too. For being mid-September, the water was unusually pleasant, though walking the 100 feet in the river's murky bed left my boots stinking to high heaven, a distinction they still hold a week later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Branch of the Au Sable River as seen from the<br />Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground site.</td></tr>
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The South Branch of the Au Sable is an excellent stretch for canoers looking for a good time but not wanting a huge challenge. The current is well-paced, and canoe liveries have done a nice job of trimming downed trees for easy passage. The depth can range from a few inches to a few feet. Starting at the Paddle Brave livery, the banks were lined with cabins and homes for the first few hours. After that, we headed into the Mason Tract, where all we saw along the banks were ducks and other water fowl. It's a calming experience to feel like you're in the middle of nowhere even when you know the highway can't be too far away.<br />
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After spending five hours on the river, we head back to the <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=570&type=SFCG" target="_blank">Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground</a>, a wonderful place to stay if ever in the area. Since it was after Labor Day, we were some of only a handful of individuals staying there. The campground has a trail leading down to the river, which provided excellent visuals early Sunday morning when I went down the next day.<br />
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I've always found fall canoeing to be vastly superior to summer canoeing. The water is calmer, there's fewer people and the fall color highlight the already-gorgeous river. It's an experience everyone should have at least once. You might not head back to the river when it's warm.<br />
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground, Grayling, MI 49738, USA44.6073323 -84.47040649999996719.085297800000003 -125.77900049999997 70.1293668 -43.161812499999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-56814083988043389222017-08-19T17:20:00.000-04:002017-08-19T17:20:13.153-04:00Finally! I paid a visit to Detroit's "crown jewel"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The conservatory on Belle Isle. It, along with other buildings on the island, are typically open during weekends all year long.</td></tr>
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Belle Isle was the place for fun for my father when he was growing up. It's a place I've heard plenty about throughout my life, but never made it to the island nestled in the Detroit River between the U.S. and Canada.<br />
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That all changed last month, as a summer work feature <a href="http://www.hometownlife.com/story/life/2017/08/18/belle-isle-makes-great-late-summer-family-destination/504282001/" target="_blank">I wrote that was published online this past week</a> took me to the island for a profile on the most-visited state park in Michigan.<br />
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<a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=736" target="_blank">Belle Isle</a> became a state park in 2014 in the midst of Detroit's budget problems after the city's bankruptcy. With that, the state became responsible for upkeep on the island, which its manager told me is moving along nicely: bathrooms are being upgraded, repairs are being done to the picnic shelters, to name a few.<br />
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Right from my time driving across the bridge to the island, I noticed its majesty coming out of the river. The bridge is a welcoming view to the island, and once on it, there's a multitude of activities to partake in. After my scheduled interview with the manager, Karis Floyd, I spent some time on the island, getting a sense of its offerings to visitors. Floyd told me he typically advises first-time visitors to plan on staying for at least five hours, a number that shocked me when I first heard it. But as I drove my car all the way to the eastern part of the island near the driving range, I saw everything offered and realized he may have been estimating low.<br />
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I went on a Wednesday afternoon right after lunch, but you would have thought it was a Saturday with all the people on the island. The conservatory parking lot, where I parked, was nearly full, and children were riding the giant slide. I walked over to the <a href="http://www.historicdetroit.org/building/nancy-brown-peace-carillon/" target="_blank">Nancy Brown Peace Carillion</a> to see what it was all about. It's a sign that the island still has a way to go, as the base of the tower, while gated off, is filled with overgrown vegetation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokEyZmoUGbkarXeqCLppERiUCmkVaNiSvH2jN9VkXiZ9egLZ5mQTReHC0XAqQXxZJ3Y1NWZRpk7lyUfHIiB3r5STlIvmRSG4TiIhNYva5Yi4HIOg5JGFOGvltTBdhLlyafmc_f8kKooo/s1600/IMG_20170726_141144770_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokEyZmoUGbkarXeqCLppERiUCmkVaNiSvH2jN9VkXiZ9egLZ5mQTReHC0XAqQXxZJ3Y1NWZRpk7lyUfHIiB3r5STlIvmRSG4TiIhNYva5Yi4HIOg5JGFOGvltTBdhLlyafmc_f8kKooo/s400/IMG_20170726_141144770_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of downtown Detroit near Sunset Point.</td></tr>
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I got into my car and began my driving tour, riding past the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, the baseball fields and eventually, the beach. The water was full of children and adults enjoying a swim in the Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie.<br />
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I made my way to a recommended stop, Sunset Point, after taking a loop around the island. I can see why Floyd told me that's the spot he recommends visitors go to first: the view of downtown Detroit and Windsor is a sight to behold. I've spent plenty of time in downtown Detroit, but this was one of <br />
the first views I stopped to really take in the sight. Couple the Renaissance Center, the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit River, and you've got a picture-perfect backdrop to spend a wn afternoon reading a book.<br />
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While last month's visit was my first visit to the island, it most certainly will not be my last. It does require a Recreation Passport to enter if coming by car, in case you're curious as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi603pze32L5RinDPAXjJiYPq4QCrFlCC8_wnjK1mp62VSgbZa3z5fkhzJs8gaFY5qP9OOYP2R8b6xmZrRtRZPleZEUQwK7jjgNUavfvQl1vLBJ-s8GiLwvYxZhgOY9vx5EmUrxTIfiE_k/s1600/IMG_20170726_140721105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi603pze32L5RinDPAXjJiYPq4QCrFlCC8_wnjK1mp62VSgbZa3z5fkhzJs8gaFY5qP9OOYP2R8b6xmZrRtRZPleZEUQwK7jjgNUavfvQl1vLBJ-s8GiLwvYxZhgOY9vx5EmUrxTIfiE_k/s400/IMG_20170726_140721105.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Belle Isle, Detroit, MI, USA42.3432541 -82.97434950000001736.3361141 -93.301498000000009 48.3503941 -72.647201000000024tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-90822348906976038092017-08-18T16:15:00.000-04:002017-08-18T16:15:35.993-04:00An obsession with Michigan gardens continue with a visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hTFKLgb9bFk3f-fe9vklUvGf_oHJmg04XQi42oSLxqNhYzERqqSta8yUdD3A4D102ObVuCaA-EePuY5FnA6gK0ZVDORX7qZaBHjcUG4AV0xGKteXTwT9V8L3CSkkya2Ni5QQ5VD4Vk8/s1600/IMG_8491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hTFKLgb9bFk3f-fe9vklUvGf_oHJmg04XQi42oSLxqNhYzERqqSta8yUdD3A4D102ObVuCaA-EePuY5FnA6gK0ZVDORX7qZaBHjcUG4AV0xGKteXTwT9V8L3CSkkya2Ni5QQ5VD4Vk8/s640/IMG_8491.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pond in the Japanese gardens at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.</td></tr>
