All broken things aside (my laptop is officially toast, as is my bike tire and pump), we’re making the most of our non-fixing-things time here. We’re in a small town that’s directly north of a very cool lift bridge that crosses the canal dividing the eastern portion of the U.P. Few large boats need to […]
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The Mosquito Hike
You know things are quiet around here when I follow a post about seeing a bird’s nest with one about taking a three-mile speed walk around a wetland. But it gives me an excuse to provide your weekly mushroom slideshow! We booked it around this loop, skimming the interpretive signs and keeping Banjo on track […]
I Need a Pith Helmet
Instead of this floppy gardening hat I bought back in Bethesda at the overpriced hardware store. I’m not sure what a pith helmet is exactly, but if it’s rigid and has bug netting, I’ll take it in trade. Seems like the hat you want for adventures. First Adventure: Finding a Place to Live We’d kind […]
A Shortcut to Mushrooms
You Tolkien people must’ve known I would eventually use this title for an entry. Turns out it’s a pretty good descriptor for the long hike we had on Tracy’s birthday, with a couple of shortcuts that turned into trouble. Well, the good news is that we didn’t run into a Nazgul, plus we didn’t see […]
Hiking with Tourists
AKA: Walking along Wooded Paths and Stepping aside Every Few Yards to Make Way for Others AKA: Pictures of Banjo’s Butt Tracy’s graciously done a lot of research to find us things to do each day, not that we’re bored, but we do want to take advantage of northern Wisconsin and Michigan while we’re up […]
Kayaking Our Corner of Lake Superior
This wide-open water is one of the reasons we brought the ocean kayaks—they move quickly so you can paddle from a ho-hum spot where you’ve put in to a more spectacular spot like one of the many islands around here. Tracy had in mind us kayaking out several miles to the famous Apostle Islands, but […]
Key Is Entering the Water Lilies Slowly
I finally found my groove in my new kayak (and with myself), at least for this lake. I slowed all the way to a meander as Tracy paddled away at his own rate. As long as I’m not trying to keep up or catch up, I seem to be okay. It’s the fast paddling that […]
Love Me Two Times, Iowa
We’re back in Iowa—in Elkader, the small town where Tracy’s best friend and his wife live. We weren’t keen on visiting (hence the second take) because they’ve been dealing with all the decisions and stresses you’re faced with as small business owners these days (they own a brewery and tap room here). After Wisconsin though, […]
It’s Hard to Photograph a Prairie
Especially when a certain someone is wearing a ginormous hat to ward off mosquitos and insists on getting in the middle of the photo. It’s also hard because there’s something about the whole of the prairie, with all the different flowers and grasses, that I can’t capture on my phone. You’ll just have to see […]
AM Hikes, PM Lounge
This place, Ohio’s Shawnee State Park, is really growing on me. On the advice of a couple of friends (hi, Melissa M!), I’m reading Blue Highways by a fellow named Least Heat-Moon. He reminds me how travelers set themselves up for failure by assuming what a place will be like before they get there. Perhaps […]
