The Jordan Valley Pathway (aka Jordan River Pathway) is a popular backpacking destination in Michigan due to its challenging terrain, scenic overlooks, and ability to be completed as an overnight hike. While I had day
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The last stop on the beach camping road trip I took with Patronus was to Kitch-iti-kipi. According to the Michigan DNR, Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan’s largest freshwater spring.  Its crystal clear water remains at a constant
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Going beach camping is something I have always wanted to do.  When you live in a state that is surrounded by water on three sides and offers picturesque sunsets, I guess that probably just comes
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Fayette Historic State Park, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is home to a collection of abandoned buildings dating back to the second half of the nineteenth century. If you read my post about backpacking South
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Although we’ve managed to get in a handful of day hikes this year, I’ve been itching to get out on another backpacking trip ever since my winter hike of the Potawatomi Trail back in early
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There aren’t a lot of things that can get me to willingly wake up before 10:00 A.M. (or later) on a Saturday, but a camping trip just happens to be one of them. After taking
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Hiking in Hocking Hills State Park can be a rewarding experience filled with breathtaking views of waterfalls, cliffs, bridges, and caves you can actually explore. After hiking in Hocking Hills State Park with our two
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In 2019 I hiked 100 miles of the North Country Trail AND completed the 52 Hike Challenge. Along the way I took at least one photo and/or video clip for each hike that I went
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I awoke bright and early at my friends’ cottage on a cold, snowy, Saturday morning in November, brewed myself a cup of coffee, and ladled out a big bowl of oatmeal. I am by all
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When I started off 2019, one of the things that wanted most for the new year was to spend less time trying to hit arbitrary self-made personal “goals” and more time going on adventures and
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On a whim, my friend Megan and I decided to take an impromptu road trip to the Mackinaw City area to soak in the beautiful colors of the northern Michigan fall foliage.  Naturally, we thought
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For the third and final hike of our North Country Trail fall foliage camping and hiking trip, Megan and I decided to hike an out-and-back section of the Jordan Valley Pathway. While the trail system
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It was nearly 11:00 A.M. on the second day of our camping trip when Megan and I pulled into the muddy parking lot for French Farm Lake to begin our 10 mile hiking adventure along
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To celebrate our second anniversary, Luke and I decided to seek out a secluded cabin in the Hocking Hills so we could spend the week of Halloween hiking, exploring, relaxing, and watching scary movies. We
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The late summer sun was just beginning to set when the three of us turned off of the winding, tree-lined road that made its way through Tahquamenon Falls State Park, but the gloom of dreary
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Luke and I packed up the car late on a Friday afternoon, got Patronus ready, then headed out for another trip to northern Michigan. Both of us were ravenously hungry after a long day of
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Patronus and I pulled in to the parking lot for the trailhead just after 3:00 P.M. After taking some time to get our packs situated, we made our way to the edge of the lake
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The spring segment of my 52 Hike Challenge ended up being…a bit challenging. The season began with a couple of muddy hikes with Patronus. In April I got injured.  I still wanted to keep hiking,
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During our most recent getaway (more about that here), we decided to have dinner at Short’s Brewery in Bellaire, Michigan with our friends and bring Patronus along as well. I’ve written about visiting Short’s before,
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Luke, Patronus, and I headed up to northern Michigan to spend fourth of July weekend with our friends, Matt and Amanda and their two dogs. We spent Friday just hanging out, catching up, and relaxing
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If a road trip across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is on your bucket list, consider Tahquamenon Falls as one of many noteworthy places to stop. On a gloomy Saturday in late May, my friends and I
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As we made our way from Tahquamenon Falls to the city of Munising, where we would begin our backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my friends and I decided to check out the
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The city of Munising sits along the coastline of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After finishing our backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my friends and I decided to take a rest
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It was hot and sunny on the afternoon when Luke, Patronus, and I loaded up our car and headed out for a weekend of low key camping. There was still at least an hour of
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Wilderness State Park is located in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula, near Cross Village and Mackinaw City.  Its campgrounds stretch along the coastline of Lake Michigan.  In addition to several hiking trails within
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I’ve already shared about our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip and my vlog from our hike, so today I would like to talk about how we went about planning our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip. Planning the
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I recently did a three day backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan with my friends, Erin and Megan.  Here's a vlog I put together of some of the things we
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Backpacking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has been high on my bucket list for several years. The section of Lake Superior shoreline in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stretching from Munising to Grand Marais is said to