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My wife and I always try to make at least one trip a year to <a href="https://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2012/07/dow-gardens-in-midland-provides-for.html" target="_blank">Dow Gardens in Midland</a>. We discovered it in college and loved it so much, we always try to go visit each summer.<br />
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While Dow Gardens is a small, more intimate setting to visit, one such garden and sculpture park we visited this past weekend was several times the size with plenty to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6_aF0JDPQayxNk22VXZrHV8jrWkELgaaL6fHsRgKnpJi7O_sAEchTHuxeWe0KUTdgM1VWFXVyZkIjm5GrIKw64GUeS9KDvBHZzAc4nJCfM7iIkJC6U2rw1Tsmd98m8q2tTYHJaslsBc/s1600/IMG_8485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1600" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6_aF0JDPQayxNk22VXZrHV8jrWkELgaaL6fHsRgKnpJi7O_sAEchTHuxeWe0KUTdgM1VWFXVyZkIjm5GrIKw64GUeS9KDvBHZzAc4nJCfM7iIkJC6U2rw1Tsmd98m8q2tTYHJaslsBc/s200/IMG_8485.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bumblebee on a flower in the<br />Japanese gardens.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.meijergardens.org/" target="_blank">Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park</a> is located in Grand Rapids Township contains 158 acres of gardens, wetlands and sculptures across its landscape. Named for the man whose family is behind those wonderful 24-hour retail stores across the Midwest, the park opened in 1995. It contains a plethora of sculptures from renowned artists such as Marshall Fredericks, as well as a host of plants from across the globe.<br />
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From the time we walk from the parking lot, we're reminded of the beautiful flowers we can expect to see throughout our visit: the gardens surrounding the conservatories and visitor's center is covered with a wash of yellow, white, pink and green.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhE1RNx3foZLZRf5SiXz9P2YAK8cYCdd1GwSFv9zjDiDOGFJ9EgbLieLemPustUxLxawLWIO2m2l9pffRNbIFLNhmMC44PyfGk3NzUC6lFMeeWly37YssVA1_DnS6cLrAvUyATGGOHB4g/s1600/IMG_8436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhE1RNx3foZLZRf5SiXz9P2YAK8cYCdd1GwSFv9zjDiDOGFJ9EgbLieLemPustUxLxawLWIO2m2l9pffRNbIFLNhmMC44PyfGk3NzUC6lFMeeWly37YssVA1_DnS6cLrAvUyATGGOHB4g/s320/IMG_8436.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American Horse sculpture.</td></tr>
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Upon recommendation from several people, we spent plenty of time in the new Japanese gardens, which were not there the last time we visited the park back in 2010. This section is covered in cherry trees, as well as paths surrounding a gorgeous body of water with pavilions and rocks.<br />
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This section boasted a rock garden, a Japanese tea house (which was not open when we stopped by) and a variety of flowers around the path. Circling the little lake also revealed small break-offs from the main path, providing a unique view of the pond from a different perspective. I couldn't help but take every one of these spurs to see how the new angle affected the view of the pond and its features.<br />
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In addition, the park boasts an impressive sculpture section, including <a href="http://www.meijergardens.org/explore/the-american-horse/" target="_blank">"The American Horse,"</a> a 24-foot-tall bronze horse sculpture done by Nina Akamu. Some are definitely more impressive than others, but it's quite the sight when you take the loop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpkXlUeYl-fqnrNauQ2c37KiyH9mBGG0G_qw_EvD1D8e3F3BzGYx8uUC_f91WseV_8DqeF5OohzoVPrAEPQ7Mw-4e1PhPFlRw8hxXzFyaugt5aHiI0Y96adKqO9RLtQqC5m5b3TeNfYo/s1600/IMG_8562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpkXlUeYl-fqnrNauQ2c37KiyH9mBGG0G_qw_EvD1D8e3F3BzGYx8uUC_f91WseV_8DqeF5OohzoVPrAEPQ7Mw-4e1PhPFlRw8hxXzFyaugt5aHiI0Y96adKqO9RLtQqC5m5b3TeNfYo/s320/IMG_8562.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wetlands along the boardwalk at the park.</td></tr>
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A must-walk is the boardwalk in the back of the park through the wetlands. It's a callback to Michigan's natural beauty, complete with herons, turtles and other wildlife. While there's a buzz from the nearby freeways in the air, you forget you're in the city pretty quickly while walking the boardwalk.<br />
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The gardens are open throughout the year, though there is an admission fee to enter. The gardens routinely hold special events throughout the year, in case music or other events are your scene.<br />
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If you're in the Grand Rapids area and want to see the flowers and artwork in a beautiful outdoor setting, this is the place to do it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBWSCpVYuMIKv9e_h8PTs4w_PLHlHoTSddPHmG2ysuoOHQ0aNGubg811qVtMxcWr3DWbByUrOkSUqXJ3FaNhdebn306lVaYNH9PzZUi-1eVF0fq8eaVmBQUNqZgREhuRPHyRq8yZh3FA/s1600/IMG_8390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBWSCpVYuMIKv9e_h8PTs4w_PLHlHoTSddPHmG2ysuoOHQ0aNGubg811qVtMxcWr3DWbByUrOkSUqXJ3FaNhdebn306lVaYNH9PzZUi-1eVF0fq8eaVmBQUNqZgREhuRPHyRq8yZh3FA/s400/IMG_8390.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Venus Flytrap in the conservatory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQlBbY4j4T-bEfzxRLIHeef7o4uwgZeSvFlHa4e_20TFgwXdDuSAQVDSz5DJFJnF8Yl5KRuRoQvUfabu-hbGegky-kKZAFIKz8f_Akctr0SGX-1lCzEViVdaxiqHNMROyZzJpnbb8Ffk/s1600/IMG_8462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQlBbY4j4T-bEfzxRLIHeef7o4uwgZeSvFlHa4e_20TFgwXdDuSAQVDSz5DJFJnF8Yl5KRuRoQvUfabu-hbGegky-kKZAFIKz8f_Akctr0SGX-1lCzEViVdaxiqHNMROyZzJpnbb8Ffk/s400/IMG_8462.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Rapids Arch.</td></tr>
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Frederik Meijer Gardens, 1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, USA42.979472 -85.58565199999998217.4574375 -126.89424599999998 68.5015065 -44.277057999999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-50003816401005120302017-07-13T18:40:00.000-04:002017-07-13T18:40:12.642-04:00Summer vs. winter at Island Lake State Rec Area: so different, I nearly got lost<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu30xwmS7EzDi3kGidu0LMErFp5lwI3znItia9ybpdHvDj1SGbPGm7hBDQP0JoznbO2K-a1zhZmCABqEX1PO0rnM5DsQkAo2_oqKqmVZ6HlS9U1RncISb5TZGdwbJPli3sRU2QlAua4SI/s1600/IMG_7227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu30xwmS7EzDi3kGidu0LMErFp5lwI3znItia9ybpdHvDj1SGbPGm7hBDQP0JoznbO2K-a1zhZmCABqEX1PO0rnM5DsQkAo2_oqKqmVZ6HlS9U1RncISb5TZGdwbJPli3sRU2QlAua4SI/s640/IMG_7227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trail head in Island Lake State Recreation Area. Those pile of sticks were my reminder of which way to leave the park.</td></tr>
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The trail intersection above is one I've traveled so many times. Close to 20, I'd guess.<br />
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But seeing it Sunday at <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=462" target="_blank">Island Lake State Recreation Area</a> through me for a loop. I didn't recognize it. I took that photo to make sure I could remember which direction my wife and I would head in case we got turned around in the park, located in the southeast part of Livingston County.<br />
