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Backcountry Couples
Watch our guest appearance on Backcountry Couples! One of the great things about the outdoors industry is all the fun people we are able to meet, especially Jonny and Colleen Kuehl. We met them this winter at the Quiet Adventures Symposium, where we were all presenting. They use their platform for education, information, and…
Voices of North Manitou: Virginia Craker Marsden
We are pleased to announce a new series: Voices of North Manitou. This series will explore the history of the North Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore through the people who have lived, worked, played, and been a part of island life over the years. The first in this oral history series…
Day Hike at Lake Ann Pathway
We did a short hike of two miles at the Lake Ann Pathway adjacent to the Lake Ann State Forest Campground, on a sunny March afternoon. This lovely area is near the town of Lake Ann, a few miles SW of Traverse City, Michigan. There are a total of 5.8 miles on the trail system.…
Day Hike at Mt. Minnie
It has been a cloudy winter, without much sunshine or much good snow for outdoor recreation. Here in Northern Michigan today on this February Sunday, we are having blue skies, with sunshine to make the snow sparkle. Today was a first visit to the Mt. Minnie Nature Preserve in Honor, MI. This 65 acre preserve…
Product Review: Snow Joe Electric Snowthrower
New Winter Gear! Winters in Northern Michigan can have a lot of snowfall, and what better than a snowblower to assist with clearing the driveway? We purchased a new Snow Joe SJ627E 22-Inch 15-Amp Electric Snow Thrower. Watch while we unbox it, and give you our first impression with an early snowfall. Product purchased HERE.…
TOUR Cottage Row
Tour Cottage Row on North Mantiou Island Tour Cottage Row! Take a walking tour of the historic Cottage Row area in the Village on North Manitou Island. This remote wilderness island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Lake Michigan. This video features exterior views around all sides of the cottages,…
Product Review: Fishell Canoe Paddles
Just out: our product review for Fishell canoe paddles. Getting out for an October paddle on the Platte River and Platte Lake is a treat on a sunny fall day in Michigan! We finally got the chance to get out in the canoe with our new Fishell Paddles. These paddles are cherry wood with the…
TOUR North Manitou Island Cemetery
Join me for this quick walk through tour of the beautiful historic cemetery on the North Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Located in federally protected wilderness, this cemetery is only visited by backcountry campers. Once part of a thriving island community of farmers, loggers, surfmen, and summer residents, it is now…
TOUR Historic Trude Cottage
TRUDE COTTAGE Take a rare look inside the historic Trude Cottage on North Manitou Island, in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As island volunteers, we are able to get inside structures that are being preserved. Come join us for a tour and learn a little about the history of this cottage. It was built…
North Manitou Island: History of Cottage Row
COTTAGE ROW HISTORY What a night! Stacie presented on the history of Cottage Row on North Manitou Island recently at the Benzie Area Historical Society’s lecture series. There was a live audience of more than 50, and it was also broadcast on Zoom to around a dozen more. We met a lot of great people,…