Great Lakes Walk Anniversary

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

This month marks the anniversary of the completion of my second Great Lakes Adventure.

On October 20, 2012, I completed a 1,000-mile hike that allowed me to explore all five 

Great Lakes.

Hiking along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan

Relive some of my favorite moments with me:

Hiking into Toronto along Lake Ontario

Kettle formation near Lake Ontario

Hiking Lake Erie

Pictured Rocks on the edge of Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Clouds mimic wild Lake Huron

puddingstone

Laurel Sphinx moth

Blue Water Bridge

Hiking, hiking, hiking

40-mile point lighthouse along Lake Huron

At the Calcite limestone mine on the edge of Lake Huron

Finale at Niagara Falls

What an amazing adventure!

I am still captivated by these vast inland seas.

Rogers City Library

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

My speaking tour took me to the Lake Huron town of Rogers City.

Lakeside Park sculpture

Rogers City has an enormous limestone quarry that is over a century old.

Calcite mine is in the distance

I gave my Isle Royale talk at the community library.

Eager audience awaits...

National Museum of the Great Lakes

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/

I was thrilled to speak at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo. 

Wonderful displays fill the museum

Life-saving boat from Kelleys Island

Lens from a lighthouse

Items from Great Lakes cruise ships 

Steam engine model

Wooden frame from the Niagara -- a ship that fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, 1813

This freighter is part of the museum!

The museum is on the banks of the Maumee River in Toledo

They have a series of speakers come to talk about our Great Lakes. 

Great audience for my Great Lakes ISLANDS talk

Night on the Maumee River

Lake Michigan Trek 7th Anniversary

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

 It's hard to believe, but today is the 7th anniversary of the completion of my first 
Great Lakes Adventure -- 
hiking all the way around Lake Michigan!

Here I am at the beginning. I wasn't even sure I could complete the journey at this point. Over a 1,000 miles stretched ahead of me!

Day 1 beginning on Navy Pier in Chicago

Here are a few photos from the 

adventure...

Hiking in a winter storm near Saugatuck

Hiking the Mackinac Bridge 

Hiking the southern edge of the U.P.

The finish line back in Chicago greeted by family and friends

And so much more has happened since then. I've completed a trilogy of adventures 
(and three books)...

and two audiobooks (the third will be released next year).

After exploring over 3,000 miles of our amazing Great Lakes, I am more captivated than ever. 
And there is so much more to explore.

Cherish our vast inland seas.

Connect with the Alliance for the Great Lakes to stay informed and to learn what actions you can take to keep our waters healthy.

Other organizations working to protect our lakes:

Great Lakes Echo

Healthy Lakes.org

Nature Conservancy

September Book 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

My September book tour found me traveling the state of Michigan for many engagments.

Grosse Pointe's Senior Men's Club invited me to speak at their luncheon meeting on the shoreline of Lake St. Clair.

Senior Men's Club of Grosse Pointe

Men's choir

And I returned to the Clarkston Library to give another of my 4 lectures about the Great Lakes.

Nice audience

This month I began giving my lecture about Isle Royale, the island that captivated me on my Great Lakes Island Adventure.

I'm beginning to book engagements for 2017. If your group/library/school would like to engage me as a speaker, please e-mail me at:

LakeTrek@gmail.com

Kerrytown BookFest 2016

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 honored to be a featured author at this year's Kerrytown BookFest in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 There were panel discussions, author events, book-related vendors, and a bookish good time for all.

The Quest for Identity panel discussion with writers Kelly Fordon (Garden of the Blind), Desiree Cooper (Know the Mother), and Andrew Mozina (Contrary Motion)

The crowd enjoys the exhibitors

I spoke at the Concert House about the ISLANDS of the Great Lakes with author Maureen Dunphy

Save the date for next year's BookFest:

September 10, 2017
And like their Facebook page HERE.

14th Annual Kerrytown Bookfest

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/

Next Sunday (September 11), the 14th annual Kerrytown BookFest will take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This year's schedule is full of author presentations and discussions and many exhibitors will be there, too.

This festival's goal is: 

"The Kerrytown Bookfest is an annual free event celebrating those who create books and those who read them. The primary goal is to highlight our area’s rich heritage in the book and printing arts while showcasing our local and regional individuals, businesses, and organizations."

I will co-present with author Maureen Dunphy at the festival:

When:  Sunday, September 11, 2016

(*our presentation will be at 2:45 at the Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. 4th Ave.)

Where:  Kerrytown in Ann Arbor, MI

Who:  Great Lakes Authors, Maureen Dunphy & Loreen Niewenhuis

Find the full festival schedule HERE.