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The biggest reason I was misdirected had to do with all the leaves on the trees: for the first time, I <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDiFkUQ8Q3eIzBZbxC9D-iSqSLLA5qtvH4pSEpSFZuOgxGlVOp86rtebGuKI-u0EH-lu3xJhoUnz55PSCoBvY4ndEuKfrqK7k3HSd311foKL8n57n5zn-JuTIB69rYW0pXTVZLXXJ6Ro/s1600/IMG_7240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDiFkUQ8Q3eIzBZbxC9D-iSqSLLA5qtvH4pSEpSFZuOgxGlVOp86rtebGuKI-u0EH-lu3xJhoUnz55PSCoBvY4ndEuKfrqK7k3HSd311foKL8n57n5zn-JuTIB69rYW0pXTVZLXXJ6Ro/s320/IMG_7240.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island Lake from a fishing dock Sunday afternoon.</td></tr>
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spent an afternoon hiking at Island Lake in the summertime.<br />
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I was introduced to "roughing it" camping at Island Lake when I was 9. I took my first trip with the group I still volunteer with out of St. David's Episcopal Church in Southfield one cold January weekend. It's normal to spend our Saturday at the park <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2014/01/yet-another-outdoor-adventure-at-island.html" target="_blank">cross-country skiing</a> if there's enough snow, <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2017/01/still-no-snow-at-island-lake-state-rec.html" target="_blank">hiking if there's not</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wbm2NeX7x9uf6PaFQNC28zkwlasvwdcFKMLzgvXujc8ksdUvnJ1qi_qd6g3h663Vqa6ddFVACGWyUW1r_wyhb-2Vl2l1ju7eCuQfWYzZMKQozOj1IK-FdrWpy2ixCw_umMxShU99uFE/s1600/IMG_7220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wbm2NeX7x9uf6PaFQNC28zkwlasvwdcFKMLzgvXujc8ksdUvnJ1qi_qd6g3h663Vqa6ddFVACGWyUW1r_wyhb-2Vl2l1ju7eCuQfWYzZMKQozOj1IK-FdrWpy2ixCw_umMxShU99uFE/s200/IMG_7220.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This turtle greeted us as we walked<br />down the trail.</td></tr>
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My wife and I decided to get out of the house and head out for the afternoon Sunday. Starting at the Green Oak Village Place shopping center, we took the trail into the park, enjoying the sights as we hiked. In addition to wildlife and flowers, there were plenty of bikers and trail runners spending the day doing exactly what we were doing: getting out a little close to home.<br />
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It still had that calming sense I'm used to in the winter, just with a lot more leaves. Once I got onto <br />
the paths I knew, I'd stumble across landmarks I would always recognize in the winter and find they were unrecognizable.<br />
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If you've never spent time at Island Lake in any season, I'd recommend it. It's incredible how much land is still protected by the state in this part of Michigan, especially as development continues to creep outward from Detroit westward.<br />
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Just bring a map and don't get turned around like I did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnbhTnv6uvsYOgjsEUb3VHdMN7Nn0Rarr_H3YNVv9pN4ioDoDPJwVntZ2fWhjgqDTOjHyXIhrTNbtVs3Y5fn_ZqusyeiV1R2Kxc4r0W7zVrTWxiGeWjXMGefKesjrakjD17cosVSsplc/s1600/IMG_7235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnbhTnv6uvsYOgjsEUb3VHdMN7Nn0Rarr_H3YNVv9pN4ioDoDPJwVntZ2fWhjgqDTOjHyXIhrTNbtVs3Y5fn_ZqusyeiV1R2Kxc4r0W7zVrTWxiGeWjXMGefKesjrakjD17cosVSsplc/s400/IMG_7235.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This daylily was one of many flowers spotted along the hike to Island Lake.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Island Lake State Recreation Area, 12950 E Grand River Avenue, Brighton, MI 48116, USA42.4985838 -83.71796770000003116.9765493 -125.02656170000003 68.0206183 -42.409373700000032tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-52751121157783047122017-06-01T21:08:00.000-04:002017-06-01T21:08:21.232-04:00There are plenty of dunes to be found in southwest Michigan, like at Warren Dunes State Park<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn00QsJVcJN817jVKdU3rZwltmIY-wT9C-CbPazMJATjOKmaB7n_P49_XnLmB8Fbw1SI0-zW-YzEYI4zt1orIGYt1WbmcQoOC758q-m5dvjJIpklamBfvIinjsqK9wGlYxwf4UdA9yv8/s1600/IMG_20170520_155201521_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn00QsJVcJN817jVKdU3rZwltmIY-wT9C-CbPazMJATjOKmaB7n_P49_XnLmB8Fbw1SI0-zW-YzEYI4zt1orIGYt1WbmcQoOC758q-m5dvjJIpklamBfvIinjsqK9wGlYxwf4UdA9yv8/s640/IMG_20170520_155201521_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view after climbing to the top of a dune on a trail at Warren Dunes State Park.</td></tr>
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Sand dunes are typically associated with the northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Most notably is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is a wonderful stretch of beach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVLu2Qs-1HvG37v9JC_nJgmuwR45hv9tgF79Jvi5npLcAJAoMSoR12pP5Vjsb-Q6WnZcwOFzK6xKF3-9sl6iURahx_6BlCtP1ScC77ZCyw3BAuBzp1PsNClRfVnskOneNbQO5vOvZ9zY/s1600/IMG_20170520_154429011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1600" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVLu2Qs-1HvG37v9JC_nJgmuwR45hv9tgF79Jvi5npLcAJAoMSoR12pP5Vjsb-Q6WnZcwOFzK6xKF3-9sl6iURahx_6BlCtP1ScC77ZCyw3BAuBzp1PsNClRfVnskOneNbQO5vOvZ9zY/s320/IMG_20170520_154429011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signs mark part of the six miles of trail at<br />Warren Dunes State Park.</td></tr>
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But the southwest portion of the state has its share of sandy beach. One such location is <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=504&type=SPRK" target="_blank">Warren Dunes State Park</a>, located near Sawyer in Berrien County, about 15 miles north of the Michigan/Indiana border.<br />
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It's a park that doesn't get the attention it frankly deserves. We spent the weekend before Memorial Day camping in both the modern campground and the group sites. We decided to take this trip as one with backpacking incorporated into it, though after walking the trails and figuring out the group sites, I found backpacking in a little redundant, since there was a parking lot just 100 yards from the group sites.<br />
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After battling plenty of rain in the afternoon, it was time to head to the water. The group site is about a mile from the water, and takes a short hike through the woods and up. After climbing up the dunes, a truly spectacular sight was our reward: sloping sand dunes covered in vegetation led to the crystal shores of Lake Michigan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0lHNm5XdTmzAf5g1JmcPu7kQmugzPyjrNQhxcy9CKFelYU1R1bRgNfRxmjdJTw4ZTdWIHtVApnBJ0yX7TJ6ArfXxE2FK8c24qeRnP6kCNHe36DW7BO9TS44CZsOxuaXscO0EsZvcoyQ/s1600/IMG_20170520_173858732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0lHNm5XdTmzAf5g1JmcPu7kQmugzPyjrNQhxcy9CKFelYU1R1bRgNfRxmjdJTw4ZTdWIHtVApnBJ0yX7TJ6ArfXxE2FK8c24qeRnP6kCNHe36DW7BO9TS44CZsOxuaXscO0EsZvcoyQ/s200/IMG_20170520_173858732.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers on the dunes.</td></tr>
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I remember going to the dunes more than 15 years ago with the Boy Scouts. I don't remember much about that trip, but I was reminded of one aspect of that trip: the massive, steep dune off of the lake. We happened to see several people trying to climb it, though I imagine it took quite some time to make it up.<br />
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After passing the dune and some flowers sprouting along the trail, we reached the beach. A fairly narrow beach, it stretched for several miles. Sloping sand dunes approach the water, making for the perfect place to perch while watching the waves crash along the sand.<br />
