A Moment from My Second Adventure

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/

On my Great Lakes Walk, I hiked the entire "sunrise side" of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This included hiking the length of the Detroit River and the St. Clair River.

Here's a moment hiking along the St. Clair River:

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.   

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!

A Safe Harbor

In the mid 1800s there were thousands of schooners transported goods -- lumber, copper, iron ore and more -- on the Great Lakes. These ships had no natural harbor on the Lake Huron portion of Michigan's thumb to take refuge. If a storm struck, these vessels couldn't navigate into Saginaw Bay and would have to return 80 miles to the safety of the St. Clair River.




After many ships were lost navigating this route, the Army Corps of Engineers chose Harbor Beach as the place to construct a safe harbor.


It took 11 years to build a breakwall enclosing approximately three square miles. When it was constructed, it was the largest manmade harbor in the world.

I enjoyed my stay in Harbor Beach and even had a day off to learn all about the area.







I stayed at the State Street Inn, a comfortable B&B in an old farmhouse just a few blocks from the center of town run by Bill and Janice Duerr.














Breakfast began with my favorite: fruit/yogurt/granola parfait.

And Janice (with me in last photo) even walked with me most of the way to Port Hope!

Location:Harbor Beach, MI

Vantage Point

Vantage Point is located in the Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron where the Black River merges with the St. Clair River.






Three volunteers (Marlene, Ellen, and Mary in photo) sat down with me to tell me all about this special place.


With floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river, people gather here to hang out, play cards, visit over lunch or a donut, and (of course) watch the freighters pass by. Each passing boat is announced over a speaker system at the center. Volunteers broadcast information about each freighter including what they are hauling and where they are taking it.

There is no fee to go to Vantage Point and there is free access to WiFi for visitors. People come from all over the nation and world. "I've personally spoken with people from England, Scotland, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand," Marlene told me. "Last year we had 300,000 people pass through the center."






The center serves as a gathering place and offers events like a farmer's market and flower market in the warmer months. They also have activities for kids at times like teaching them how to fish.

Learn more at The Great Lakes Maritime Center's website

Location:Port Huron, MI

Sage House B&B

I stayed at the Sage House B&B in Port Huron. Since I had hiked 145 miles upon reaching the front porch, I was delighted when Joan (the owner and master baker) informed me that she had upgraded me to a room with a jacuzzi tub. Yay!




This home was built in the late 1800s and has a history tied to the Great Lakes. One owner, Albert Sage, was a conductor on the Grand Trunk Railroad. There is a tunnel underneath the St. Clair River here that allows trains to go between Port Huron and Sarnia (Ontario).




A later owner of the house was the retired Commodore of the entire fleet of lake freighters for the Great Lakes Steel Company!

From the comfortable front porch, you can watch the freighters moving up and down the river.


The house has the largest window seat I've ever seen. "I almost bought the house just for that window seat," Joan told me.
















Breakfast began with a delicious baked apple with spiced ricotta and was followed by a perfect vegetable frittata. Yum!

Location:Port Huron, MI

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