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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,…
Outdoor Adventuring Over 50 For Beginners
Better late than never Outdoor adventuring over 50 for beginners. It’s not too late to get started! Are you thinking about getting out into nature and planning some new adventures? As two 50-somethings, we hope to share our experiences with you to get you thinking about what is possible. Nothing extreme – just getting out…
Volunteering in our National Park
Volunteering in our National Park We love volunteering, especially for our local National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore! Fun news: Inkus our dog is also now a volunteer. He is officially a BARK Ranger, helping bring awareness to proper dog behavior in the Park. This helps to protect the local piping plovers, an endangered…
Hammock Camping 101
Want to learn some new outdoor skills? Try hammock camping. Get outside and enjoy your summer! Curious about how to get started hammock camping? This presentation will review the basics: the advantages and disadvantages to hammocks, equipment that you can buy or make, safety tips, and Leave No Trace principles. Either for use as a…
Fishell Canoe Paddles Unboxing
Something new this spring! We purchased new handmade wooden paddles for our canoe from Fishell Paddles. We just got our new Fishell Wooden Canoe Paddles in the mail! Watch us unbox and react to these beautiful new paddles. We had the opportunity to meet Greg Fishell at Canoecopia in Madison Wisconsin this year, and enjoyed…
Packing a Backpack for Backcountry Camping
Packing a backpack for backcountry camping is an essential skill. By mastering this, you will be able to get out to see more natural places! Backpacking is a great way to stay fit, explore, and get to places most people don’t get to see. Learn how to pack your backpack for backcountry camping in the…
Packing Your Kayak for a River Trip
Wonder how to pack your kayak for a river camping trip? In this introductory video see what we pack and how we fit it in our boats. We recorded this on location at the Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground in Grayling, MI on the Au Sable River. Packing your kayak for a river trip is…