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It can be a bit tough of a hike, especially coming back uphill in the sand, but the view and the water is well worth it. We saw very few other people at this park that weekend, just some bird watchers and Boy Scouts. It was a little surprising, though I suspect the rain had scared them off from earlier in the day.<br />
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Warren Dunes State Park is well worth the visit, even if just for a stop on the way through town. With it being right off Interstate 94, it makes for a great pop-in in an afternoon. Just climbing to the top of the hill to overlook Lake Michigan is all one needs to feel at peace.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A broken sign approaching the lakeshore.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Warren Dunes State Park, 12032 Red Arrow Hwy, Sawyer, MI 49125, USA41.901432799999988 -86.59494540000002916.379398299999988 -127.90353940000003 67.423467299999984 -45.286351400000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-77042054867019983862017-03-06T08:52:00.000-05:002017-03-06T08:52:03.160-05:00Nothing wrong with hitting the Holland State Park beach in March<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxehCPpa3a-BjftCkXB2Z_dWhLaUAppWJLoufwugkpzG9lY4rWimIaTwUarL2942Qb1qSLZqYiQG0UI6u3byX006mhH8-9vB9juau7kyLZOwvWo5ZEpfj-drkITApDJR5F0944bFf8exw/s1600/Holland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxehCPpa3a-BjftCkXB2Z_dWhLaUAppWJLoufwugkpzG9lY4rWimIaTwUarL2942Qb1qSLZqYiQG0UI6u3byX006mhH8-9vB9juau7kyLZOwvWo5ZEpfj-drkITApDJR5F0944bFf8exw/s640/Holland.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan near Lake Macatawa at Holland State Park.</td></tr>
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The last time I was at Holland State Park, the beach was full, the water was full and the sky was lit up with patriotic fireworks.<br />
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It was a far cry from that Saturday afternoon. While visiting my wife on the west side of Michigan for the weekend (she's there for two weeks on work), we decided to head to Holland for the afternoon. After stopping by the Holland Museum downtown, we made the drive to <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=458" target="_blank">Holland State Park</a>, where we were met with a vastly different scene this time around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD2FqxV5FCuEG7yxp5oMiOFScYCvHZRRJFFvlWa1usgqTZhsWk1DOACI7gEHanWIALnhnRE9lsz-wcQfgiOtHdz0ckIedia2nyDt1d7BiMHSZC1rYRUuLrlY34tx0bMYY4v0FJxkQkyU/s1600/Holland+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD2FqxV5FCuEG7yxp5oMiOFScYCvHZRRJFFvlWa1usgqTZhsWk1DOACI7gEHanWIALnhnRE9lsz-wcQfgiOtHdz0ckIedia2nyDt1d7BiMHSZC1rYRUuLrlY34tx0bMYY4v0FJxkQkyU/s320/Holland+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice covers rocks on the jetty.</td></tr>
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There were plenty of people coming to check out the sun as it glowed in the horizon, more than I expected. It goes to show the Great Lakes can draw people pretty much anytime of year, not just during the warm summer months and on Independence Day, which is the last time I paid a visit to this park back in 2010 while working in Grand Rapids.<br />
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While the nearby lighthouse was not covered in ice as I had hoped to see, there were still plenty of signs of winter: several rocks along the jetty were covered in white ice, with icicles dangling off of some of them. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it was a sight I hadn't seen.<br />
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The wind whipping off of Lake Michigan proved to be the winner, as we didn't stay long on the waterfront. But just making the short drive to the beach on an early March afternoon can be invigorating.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Holland State Park, 2215 Ottawa Beach Rd, Holland, MI 49424, USA42.774491 -86.20849570000001417.252456499999997 -127.51708970000001 68.2965255 -44.899901700000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-90763480827427618122017-01-20T15:53:00.000-05:002017-01-20T15:53:21.762-05:00Still no snow at Island Lake State Rec Area<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpoQPpy3mv9kRbiesfGl0hYuu76mj4H9Yi4Z2jLcu0ajruHYpdJEN62pHUWyoQYmAOKy7qBTD1vsMK6MjiQ6OaZ0sUojneJLNRZmyFjOCMgYWHlexZXpP-by_S4ahZa95zKZqh4ZtXlg/s1600/IMG_20170114_171521903_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpoQPpy3mv9kRbiesfGl0hYuu76mj4H9Yi4Z2jLcu0ajruHYpdJEN62pHUWyoQYmAOKy7qBTD1vsMK6MjiQ6OaZ0sUojneJLNRZmyFjOCMgYWHlexZXpP-by_S4ahZa95zKZqh4ZtXlg/s640/IMG_20170114_171521903_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Huron River in Island Lake State Rec Area.</td></tr>
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It's been several years, but once again, my annual trip to <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=462" target="_blank">Island Lake State Recreation Area</a> near Brighton saw no snow for the middle of January, <a href="https://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-to-do-on-winter-cabin-trip-to.html" target="_blank">just like 2013</a>. What to do, what to do.<br />
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It's still an annual retreat I take each year with the same youth group I've been in/led since I was 9. It's a highlight trip to take when otherwise, I'd go several months without a night in the woods. This year was no different.<br />
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Piggybacking off of our activities from the outing in September, some of us decided to bust out our GPS devices during a hike on the very-icy trails and locate some geocaches around the area. Several were around, though the most impressive one we found was in a small prescription pill bottle hung about 20 feet in a tree. This didn't prove to be a challenge for one of our group members, who decided to climb the tree and log our group into the vial. Take a look:<br />
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It wasn't the only cache found. After returning to the cabin where we've stayed for years, I went onto my geocaching app and discovered another one nearby the cabin, one that had been there for 15 years. After a little looking, a friend and I stumbled across it, hiding underneath some wood. Filled </div>
with small children's toys, we logged our group and added it to the app. Success!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small cache of toys and stickers.</td></tr>
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I was first exposed to the hobby back in September and I haven't done a lot with it, but having no snow to ski or sled with forced us to think outside the box. It's worthy of your time if you're in a wooded area and are looking to add a touch of adventure to that hike you planned out.</div>
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<b>What else to do?</b></div>
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No snow requires more than just hikes and geocaching. Outings like these attract a wide range of members, and feeding them is no small feat.</div>
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Cooking takes up a good amount of time in the cabin, but these meals aren't anything most of the boys are used to. For example, I led a small band of fearless chefs (read: high schoolers) to create a </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lasagna stew. Couple it with a Kings Hawaiian roll and you've<br />got quite the meal.</td></tr>