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The Potowatomi Trail is a beloved destination for hikers, backpackers, trail runners, and cyclists, offering over 17 miles of hilly trails in a quiet area of southeast Michigan. Ironically, when you look at it on
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For the first time in my life I have hiked through an entire Michigan winter. As I mentioned in here, Patronus and I set out for our first hike of 2019 during the first weekend
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One new thing I have decided to try this year is keeping a hiking journal. As you might remember if from my previous post, one of my goals for 2019 is to hike more often,
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On Saturday, Patronus and I set out on our first hike of 2019! It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the high 40s, so I decided to skip my usual coffee time in
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I've already written about Patronus' hiking gear list, and mine and Luke's camping gear list, so today I thought I would share my hiking gear list with you. Clothing and gear items are always a
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It was time for another outdoor adventure, so Luke, Patronus and I packed up the car and headed out to meet our friend Mike for a fun winter hike. The weather was at least 20
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When Patronus and I awoke, the temperature was in the 40s with no chance of rain, perfect for a weekend outdoor adventure! I put on my favorite cold weather moisture wicking shirt, an insulated vest,
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I crawled out of bed two hours before I actually wanted to, shuffled into the kitchen, and brewed myself a cup of coffee.  By nature, I am a far cry from anything that could even
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I awoke to a smiling Patronus in my face at 10:00 A.M. on the morning we had planned to visit Maybury State Park.  Apparently he did not forget the night before, when I told him
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After weeks of patiently waiting for the trees to transform from lush and green to firey shades of red and yellow and orange, it was finally time for Patronus and I to head out on
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Early on in the planning process, we decided having a day to relax before making the drive home would be best, so the third and final segment of our trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes
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The morning we departed for our backpacking trip to South Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore proved to be a bit of a scramble. Due to the gale warning issued for Friday
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When we arrived at the D. H. Day Campground in Glen Haven, the first thing we did after registering for our site and setting up our camp was to go check out the beach, which
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Growing up, the Traverse City area was a favorite vacation destination for my family.  My mom loves the beach and shopping, and my dad likes fishing, antiquing, and the woods, and this area of Michigan
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Video journal of my weekend backpacking trip to South Manitou Island in Michigan. If you’re interested, you can read the rest of my trip report to South Manitou Island by clicking on the links below.
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For our honeymoon, we took a road trip to the Canadian Rockies with our dog! Why the Canadian Rockies, you may ask?  From icy alpine lakes to hot springs with gorgeous views, from mountains to
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As we were driving back to our hotel from one of our many excursions in Banff, Luke and I randomly decided to pull off on the side of the road to explore an area called
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The hike from Lake Louise to the Lake Agnes Teahouse was one of the excursions on our trip that I was most excited about!
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What’s the perfect compromise between wanting to rest and also wanting to explore while you’re in Banff?  Taking a trip along the famous Icefields Parkway, of course!
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One of the excursions we were most excited about during our trip was Johnston Canyon, a trail ascending and descending through a deep canyon carved into colorful rock, filled with waterfalls, running through a beautiful
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There are two ways to reach the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park: hike 3.4 miles uphill navigating your way up a dirt trail studded with roots and rocks, or ride the Banff
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Our trip to Takakkaw Falls wasn’t originally part of our “itinerary”, but we were so glad that we got to experience it!  It was by far Luke’s favorite adventure that we went on while in
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After a couple weeks straight of hot, muggy weather which was definitely nowhere near ideal for going on fun adventures with a dog, Patronus and I were both eager to get back outside and do
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After months of preparation, the time for our first backpacking trip was finally upon us.
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Saturday was National Trails Day and the weather was almost 70* and partly cloudy, so the three of us decided to visit a state park and do some hiking.  Not only was the weather perfect
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Last Friday, my friend Erin and I packed up the car and headed up to Mackinaw City for the 29th Annual Zoo-De-Mackinac weekend while the guys enjoyed the houses to themselves for the weekend.  The
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As the days get warmer and more opportunities arise for us to take Patronus on new and more exciting adventures, we wanted to make sure that we had a first aid kit that was relatively
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Exploring a greenway trail. Last weekend, while Luke was busy doing some boring adult stuff, Patronus and I had the chance to explore a paved trail with my brother.  Brandon and I have both been
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Last weekend we got nailed with a snowstorm that brought over 9 inches of snow. What did Matt and I decide to do that day?  Take our dogs on an adventure, of course!
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I’m not going to lie, I always get a little stir-crazy in the winter. Since it’s usually cold during the winter where we live, and there’s not a whole lot going on, it can be
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When we began looking at venues, we knew from the moment we set foot in the building that TV’s Grand Event was going to be it. When we got engaged, we knew two things for
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