The Book Tour UP NORTH

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

One of my favorite corners of Michigan is the area around Traverse City. You'll find the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore nearby along with picturesque lake towns like Northport, Glen Arbor, Empire, Leland, and Petoskey.

Petoskey (home of McLean & Eakin Booksellers)

How lovely, then, to combine and family reunion with my book tour here in late July.

My niece and nephew (Alison and Julian) on the Empire Bluff Trail

Speaking engagement in Alden

Book signing at Horizon Books in Traverse City

Some serious gaming at the lake house

Great indie bookstore in Northport

Up North INDIES

 My final events for 2014 were "Up North," so I stopped in at several bookstores that will participate in the pre-release of my 

Great Lakes ISLAND book 

in May 2015.

All set up for my signing at M&E in Petoskey

Petoskey, MI

Horizon Books in TC

Traverse City decked the streets!

Brilliant Books, ready for holiday shoppers!

Glen Arbor's book shop

Watch for updates about the pre-release of my new book and see the growing list of participating bookstores HERE.

Unexpected Gifts of the BOOK TOUR

There are so many things to occupy everyone's time and energies these days, so seeing people file in to a bookstore or science museum, take a seat, and look up at ME waiting to hear about my adventure and my book...well, I consider that a gift.

And people have been exceedingly generous in their attendance and attentions at the beginning of my book tour these last few weeks. Most of my events have been packed and if anyone straggles in a little late, they've had to stand along the back wall. I am humbled and grateful for this response to my work.

Another thing that people have gifted to me has been THEIR stories of Lake Michigan. Sometimes they even bring a map and photos from their hikes and strolls along the shoreline (like in these two photos).

I met up with a couple in Suttons Bay who even brought along a photo collage of their walks to give to me. Jan and Bill Heston have walked many miles of my favorite stretch of shore from Frankfort north past their home in Glen Arbor.

The Hestons are a lively couple and they came to both of my events in Suttons Bay. A double gift of their presence and questions and smiles.




I had a meeting with Coryn Briggs who is the Director of Marketing for Black Star Farms. She brought her daughter to our breakfast meeting and the little girl quietly colored a picture of a birthday cake while her mother and I chatted.

When the meeting was over, the little girl solemnly gave me the picture of the cake! Since my kids are now 18 and 21, there is plenty of room on my fridge for this festive drawing!

At my first appearance for my book, Jessilyn (owner of Petoskey's wonderful McLean & Eakin Booksellers), was so intrigued with the section in my book entitled "Fascination with roadkill" that she gave me a copy of Roger M. Knutson's Flattened Fauna.

Needless to say, I was charmed by Mr. Knutson's cheeky treatment of roadkill. So charmed that I sent him a copy of MY book and he sent me a card which proves I am now a LIFELONG member of the society that counts and classifies roadkill.

Fantastic.

One of the people who attended my reading at McLean & Eakin brought me a pair of mittens that she had made. To keep your hands warm while you hike she said>>>

I was touched.

After discussing our mutual love of Bill Bryson's work, Lynn (owner of Great Lakes Book & Supply in Big Rapids) gave me a copy of In a Sunburned Country which I had not yet read.






I think it is a rare and special thing to return from a book tour so enriched by all these gifts.

Thank you all, and I look forward to meeting many more fans of Lake Michigan and good books (like Mr. Bryson's and Mr. Knutson's) along the way.



My sister Leslie joined me on the first leg of my book tour. This is a photo of us on the shores of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey>>>

Keep checking my author appearances in the sidebar here or on my website: LakeTrek.com

Cabin Fever Event at McLean & Eakin

There was a packed house at McLean & Eakin this week to hear all about my book! Thank you to everyone who came out on this cold evening and for sharing your stories of Lake Michigan.

A huge thanks to Jessilyn and the entire staff at McLean & Eakin for hosting this Cabin Fever event. I am honored to be part of your winter line-up.

What a great audience with great questions. And one woman, Mary, even brought me a beautiful pair of mittens she made to "keep your hands warm when you hike." How lovely!

I have a jam-packed book tour developing. Check the sidebar for details and locations. I hope to see you along the way!

The formal BOOK LAUNCH will be at BRILLIANT BOOKS of Suttons Bay, Friday, March 11 at 7pm.

Please note that reservations are recommended.

Beginning of Book Tour

Revisiting the Lake Trek: Segment 6

This segment spanned the 147 miles between Suttons Bay and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It included both the Grand Traverse and Little Traverse Bays, and Fisherman's Island State Park and Wilderness State Park.

I reached the half way point of the trek on this segment, reaching 500 miles within sight of the Mighty Mac Bridge.

Some of the most interesting geology was on this segment in Antrim County where there is an enormous deposit of shale. I was joined along part of this county by Gerry and her two fun dogs, Miss Sadie and the Cowboy.

Then, my college friend, Rick, joined me for a few hours along Little Traverse Bay.

Near Cross Village, I saw the biggest collection of zebra mussel shells tossed up on the beach and bleached almost completely white by the sun.

Note: You may want to press the 'play' button, then pause it and let it completely load before resuming play. This will allow it to play smoothly.

You can find all videos from the Lake Trek on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/lniewenhuis

Walk with me:

Segment 6, Day 6 Bay Shores->Harbor Springs 18 miles

High of 75 degrees

I had some company this day. Rick Land (in photo to left), a friend from way back in my college days, was up in Charlevoix while I was passing through. He joined me for 6 miles of this day's trek.

It was a perfect day, and we walked together on the pathway from Bay Shores, through Petoskey, and into Bay View. Much of the shoreline here is rocky and marshy, and a large stretch is restricted because it is owned by Consumers Power, so the pathway was a great way to move through this beautiful area. It was fun to catch up with Rick as we walked.

I continued on alone onto the beach at Petoskey State Park. This park is at the far end of Little Traverse Bay and is all sandy. It was great to take off my boots and wade in the water on this warm day.

On the north side of the bay, it got marshy once again, so I walked Beach Road which hugged the water most of the way into lovely Harbor Springs. I strolled through the town, then out just a bit on M119.