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lasagna stew using ingredients such as ricotta cheese, onions, spices and broken lasagna noodles. The dish turned up a little more soupy than expected, but even the pickiest of eaters with our group decided to give it a go. If you've got the time, there are plenty of recipes out there to try<br />
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A good cabin outing is nothing without games. I've created a list of them on the app <a href="http://li.st/">li.st</a>, though I'm not aware of a way to drop an embed code to that list. Some of those great games include:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Chess</b>: One of the classics, it's a game I don't really play unless I'm away from home. Using a cobbled-together set along with an old board, it's a great game to concentrate on. I left the weekend 1-1.</li>
<li><b>Euchre</b>: Seriously, I think it's a prerequisite for Michiganders who go to the woods play this game. It's one that doesn't get a lot of attention outside of the Midwest, but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchre" target="_blank">here's more info</a> if you're curious.</li>
<li>Skittles: A game I've never seen anywhere else. Crafted many years ago by our leader's father, this game involves a wooden top, several wooden pins and a wooden box with slots cut out of it. Points are scored by knocking over pins as the top spins, and more points are scored for knocking down pins in the back rooms of the box. Take a look:</li>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Island Lake State Recreation Area, 12950 E Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI 48116, USA42.5055942 -83.707649516.983559699999997 -125.0162435 68.0276287 -42.3990555tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-6317988630082479202017-01-01T13:07:00.003-05:002017-01-01T13:07:42.219-05:00Happy New Year from Walled Lake. Here are some ice boats.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ice boat on Walled Lake.</td></tr>
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I went for my somewhat weekly walk along Walled Lake this morning, knowing I needed some exercise with the holidays. I was surprised to see what looked like sail boats out on the lake as I approached it.<br />
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While walking along East Lake Road in Novi, I watched as sailors (?) drove their vehicles across the frozen lake, around checkpoints and others walking out on the ice. About two dozen of them were out maneuvering on Walled Lake today in a sport I admit I have never seen before. More information on ice boating can be found <a href="http://www.sailmichigan.org/resources/index.php?p=michiganiceboating" target="_blank">here at sailmichigan.org</a>.<br />
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So I ran back home, grabbed the camera and shot some photos to share on this first day of 2017:<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Oakland County, MI, USA42.521112684387504 -83.4803614544921442.474316184387504 -83.561042454492139 42.5679091843875 -83.399680454492142tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-19226135154788311612016-09-18T21:41:00.000-04:002016-09-18T21:41:56.100-04:00Geocaching at the tip of Michigan's Thumb is a great way to spend a weekend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll never get sick of looking at the Lake Huron coastline, no matter where I am in Michigan.</td></tr>
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So much is made in Michigan of what is <a href="https://yoopersteez.com/post/what-actually-constitutes-northern-michigan" target="_blank">"up north."</a> Be it the argument that "up north" begins at the Zilwaukee Bridge, or at the Mackinac Bridge or what have you.<br />
<br />
So much of the talk encompasses about the trek along I-75 or US-131. But so little is made of Michigan's Thumb region, which consists of several counties surrounding Lake Huron and the Saginaw Bay. For those coming from the Metro Detroit region, making the drive 2.5 hours north on Van Dyke is well worth the outdoors trek.<br />
<br />
My most recent weekend was spent at the tip of the Thumb near Port Austin in a cabin off of M-25. That stretch of the state was quiet with the waves crashing near the sandstone rock formations nearby. A sandy beach lined the stretch of water, an area barely touched by development.<br />
<br />
Part of our day was spent at <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=486&type=SPRK" target="_blank">Port Crescent State Park</a> geocaching, an activity that consists of searching for hidden items in containers hidden all over. We were on the hunt for six caches in the rain, and were able to find five of them (the sixth appeared to have been missing for some time).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iTYlA3VSQXMp3nQwfGMOByHtppIk7bgdU5mE9-FZc6rg6YuAK2v0EKl_u6IlEqW6V7coepey9wLmBV_3n6pNJX9r5KX-22gqP8N9ClAVIF9ecJyh8pQh7TtA-4OtUd4fVGxmgxzI44k/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iTYlA3VSQXMp3nQwfGMOByHtppIk7bgdU5mE9-FZc6rg6YuAK2v0EKl_u6IlEqW6V7coepey9wLmBV_3n6pNJX9r5KX-22gqP8N9ClAVIF9ecJyh8pQh7TtA-4OtUd4fVGxmgxzI44k/s320/IMG_1868.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding the first geocache near the state park sign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was my first geocache experience, and was something I'm planning on keeping on doing in the future. Hiking has always been a pastime, but adding the hunt for a geocache gave it a little more of an adventure. They were located all around the park, with many of them near the trail. Some were well off the trail, requiring some detailed looking for the container. They ranged from a 35mm film canister containing a log to an ammo box with a full notebook and trinkets left by those who had visited it. One was even placed in a small lock box magnetically attached to a metal bench. These geocaches were entitled <a href="https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3QRKF_margies-delight-1-gone-fishing" target="_blank">"Margie's Delight,"</a> named for the placer's mother. They're well worth looking for during a day hike at the park. We didn't have any items to leave in the caches, as we forgot to back them, but we did make sure we entered our information in the logbooks as we found them.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLOGZ7PnvkIXAEirtD26O1TX6VOi0mA5HdmGzeSDbOvTLH7_7Z0_dWnxGUs-TF4XreJl6dQTNihHFGLxHYagkIRfzTqV4oehYhdMreEzMB1W85oOY-jX_n-4Vz0V2UkNrCjWfW0GA_vI/s1600/IMG_1871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLOGZ7PnvkIXAEirtD26O1TX6VOi0mA5HdmGzeSDbOvTLH7_7Z0_dWnxGUs-TF4XreJl6dQTNihHFGLxHYagkIRfzTqV4oehYhdMreEzMB1W85oOY-jX_n-4Vz0V2UkNrCjWfW0GA_vI/s200/IMG_1871.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our entry to the log on the geocache<br />(Stands for "St. David's")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While geocaching, the park itself was a pleasure to walk through. The pathway was a smooth <br />
walkway that eventually led to the Saginaw Bay, complete with boardwalks through the beaches and sand dunes. It's the first time I've been to the park in well over a decade, having gone there a few times and staying at the group site at the state park.<br />
<br />
While at the beach, we found it to be quite the communicable experience with others staying along the coastline. Our cabin was near a sandstone formation that had been graffitied by many people over the years. The water remained fairly calm but fairly warm as some of our group decided to swim in the lake.<br />
<br />
