Great Lakes Sand Pirate

I've met many fascinating people on my 

adventures exploring our Great Lakes: people living on the edge of these waters, fishermen working on the surface, scientists delving into the depths to learn about these vast inland seas, and many, many more.

Janet Moore Schrader and I bonded over our mutual connection to Lake Michigan. We both clam it as our "favorite place." 

I walked all the way around the lake in 2009, and Janet has been walking her portion of the shoreline in southwest Michigan virtually every day for over a decade. On those beach strolls, Janet has collected beach glass, crinoids (fossilized ancient sea creatures), Petoskey stones and chain corals (fossilized ancient corals), and other interesting beach finds.

Janet Moore Schrader with a string of crinoids she found in a single year

She also developed a love of sand sculpting and learned all she could about the art. And she began giving classes on sand sculpting as a 
self-proclaimed "Sand Pirate."

Janet has now opened a store to meet the growing demand for sand sculpting classes and beach-related crafts.

"Sand Pirate" store at 9792 Red Arrow Highway in Bridgman, Michigan

Janet is a master sand sculptor. She gives classes at her new store, or by appointment on the beach. She gave me a mini-class about sculpting sand:

The store's sandbox

Her sand creations on the beach go beyond the classic sand castles. She's sculpted dragons with smoking nostrils, mermaids, octopi, and other watery creatures. 

Her shop has room for large groups to do beach crafts under her direction

Sand and stone art projects

Sea glass art

Learn more about Janet and her new store HERE. 

Janet even coated her desk with SAND! 

A Tree's Life on Isle Royale

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

Isle Royale is an island in wild Lake Superior. The terrain is rugged and rocky. 

The winters are brutal and snowy, icy and windy.

All of this makes for a harsh environment. There is evidence on the island of the struggle of trees.

Scrabble of roots inside a tree trunk

Me (left) and fellow Moosewatch hiker, Jenny (right) by fallen tree

Roots

And there are beavers to contend with...

Beavers decrease the tree population

And lightening takes a toll:

Tree struck by lightening

Close up of tree struck by lightening

Here are some other shots of trees on this wild island:

North side of Superior

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

This spring, I headed north to catch the ferry to Isle Royale out of Grand Portage, MN.

I headed over the Mighty Mackinac Bridge and into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Mighty Mac

Then, I headed over the St. Mary's River in Sault Saint Marie, MI...

The Sault Locks

...since I had decided to drive the route on the NORTH side of Lake Superior in Ontario.

I had not been on the north side of this largest Great Lake. The land was rugged and stony with wild rivers feeding into the vast lake.

The Pinguisibi River ("The River of Fine White Sand")

There were many places where the geology was exposed.

Sandstone layers near the NW side of Lake Superior

The views were often spectacular