Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, WI

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and dynamic speaker. 

She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has authored three books about these adventures: 

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] 

A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure  [Long-listed for the Chautauqua Prize]

 

To learn more about her work, or to engage her as a speaker, go to http://www.laketrek.com/great-lakes-speaker/

If you find yourself in northern Wisconsin near the Apostle Islands, make time to stop in at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Colorful murals grace the walls of the center

 Here you'll find abundant information about the region. 

Lake Superior Art 

Displays about the formation of Lake Superior

And copper artifacts from region

 And the top floor of the center is a lookout platform with views of the Apostle Islands.

Great Lakes Island Adventure

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

Three years ago I completed my 1,000-mile adventure exploring the islands of 
our Great Lakes.

As I hiked, biked and boated through the region, I saw hundreds of islands, setting foot on many of them.

The story of this journey is in my third book:

Here are some highlights:

Columbine on Washington Island

Stavkirke on Washington Island

Watching over the piping plovers on North Manitou Island

Kayaking the Les Cheneaux Islands

The Apostle Islands

Kayaking the Apostle Islands

Kayaking the Apostle Islands

Hiking Grand Island with my niece and nephew

Chain coral on Manitoulin Island

Kayaking the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River

Isle Royale

All of my books are available as audiobooks on 
audible.com

Liebster Award Nomination

This blog has been nominated for the "Liebster Award" by the the dynamic duo, Mary Catterlin & Amy Lukas. They made a dugout canoe from a cottonwood tree, named it Makeba, then paddled/sailed it all the way around Lake Michigan!

Mary and Amy in front of the museum in Indiana where their boat was on display after they made their historic paddle around Lake Michigan

This award is passed on from blogger to blogger as a way to share stories and connect others. Once nominated, you have to answer the questions given. Then you continue the chain by nominating your blogger friends with your own questions.

Here are the questions Mary & Amy asked:

* If you could have brought one celebrity on part of one of your adventures, who would that have been?

Well, I'd rather have time with a naturalist or conservationist. If I can choose people from the past, I'd choose John Muir, Rachel Carson, or Aldo Leopold. If I can only from the living, I'd choose E.O. Wilson. It would be wonderful to discuss the natural world with any one of these people while walking the edges of our Great Lakes.

* What surprised you most about choosing this lifestyle?

Wild hiking weather during my first adventure

I knew it would be difficult to walk a 1,000 miles, but I didn't know HOW difficult. That was surprising. Then the fact that it became easier to hike 15+ miles a day the longer I did it was also surprising.

* What's the stickiest situation you've found yourself in on one of your adventures?

Sunset in the Apostle Islands

While kayaking in the Apostle Islands, a microcell storm descended on me while I was trying to paddle across an open channel. The wind and waves were so strong that I  had to paddle like a mad woman to just keep from being pushed backward. 


* If your journey had a soundtrack, what would it's signature track be?

Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger"


* What's your dream trip?

My three adventures exploring the Great Lakes have been the fulfillment of my dreams.


* What's the most valuable lesson you've taken away from your travels?

Learning to read the land, the geology, has been a wonderful new skill.

* What pet would you bring on your next trip?

I would probably leave pets at home. Time in the wild is wonderful, and I would worry that bringing a pet along may scare off wildlife.


I nominate Kate & Mike (who walked all the way around Lake Superior) to answer the same questions!

Video Highlights from my Great Lakes ISLAND Adventure

Here are some highlights from my third 

Great Lakes odyssey exploring the 

islands of our magnificent Great Lakes.

Apostle Islands

A few more photos from my 
Apostle Islands exploration:

Action shot

The brown sandstone of the Apostle Islands

Me, Alison, & Julian (my niece and nephew)

Apostle Island sunset

Paddling with Julian

Exploring some sea caves

The swells pick up a bit

Another Great Indie Bookstore

On my way to kayak the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, I stopped in at the indie bookstore in Bayfield, WI.

Indie bookstore in Bayfield, WI

The Apostle Islands Booksellers is in the middle of scenic Bayfield and has a great selection of regional books in addition to general good reads.
Stop in if you get up that way, 
and tell them I sent you!

Sunset in the Apostle Islands

Living Adventure Kayaking in the Apostle Islands

Living Adventure is a kayaking outfitter in Red Cliff, Wisconsin, just north of Bayfield (the gateway to the Apostle Islands).

Since Lake Superior is the deepest, coldest, and most vast of the Great Lakes, I contacted 
Living Adventure, Inc,
to coordinate my exploration of the islands on one of their three-day tours.

Our guides, Nicole (L) and Paige (R) [yes, that's how he spells his name] go over our itinerary for the trip

Lake Superior is the "boss" of every trip, the guides explained. 

Dry fitting of the boats before the "wet exit" drill Alison and Julian (my niece and nephew) get situated in their kayaks

We were instructed on the usage of the kayaks, paddle strokes, and safety gear (including wet suit, spray skirt, and PFD) and then went through a "wet exit*" drill before heading out to the islands.
[*I'll explain this in frigid detail in my book about this adventure]. 

Warm bread, baked brie, and roasted garlic anyone?

One of the nicest things about going with Living Adventure is the excellent food!

Whitefish with lemon, stir fry veggies, and rice

View from the kayak

Julian paddles through a tight spot

We had an amazing time with Living Adventure!
Promotional consideration given.

Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center is located just outside Ashland, Wisconsin, near the shores of Lake Superior. This is a wonderful center with information on the Apostle Islands and other things to explore in the area.

And it is FREE.

NGLVC

NGLVC entry

Watery map of the nearby Apostle Islands

I was invited to speak there on my way home from Isle Royale!

Lots of info on area activities

I gave my Great Lakes Lecture in the 

state-of-the-art auditorium.

NGLVC auditorium