There are several places to camp in the tip of the Thumb, including Port Crescent and <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=494&type=SPRK" target="_blank">Sleeper State Park</a> near Caseville. It was a great reminder to see what spending time in the Thumb was like again, a place that tends to get overlooked when looking for a Michigan outdoor adventure.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-de9fbFILbiMa4y2LYIqx3v9pPV6o38O_GV39Tdk_XmP29tiiegxA1XCrxvG2X7nbGGBUhReh6kAZ3Sty1n8Q0KcXEugsIRy8rAAaeT1qh7-qtiwrwleyCrm0gHMn5Zbiy4kMamwyh8/s1600/IMG_20160917_113821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-de9fbFILbiMa4y2LYIqx3v9pPV6o38O_GV39Tdk_XmP29tiiegxA1XCrxvG2X7nbGGBUhReh6kAZ3Sty1n8Q0KcXEugsIRy8rAAaeT1qh7-qtiwrwleyCrm0gHMn5Zbiy4kMamwyh8/s400/IMG_20160917_113821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A boardwalk along a trail in Port Crescent State Park near the water. It was<br />a rainy morning, full of clouds before it broke later Saturday afternoon.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Port Crescent State Park, 1775 Port Austin Rd, Port Austin, MI 48467, USA43.998171 -83.08170310000002743.974004 -83.122043600000026 44.022338 -83.041362600000028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-40141111247014131352016-08-25T21:20:00.001-04:002016-08-25T21:33:59.633-04:00Time to celebrate Michigan's National Park Service locations<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHIzVujljaptxOszUG8w0FleYcke2TWN_s8Auye5SCih3eUqags1xdi7QBd91Y5ju0cD-1hdTZOL8gyenEYKkta_HYvZK2DjUvsbpo4TQ_njr2arIjn1XA1CmyCdJtYEx7WgmfrfRrlY/s1600/south+manitou.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHIzVujljaptxOszUG8w0FleYcke2TWN_s8Auye5SCih3eUqags1xdi7QBd91Y5ju0cD-1hdTZOL8gyenEYKkta_HYvZK2DjUvsbpo4TQ_njr2arIjn1XA1CmyCdJtYEx7WgmfrfRrlY/s640/south+manitou.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shores of Lake Michigan as seen from the sand dunes on South Manitou Island, part of<br />
Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. The lakeshore is one of seven sites in Michigan<br />
administered by the National Park Service.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everyone is celebrating the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/national-parks/2016/08/24/national-park-service-100-years-anniversary-centennial/89274734/" target="_blank">National Park Service's 100th anniversary today</a>. This date in 1916, Woodrow Wilson created what is now the National Park Service, which oversees America's biggest national treasures.<br />
<br />
Here in Michigan, we don't have as many managed NPS sites as some other states. Out of the 59 national parks, only one is located in Michigan. Six other sites overseen by the NPS <a href="https://www.nps.gov/state/mi/index.htm" target="_blank">are located in the state</a> (There are several designations of national park facilities for a reason. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/designations.htm" target="_blank">Here's a list</a> of why some places are national parks, some are national lakeshores, etc). There are other "national" outdoors areas, such as the Huron National Forest, though those are managed by other entities like the U.S. Forest Service.<br />
<br />
During my several decades of exploration as a child and adult, I've been to six of them (well, maybe seven. More at the bottom):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>Isle Royale National Park</b></a><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsEix8mBDYx3FBBCkoy9_EYPSAts4_FsbmcdKnln5_NlgqP-xdnUK4SD0zebi0Tt7GAUpTAjpXke789D6u6o6bW6BOFmy8D7xfvuwpISXW9ZFN0mh-GNAnviz247Wa22N3rZuqb_B4Fc/s1600/IMAG0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsEix8mBDYx3FBBCkoy9_EYPSAts4_FsbmcdKnln5_NlgqP-xdnUK4SD0zebi0Tt7GAUpTAjpXke789D6u6o6bW6BOFmy8D7xfvuwpISXW9ZFN0mh-GNAnviz247Wa22N3rZuqb_B4Fc/s320/IMAG0103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sight of Isle Royale in 2005.</td></tr>
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Michigan's lone national park is the least-visited one in the Lower 48, seeing only 20,000 visitors a year. It's up there as one of my favorite visited ones in the United States, spending a week there back in 2005. A boat ride of four hours from the Keweenaw Peninsula to the island in the middle of Lake<br />
<br />
Superior granted us access to one of the biggest adventures of my life. Waking up next to an inland lake and seeing a moose bathing is a sight you don't soon forget. It's a park I highly recommend visiting if you have time.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm" target="_blank">Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore</a> and the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/noco/index.htm" target="_blank">North Country National Scenic Trail</a></b><br />
<br />
Another top-notch location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Pictured Rocks is easier to access if you don't want to spend four hours on a boat. Here, there are more than 50 miles of trail, much of it making up the North Country Trail throughout the lakeshore area. I backpacked this stretch in 2006, <br />
going from Grand Marais to Munising. It's a park that has a wide range of sights, including massive sand dunes in the eastern part and beautiful rock formations in the western part.<br />
<br />
The North Country Trail, mentioned above, traverses through several states from New York to North Dakota. Running along the western side of the Lower Peninsula before entering the Upper Peninsula, it travels a length of more than 4,600 miles once completed.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/kewe/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>Keweenaw National Historical Park</b></a><br />
This is a park I know I've visited, but it would have been about 20 years ago on a family vacation as a child, and I honestly don't remember a lot of it. It's one I'd like to go back to and appreciate a bit more as an adult. This area focused more on history of the peninsula on Lake Superior, especially the copper industry that was so important to Michigan for many years.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore</b></a><br />
Located in the northwest portion of the Lower Peninsula, this is a popular spot for so many Michigan residents. It's garnered national attention in the last five years, being named the most beautiful place in the U.S. by <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/best_places_USA/sleeping-bear-dunes-michigan-voted-good-morning-americas/story?id=14319616" target="_blank">Good Morning America in 2011.</a> The dunes are wonderful, yes, though my favorite part of this lakeshore isn't as easily accessible. South Manitou Island, which can be reached after a 90-minute boat ride through Lake Michigan. This island has its own sand dunes, along with giant cedar trees and shipwrecks along the coast. I've been here multiple times, the most recent being 2010.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR1qnIbegjTkb6kkVe9IneTpcMCukcs35oqi2A7ooAXufprLcE9VgKI31kZCJhAOufVDU1_G31CIi2isw2ivec6WQA997KLQe9diagqQF9MAAr3_TPZeSaORJYNi1GaOPKjimpKUFwdA/s1600/IMG_20160621_131151697_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR1qnIbegjTkb6kkVe9IneTpcMCukcs35oqi2A7ooAXufprLcE9VgKI31kZCJhAOufVDU1_G31CIi2isw2ivec6WQA997KLQe9diagqQF9MAAr3_TPZeSaORJYNi1GaOPKjimpKUFwdA/s320/IMG_20160621_131151697_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one-room schoolhouse in Westland built by Henry Ford.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/auto/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>Motor Cities National Heritage Area</b></a><br />
