The 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Adventures: November 2015

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach a Heartland Indie Bestseller, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

I love indie bookstores and visit them whenever possible. Recently, I traveled to Seattle with my friend Robin and found Island Books on

Mercer Island.

The indie on Mercer Island, Washington

This great indie has a wonderful literary vibe and an enviable collection of antique typewriters.

Inside Island Books

This Saturday I was back in Michigan in time for Small Business Saturday. Battle Creek Books invited me to sign my books.

Jim Donahue, owner of Battle Creek Books

Thanks to everyone who came out to support their local indie bookstores!

Ready to sign my books at Battle Creek Books

Book tree at Battle Creek Books!

Battle Creek Books has a few of my books (signed by me!) in stock for your holiday gifts!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach a Heartland Indie Bestseller, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker -- like the WOW group in South Haven did -- go to http://LakeTrek.com

I traveled to South Haven this weekend to be part of the Women's Only Weekend (WOW).

Michigan Maritime Museum

The Michigan Maritime Museum on the edge of the Black River hosted my

Great Lakes Island talk.

Pam Haferman (far left) of Black River Books brought my books to sell at the event. Here we are with some of the women who came to hear about the islands of the Great Lakes.

Shipwreck display at museum

Speaking at the Michigan Maritime Musuem

I then went to Black River Books to visit with author Bonnie Jo Campbell for a bit. She's touring with her new collection of short stories:

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters.

Bonnie Jo Campbell signs her new book for me at Black River Books!

Black River Books has signed copies of my three books AND Bonnie's three latest books in stock.

What great holiday gifts!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach a Heartland Indie Bestseller, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker at your senior community go to http://LakeTrek.com

I have spoken at many senior communities while on my book tour, but the Wyndham community is special. This group read my first book and used it to keep fit! For every 20-minutes of exercise, the residents counted that as "walking" with me for one mile of my

1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach!

Kalamazoo senior community

They read and exercised, learning about Lake Michigan along the way. The coordinator, Barb Fish, posted a map of the lake and gave everyone a push-pin to move along the lakeshore as they accrued "miles hiked."

Residents get ready for the presentation

This month I returned to tell them about my Great Lakes ISLAND Adventure and visit with my friends at Wyndham.

Gail introduces me to the group

Sunday, November 8, 2015

A Giant Copper Beech

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach a Heartland Indie Bestseller, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

My book tour took me to Milwaukee last month.

There I met with my editor and also revisited an old friend, this massive copper beech tree near the shores of Lake Michigan.

My editor, Phil Martin, and the beech tree

The plaque reads:

"Wisconsin's Largest European Copper Beech Tree (Fagus Sylvatica Purpurea)

The European copper beech tree was first introduced to North America in the 1700s. It is estimated that this tree was planted in the mid-1800s, which would place it on the family farm of the pioneering Estes family.

In the year 2005 the tree measured:

Trunk Circumference: 180 inches

Height: 61 ft.

Spread: 71.5 ft.

This tree is truly a giant!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Fountain of the Great Lakes

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach a Heartland Indie Bestseller, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

When I was in Chicago on my book tour, I stopped by to see the

"Fountain of the Great Lakes"

sculpture in the south garden at the Art Institute.

This allegorical sculpture by Lorado Taft has five women holding vessels representing the five

Great Lakes.

The water flows from one to the next, just like the water flows through the Great Lakes. The uppermost woman represents Lake Superior, and the lowest represents Lake Ontario. This final figure gazes off into the distance as she reaches out with her hand, representing Lake Ontario flowing out to the North Atlantic Ocean.