Sinkholes and Walking Ferns

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

During my speaking tour in the eastern U.P., I had time to do a quick hike near Cedarville.

A couple who attended my talk at the library told me that they had a sinkhole on their property. These form when limestone is slowly dissolved by water and this type of formation is called 
karst topography.

Sink hole in background

Maya the dog gives scale to this depression (note the stream of water disappearing in the middle of the sinkhole)

 Also on this property, there was an unusual plant, a "walking fern" in the genus Asplenium. This name comes from the way the plant propagates: new plants grow where the arching leaves touch the ground making it appear that the plant is "walking."

walking fern

This property was wonderful to explore.

Tree atop a limestone ledge

Eastern Upper Peninsula Tour

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

After my time hiking Isle Royale with a MooseWatch Team (which I'll blog about soon), I spoke at three libraries in the eastern U.P.

Bayliss Public Library is in Sault Ste. Marie, so I spent some time watching the freighters move through the Soo Locks.

Best snack spread ever!

Audience at Bayliss

With Head Librarian of Les Cheneaux Library, Jane French

Audience at Les Cheneaux Library

And I had a third engagement at Engadine Public Library. Thanks to everyone who came out to hear about the islands of our Great Lakes.

Post Viewed Most in 2014

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

Thank you all for reading my blog! It has now surpassed 150,000 page views!

Here is the most-viewed post from 2014 featuring a unique B&B in the beautiful 
Les Cheneaux Islands:

Dancing Waters B&B

Jim and Betty Struble have life figured out.

Jim and Betty Struble

They own the Dancing Waters Bed & Breakfast 

located on Hill Island which is part of the 

beautiful Les Cheneaux archipelago.  

This collection of Islands snugs up against Michigan's Upper Peninsula about ten miles 

east of Mackinac Island.

This is a watery place that invites boats of all sorts to come and play in these sheltered passages. The Struble's B&B is located on the southern point of Hill Island, so watery views abound.

View from the table that Jim made

The Lakeview Room

I had the "Lakeview Room," but I renamed it the "Peeping Deer Room" because I awoke one morning to a deer looking in my window!

Perfect view

 I brought my Advanced Elements kayak with me and launched it from the B&B's dock. 

Talk about convenient!

I launched my kayak from their boathouse dock

Dancing Waters B&B is comfortable, the owners incredibly knowledgeable about the area, and Betty makes her own breads!

Betty's bread is rising...

Two of the finished loaves (Cherry Walnut and Pecan Apricot!)

The view is breathtaking

Deer visit all day long

Jim is building an addition to the B&B and he has a grand vision for the future. He is a builder and a master woodworker. 

A spiral staircase with a single, central cedar tree trunk will one day grace the outside of the structure.

Jim's woodworking shop

Jim is crafting every aspect of the addition, and the work is impressive. When I found out that he is doing most of it by himself, I was astonished. 

Top of the World!

Life is WILD in the Les Cheneaux Islands

Many of the Les Cheneaux islands have land set aside for nature. Some entire islands are national forest or designated nature preserves.

Wildlife abounds here:

Bald Eagle on top of tree

Pink forget-me-nots

White forget-me-nots

Sandhill crane in flight

Shed exoskeleton...a dragonfly emerged 

Sandhill Crane

Plenty of deer on these islands

Great Lakes Boat Building School, Cedarville, MI

As I explored the Les Cheneaux Islands, I came across the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville, MI.

Where you can learn to build wooden boats!

The mission statement for the school is:

---

The Great Lakes Boat Building School teaches and inspires students in the art and craft of traditional and contemporary wooden boat building, which prepares them for productive and rewarding careers in the marine trades.  We strive to contribute to the growth of each student as a person and as a craftsman to impart an appreciation of the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes and North America.

School administrator, John Mills, gave me a tour of the workshop.

John Mills shows me a boat under construction

Close-up of this year's boat

The first year of classes teaches traditional boat building techniques. The second year expands into composite boats, newer techniques, and yacht joinery.

Two finished projects

This year the school graduated eight from their first year program and four from the second year.

Tools, clamps, compressor

They also offer summer programs in the school in Cedarville, and also in Charlevoix and Traverse City. These workshops "...suit all ages and abilities."

GLBBS classroom

For more information, go to their link here: 
Great Lakes Boat Building School 

Les Cheneaux Row

 While exploring the Les Cheneaux Islands, I was invited to join the 

local rowing club for a morning row. 

Of course, I said yes!

Two wooden dories await rowers at the dock

 This club builds their boats from kits made by Chesapeake Light Craft

of Annapolis, MD.

Laurel handled the rudder, Jim and Janaan handled the first two oars...

...while Mike and I handled the other two (when I wasn't taking photos)

It was surprisingly invigorating to row as a team, to time my pull with everyone else on board.

LOVE the club's motto:  "Row it like you stole it!"

For more information about paddling these islands, go HERE.

And for a great place to stay while you explore the Les Cheneauxs, check out Dancing Waters B&B.

James Berryhill, Master Boatbuilder

While in the Les Cheneaux Islands, I explored the "boat culture" that has a long history in the area.

I was delighted to meet James Berryhill who retired to the islands in the early 1980s.

James Berryhill in his workshop

A wooden canoe is almost ready for the water

He has an extensive workshop where he has built many wooden canoes (each of his grandkids receive one when they graduate high school), some duck boats, and, most recently, 

four wooden dories (with the help of the 

Les Cheneaux Row Club).

Berryhill is also an accomplished wood carver

One of the Les Cheneaux Row Club's dories

I was invited to row with the club (which, of course, I accepted). I will blog about this soon.

Les Cheneaux Islands: Dancing Waters B&B

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

Jim and Betty Struble have life figured out.

Jim and Betty Struble

They own the Dancing Waters Bed & Breakfast 

located on Hill Island which is part of the 

beautiful Les Cheneaux archipelago.  

This collection of Islands snugs up against Michigan's Upper Peninsula about ten miles 

east of Mackinac Island.

This is a watery place that invites boats of all sorts to come and play in these sheltered passages. The Struble's B&B is located on the southern point of Hill Island, so watery views abound.

View from the table that Jim made

The Lakeview Room

I had the "Lakeview Room," but I renamed it the "Peeping Deer Room" because I awoke one morning to a deer looking in my window!

Perfect view

 I brought my Advanced Elements kayak with me and launched it from the B&B's dock. 

Talk about convenient!

I launched my kayak from their boathouse dock

Dancing Waters B&B is comfortable, the owners incredibly knowledgeable about the area, and Betty makes her own breads!

Betty's bread is rising...

Two of the finished loaves (Cherry Walnut and Pecan Apricot!)

The view is breathtaking

Deer visit all day long

Jim is building an addition to the B&B and he has a grand vision for the future. He is a builder and a master woodworker. 

A spiral staircase with a single, central cedar tree trunk will one day grace the outside of the structure.

Jim's woodworking shop

Jim is crafting every aspect of the addition, and the work is impressive. When I found out that he is doing most of it by himself, I was astonished. 

Top of the World!