This is one I've been in my entire life, but never realized its existence until just a few months ago. This isn't a specific area per se, but covers several spots in Southeast Michigan important to the development of the automotive industry. These sites have markers at several locations, including near a one-room schoolhouse built by Henry Ford in Westland (<a href="http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/livonia/2016/08/17/perrinville-move-delayed/88881480/" target="_blank">soon to be in Livonia</a>) and areas that attracted Detroiters for recreation near Walled Lake in Novi.<br />
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/rira/index.htm" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/rira/index.htm" target="_blank"><b>River Raisin National Battlefield Park</b></a><br />
This is the lone NPS site in Michigan I've yet to have gone to. Located near Monroe on the shores of Lake Erie, this location commemorates the battles that took place there during the War of 1812, where the area was taken captive by the British. This location joined the NPS recently, being placed under its authority in 2010. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Wild card: <a href="http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2011/05/pruning-parks-mackinac-national-park-1875-18958079" target="_blank">Mackinac National Park</a></b><br />
While not a national park today, most of Michigan's Mackinac Island was once a national park, the second one in the union after Yellowstone. Mackinac Island became a national park in 1875 and was transferred back to the State of Michigan 20 years later when it became a state park. That designation remains today. It's an island I've been to a few times, though I'd like to go back.The island is worth a visit, not just for the natural scenery, but for the culture, the history, and, if you're into it, the fudge.<br />
<br />
<b>What's your favorite national park site in Michigan? </b>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-83917300334712403672016-07-31T21:04:00.000-04:002016-07-31T21:04:39.235-04:00Not far from home: A day trip to Brighton State Recreation Area<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoHbc7LeDTkZeB-5Ot9g_6F2tc9Nnv5AVXuCXGVD_YnimJjkfYAYPvjtDIizwfZ3UENPOH5EgBJb_8SxOEldZw47IqXNrCDKmtz__s7MZ0lpZXvYjNWh10YuH9IUwK7FgabFjic_WUoM/s1600/IMG_0861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoHbc7LeDTkZeB-5Ot9g_6F2tc9Nnv5AVXuCXGVD_YnimJjkfYAYPvjtDIizwfZ3UENPOH5EgBJb_8SxOEldZw47IqXNrCDKmtz__s7MZ0lpZXvYjNWh10YuH9IUwK7FgabFjic_WUoM/s640/IMG_0861.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Lake at Brighton State Recreation Area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So much is made of going "up north" (and no, I won't make you <a href="http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/aheller/2010/08/so_what_does_up_north_mean_to.html" target="_blank">define what "up north" means</a>) in Michigan during the summer, and for good reason. There's something special about the lakeshore, the woods, the river up north that's so unique.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2WWdEotx6SXFt17PT7DgtoPus5EznIpSs-pNvq2Tddn5r51BTYYjwyrLeKMKcEWRAxA4SU_zetuZY7gF5xyTto66YP3Nsdvtw2uSRjO0GowV35g1LEc6ABTgB7-zVKRKOPBdLwK8KPQ/s1600/IMG_0867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2WWdEotx6SXFt17PT7DgtoPus5EznIpSs-pNvq2Tddn5r51BTYYjwyrLeKMKcEWRAxA4SU_zetuZY7gF5xyTto66YP3Nsdvtw2uSRjO0GowV35g1LEc6ABTgB7-zVKRKOPBdLwK8KPQ/s320/IMG_0867.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A smattering of wildflowers still in bloom in late July.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But that feeling isn't one that can only be felt along the Straits of Mackinac or Lake Superior. Sometimes, that "up north" feeling can be achieved a lot closer to home. Case in point: <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx" target="_blank">Brighton State Recreation Area<span id="goog_236304124"></span><span id="goog_236304125"></span></a> in Livingston County.<br />
<br />
I've long gone to the park next to Brighton State Rec Area, but have never traveled to this park. My wife and I decided to take an adventure this afternoon and see what the nearly 5,000 acres of state <span style="text-align: center;">park land offered. Driving into the park makes it feel like you've taken a portal out of modern times, as it quickly takes you away from the bustle of Brighton and into the backwoods, where a few homes are located on a nicely-grated dirt road. </span><br />
<br />
After picking up a trail map, we went to Bishop Lake, which was full of activity. The tail-end of graduation party season meant lots of pavilion use, along with plenty of families looking to spend some time at the beach on a muggy day. Opting to stick around Bishop Lake, we hiked along the path that encapsulates the lake, complete with boat launches and a recreation area near the campground with modern activities such as cornhole, tetherball and an outdoor foosball game that requires the playing of 12 live players.<br />
<br />
Birds were the star of the day, with us seeing more than a half-dozen varieties. They included an <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpg-4Ucd-WMC2Khl6iOApH7ICGWTK3By8qWCba2Wu1gNxHgvpVU8bKbhD-PbW9FZ29W1peCkus4LMIjiq9uFZ9Fj-XWPObgBdU8d5u-ta2_lvkMexmy4UDURHvvZ5O1hXqh2Zo2th3rk/s1600/IMG_0961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpg-4Ucd-WMC2Khl6iOApH7ICGWTK3By8qWCba2Wu1gNxHgvpVU8bKbhD-PbW9FZ29W1peCkus4LMIjiq9uFZ9Fj-XWPObgBdU8d5u-ta2_lvkMexmy4UDURHvvZ5O1hXqh2Zo2th3rk/s320/IMG_0961.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A heron hangs out in a marsh. Notice the pattern on the bird's<br />chest and neck. We couldn't see that detail from far out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
oriole, a heron, a cardinal, a goldfinch and several others. Geese populate the lake greatly, but there's no shortage of fowl at this park.<br />
<br />
The simple, one-mile trail spans around most of the lake, connecting campgrounds and other trails to Bishop Lake. Plenty of flowers still remained this late in the summer.<br />
<br />
Three foot trails exist for hikers, including a six-mile trail. There are places for horseback riding, as well as mountain biking, but those were areas we didn't explore today. Along the foot trail surrounding Bishop Lake, on that is handicap-accessible, there were several spots to sit on a bench and relax as the cries of families playing in the water could be heard.<br />
<br />
We spent several hours at the park, something that can easily be done by day visitors looking to get outside in the summer months without having to drive too far to enjoy the amenities. Make a stop here if you ever get a chance.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jFScuTA6MacbvUVU5V6vDGWQ3A-1_CmoPJ5JTH06tyBQLXzI_xk_-iHBRYoBcjMDFw_5W6AS4roO6qOCLzdP_5zJ2eYXDxaSU2MDTNexCpYpSgJzho_hvRGWmICBbvxvo9PXUhzh7UI/s1600/IMG_0844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jFScuTA6MacbvUVU5V6vDGWQ3A-1_CmoPJ5JTH06tyBQLXzI_xk_-iHBRYoBcjMDFw_5W6AS4roO6qOCLzdP_5zJ2eYXDxaSU2MDTNexCpYpSgJzho_hvRGWmICBbvxvo9PXUhzh7UI/s400/IMG_0844.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This butterfly was having a good time on this flower.</td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Bishop Lake Campgrounds at Brighton State Recreation Area, 5210 Bishop Lake Rd, Brighton, MI 48116, USA42.5028578 -83.844652099999962-11.612473700000002 -166.46183959999996 90 -1.227464599999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-84036570069639247992016-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:002016-05-26T08:00:20.793-04:00Negwegon State Park: A jewel on Michigan's Sunrise Coast<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB89b0aj5DPkM8yLhJv6M63EeqfLEXMupBfxGMosePgTNrvQA3nV7VMeU-fscwPZomVUhWfoxOEJwPchaPC1gpnp1wXVKZd5DPB_6qeCTYpB2bs8FTnulOKmHi1BCozoVpodwwWPXBcz0/s1600/IMG_20160521_165202105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB89b0aj5DPkM8yLhJv6M63EeqfLEXMupBfxGMosePgTNrvQA3nV7VMeU-fscwPZomVUhWfoxOEJwPchaPC1gpnp1wXVKZd5DPB_6qeCTYpB2bs8FTnulOKmHi1BCozoVpodwwWPXBcz0/s640/IMG_20160521_165202105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look north along the trail toward South Point at Negwegon State Park. A sign for the Pewabic campsite is passed by our group hiking.</td></tr>
