"I Will Defend"

The seal of Michigan (above) has the state motto in Latin that translates:

"If you seek a pleasant peninsula, 

look about you."

The word "Tuebor" translates:

  "I will defend."

I walked 1000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline this year. There are many areas that remain wild and protected, but there are stretches that need to be defended, cleaned up, and restored.

Water from the upper Great Lakes flows through the St. Clair River, into Lake St. Clair (upper right of photo), through the Detroit River (narrow waterway) to merge with Lake Erie (at bottom of photo).

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has resulted in measurable improvement in the health of our Great Lakes. 

From an article on Model D (a web-mag about Detroit):

The Brookings Institution has estimated that every $1 invested in Great Lakes restoration results in $1.50 to $2.50 in short-term economic benefits. In the long term, the economic benefits of Great Lakes restoration efforts will almost double the initial investment. Benefits include increased property values, improvements to quality of life, and lower municipal water treatment costs. In this era in which metropolitan areas are feeling the effects of climate change more acutely and unsustainable development is occurring in water-poor areas like Phoenix and Atlanta, now is the time for Metro Detroit to protect its freshwater assets to ensure future economic growth and ecological health.

Read the entire article.

And in the New Year ahead, let us all seek ways to better defend these most vital fresh waters.

Freakin' Phragmites!

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 was discouraged to see so much of the invasive grass -- phragmites -- along the shores I've walked so far.  

It was along the Great Lakes, along inland canals and ditches, along smaller lakes and large rivers.  

Invasive species have changed and warped and altered the ecosystem of our Great Lakes.  I spoke to one woman who remembered that the shores near the town of Sebewaing were free of  phragmites a decade ago.  Today the waterways are choked with this invasive grass.  

There had a to be a window of time when the species was first introduced and could have been easily controlled and then eradicated.  That window of opportunity has passed and now eradication will take a concerted effort over many years.   

Birds Along the Water

Barn Swallows 

I always have a camera with me on my hikes and I take photos to document the sights along the way.  

I caught some birds in flight and paddling the waves and roving the waterways.

Several kinds of gulls

Tundra Swan

The last photo is a tundra swan near the island of Grosse Ile.  This winter was so mild that there was very little ice on the lower Great Lakes.  Residents of Grosse Ile told me that the tundra swans stayed there all winter and never migrated any further south.

Hike-Hike-Hiking

 I hiked 302 miles in 23 days.  

 Whew!


From Port Clinton, Ohio, I headed west and made my way back to Michigan along the shores of Lake Erie.  


From there, I headed north along the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River to reach Lake Huron.

 Whew!

 I learned so much about the geology of the lakes and their connection by walking it step-by-step.

I can't wait to share the journey with you all in my next book!

Look Up!

While hiking, I try to stay in tune with my surroundings: the land, the trees, the buildings, the people, the wildlife... 

and even the sky.

There were many days with brilliant skies during my journey in April.  I often took a moment to look up and enjoy the sunlight streaming through the clouds or through the tree limbs just beginning to bud.  

There was one time where the clouds even formed waves in the sky...

The Waterways Connecting Lakes Erie and Huron

The connection between Lake Erie and Lake Huron is over 80 miles of water. Huron flows into the St. Clair River that flows into Lake St. Clair, and that funnels into the Detroit River which splits around the island of Grosse Ile before blending into Lake Erie.

Two grand bridges span the rivers, making the leap to Canada. Today I caught my first glimpse of Lake Huron underneath the Bluewater Bridge!































Photos:
1. Ambassador Bridge, Detroit
2. Belle Isle Bridge, Detroit
3. Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, Lake St. Clair
4. The Heather House B&B, Marine City on the St. Clair River
5. Lighthouse at Marine City on St. Clair River
6. Bridge to Bay Trail. I hiked this trail when it stayed close to the river.
7. Freighter on the St. Clair River
8. Arriving in Port Huron
9. The Bluewater Bridge. Lake Huron flows into the St.. Clair River here.

Location:Port Huron, MI

Alpacas and Blimps and Border Patrol!

Among the unexpected things I've seen on my hike so far:

An alpaca farm on the island of Grosse Ile.



This herd of over 50 animals (and more on the way) are bred and shorn and shown in competitions.


I was intrigued with their feet. They have a split hoof like cows and goats, but their hoof is like a claw for solid footing in their native mountains of South America.


The farm has a gift shop full of alpaca products: clothing, yarn, rugs, blankets, and socks.




"Alpaca is the best fiber," owner Gail Steffke told me, "it wicks even better than wool." I bought a pair of Paca Socks and the were very comfortable for hiking.







Another unexpected thing: the Goodyear blimp.












It flew over Grosse Ile on the way to Detroit for opening day for the Detroit Tigers.









And one more thing: all the Border Patrol vehicles between Port Clinton and Detroit. The US/Canadian border is called "The world's longest undefended border," but these patrols certainly keep an eye on that divide.




I spoke with the officer in the photo, Joshua Andrews, who told me that his movement along the waterways dividing the US from Canada are driven by intelligence gathered from many sources. That's quite a line to patrol, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Location:SE Michigan

The Grosse Ile Pilot House

While on my adventure, I like to stay at places that have a connection to the history of their towns. On the island of Grosse Ile, I stayed at The Pilot House a place steeped in over 80 years of the island's (and the country's) history.





During WWII, the Naval Air Station on Grosse Ile was the primary training facility for naval pilots. Thousands of pilots trained here, including 1,800 of England's RAF. The building that is now the Pilot House hotel served as housing for pilots and officers and the upstairs had an officer's club and ballroom. George HW Bush was stationed here for a time during the war, and Donald Rumsfeld drilled at the base in the 60s.





The hotel boasts 12 rooms, many with a separate sitting room and some with jacuzzi tubs. They are currently renovating an enormous master suite on the second floor with a great view over the airstrip with Lake Erie in the distance.

One of the most unique features is the sprawling common areas like the one below with piano, ping pong, and giant television. It seems like the perfect place for a large family reunion.







"Yes," the owner Jim Cortis (in photo below) told me, "we get quite a few reunions here. They often rent the entire place." The Cortis family has owned the Pilot House for over three decades. Art Cortis, Jim's dad, operated a tug boat for years. The pilot house of a tug adorns the second floor in his honor.





The Pilot House website

Location:Grosse Ile, MI