This past summer has been full of adventures for me. I’m kind of sad to make the transition into fall. I learned a lot about myself and I’ve made a vow to continue enjoying the “now” and not wait so long for the “someday”.
In June, I went on an over-night hike along part of the Manistee River Trail with my husband and a group of best friends. We hiked 11 miles in total. Not too shabby for a group of 50-somethings carrying 30-40 lb. backpacks on their very first try at hiking through the Northern Michigan wilderness–in 90º heat no less! Believe it or not we had a lot of fun and also learned a lot about what to bring and what not to bring – basically less stuff in general. The views along the trail were pretty cool and incredibly there were quite a few others enjoying the trail as well. One of the best things we all noticed was the lack of litter. It’s nice to know there are still people with a conscience. We are already planning an overnight kayak adventure for next year.
July’s adventure was a 9-day journey in the UP of Michigan. This trip was with a group of 19 people and 3 dogs all staying in one enormous lodge on the river. Our primary objective was to ride trails in our side-x-side. We also took time to visit many of the beautiful waterfalls that are almost everywhere in the UP. Did you know there is a waterfall that goes by the moniker of “Grand Canyon of the Upper Peninsula?” It’s called “Canyon Falls.” I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon (adventure for another year!) but these falls sure lived up to the name. Well worth the hike back to see for sure!
August brought probably the biggest new adventure. My husband and I along with that same group of best friends that went hiking together, got on a plane and flew to Maine! Flying was a totally new experience for my husband and me as we had never flown in our lives. I’m glad we went with experienced flyers. They told us what to expect and guided us through the process. We ate lobster in Portland that we helped haul in off the boat! It was amazing. I also tried for the first time clam chowdah (as the locals call it), fried haddock, and linguine with scallops. All absolutely delicious! If you ever find yourself visiting Maine, Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor (or Bah Hahbah) are must see places. Simply incredible views that are all you’d ever imagine Maine to be.
Because I’m at the library on a daily basis (lucky me, I know!), I have access to many wonderful books that helped me throughout the summer. I was able to use books on backpacking, Michigan waterfalls and rivers, and vacationing in Maine. Begin your next adventure at the library! You can visit Kris’ blog from May for some books to get you started.
by Marlena Arras
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