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So much is talked about when it comes to west Michigan.<br />
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The Lake Michigan lakeshore is a beautiful part of the state, complete with wonderful places stretching from New Buffalo to Traverse City. But in all of that talk, the east coast of the state, dubbed the Sunrise Coast, tends to get lost in the mix.<br />
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I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the east coast of Michigan's Mitten. I've gone there for many summers as a child, spending <a href="https://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2011/07/camp-chickagami-in-presque-isle-truly.html" target="_blank">a week a summer in Presque Isle,</a> north of Alpena. That's why I was thrilled to return to northeast Michigan this past weekend while backpacking <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=476" target="_blank">Negwegon State Park</a>.<br />
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Originally named Alpena State Park, the park was later renamed Negwegon State Park after an Ojibwe chief from the 1700s. It's a park that's clearly not visited often: the front sign is very clean and the road to the park looked pristine. We pulled into the lot to find just a few cars there, a sure sign of a quiet weekend. Sure enough, just one other group was camping in the park more than a half-mile away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trillium flowers along the trail.</td></tr>
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There are four campsites at the park, each at least one mile from the parking lot. Each is located on the shores of Lake Huron, giving wonderful views of the beach. The main trail that leads to the <br />
campsites saw a peppering of wildflowers, including trillium. Saw but one Jack-in-the-Pulpit flower along the trail, though I suspect more will come in the coming weeks. It was a bit swampy along the trail, with some boardwalks constructed along areas of standing water. Trees still remained bare over the weekend, the one preceding Memorial Day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Twin Pines campsite.</td></tr>
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The campsite I stayed at with part of our group was Twin Pines, which came equipped with a picnic table, fire ring and a rudimentary pit toilet. Over <br />
a small berm of sand was Lake Huron, about 100 feet from the campsite. The lake provided a light breeze, which tried to keep the rash of mosquitoes and gnats that were present this trip.<br />
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After some time on the beach where some of the younger members of our group went for a swim (and they picked me up and threw me into the cold, calm water), a hike to South Point capped the day <br />
before cooking dinner. South Point is roughly 2.2 miles from the parking lot, and it also features a campsite nearby, one that looks out into the bay. There are several islands visible from this point, including one that contained, what looked like, hundreds of seagulls. We could hear their cries across the bay as we looked out. The water tower in Alpena was also visible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FedybEZ95dChW6TczIy3F3wsTaDGWSsNMZxehw50QrC-HRCA9RioEaHPF7tCYW89IuGKu22sJfJa6J-Lh5BpjETfNVbFujgt5lraepqvM5us4DnRYc9S6cj3-MtYa1bXaLeTC6H46hk/s1600/IMG_20160521_171139146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FedybEZ95dChW6TczIy3F3wsTaDGWSsNMZxehw50QrC-HRCA9RioEaHPF7tCYW89IuGKu22sJfJa6J-Lh5BpjETfNVbFujgt5lraepqvM5us4DnRYc9S6cj3-MtYa1bXaLeTC6H46hk/s400/IMG_20160521_171139146.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view looking south from South Point.</td></tr>
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We had heard from another camper at the park we were at the night before South Point was worth the view. I agree completely, and is well worth even just a day hike to it if not camping locally.<br />
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Negwegon clearly doesn't get a lot of visitors. That's a shame. It's a park full of natural, untouched beauty, with breathtaking views of one of the world's largest lakes and first-class camping sites. It's worth it's own visit driving along US-23. If in the area, be sure to stop in and make a reservation at a campsite.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Negwegon State Park, Ossineke, MI 49766, USA44.8659534 -83.32754769999996819.343918900000002 -124.63614169999997 70.3879879 -42.018953699999969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3093282642603647356.post-56583900681715338172016-04-17T20:57:00.000-04:002016-04-17T20:57:09.277-04:00A view of the wolves in southeast Michigan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the wolves at the Detroit Zoo.</td></tr>
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It appears Royal Oak has as many wolves as <a href="http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/14714/two_wolves_left_on_isle_royale_as_growing_moose_population_goes_unchecked" target="_blank">Isle Royale does now</a>.<div>
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My wife and I stopped in at the Detroit Zoo this afternoon, a place we've grown to love in recent years. We stopped in at feeding time near the gray wolves and wanted to share one of the few animals there at the zoo that are found natively here in Michigan.</div>
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Wolves have captured my emotions for many years, starting with my <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2012/07/flashback-friday-look-at-my-2005-trip.html" target="_blank">2005 trip to Isle Royale</a>. I still remember hearing the wolves howling in the distance during the night we spent at McCargoe Cove. I've watched with close eyes on developments surrounding Michigan's wolves, including the studies down on Isle Royale in relationship to the wolf/moose population, as well as the <a href="http://michigan-outdoors.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-collection-of-stories-on-michigans.html" target="_blank">short-lived hunting season</a> the state enacted several years ago.</div>
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These wolves were brought to the zoo <a href="http://detroitzoo.org/press-release/detroit-zoo-opens-cotton-family-wolf-wilderness/" target="_blank">almost 11 months ago</a> and can be found in the very back near the kangaroos. It appears the white wolf is a eight-year-old female, and the darker-colored wolf is six-year-old male. They both share a larger, two-acre space in the zoo designed specifically for them and were brought in from a zoo in Minnesota. They are both native to Canada.</div>
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Nothing pales in seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, something I haven't completely experienced when it comes to wolves. But to just get a glimpse of their majestic walk is enough to keep my imagination moving, as was the case this afternoon. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A collection of wolf photos taken April 17, 2016 from the Detroit Zoo.</td></tr>
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14562417786018297485noreply@blogger.com0Detroit Zoo Safari Station, Huntington Rd, Huntington Woods, MI 48070, USA42.4800318 -83.16250880000001216.9579973 -124.47110280000001 68.0020663 -41.853914800000013