Bike tourism is on the rise as communities understand the benefit of increased trail usage and rollover effects for related businesses, not to mention the inherent health and wellness perks. So yeah, it’s hip to plan entire vacations around destinations that cater to...
“It rains a little bit every day,” Jen explained as we compared packing lists for a group trip to Hawaii to celebrate belated birthdays. She was right, just not a little bit. It was December 3rd - We arrived on moist Maui with news of a blizzard warning at elevation...
The bill slipped inside the machine, the buttons lit up while neon colors and shapes pulsed across the screen. It was literally the first spin of the slot machine that landed on all sevens! Maureen's dollar was instantly transformed into $40, and we high-fived our...
In Michigan, mountain bike trail expansion projects are in progress all over the state. The pandemic has spurred a rapidly expanding sport, and riders are eager to get outdoors and explore. Bikers have a thirst for adventure, so typically, they seek single track…....
Backpacking the Silver Creek Pathway along the Pine River (Luther, Michigan) We always emphasize the annual niece/nephew backpacking trip is a learning journey. It’s a weekend in Michigan to gain some backcountry and independent skills like setting up a tent or...
Ladies and gentlemen….start your pedals! With a signature downhill mountain bike trail named the Devil’s Racetrack, bikers, race fans, and lovers of speed and adrenaline take note. The Racetrack is just one of many sculpted dirt highways in Knoxville’s...
Like the mineral-infused red dirt in Cuyuna Lakes area, Minnesota, the color matches the personality of the people and the place. Red symbolizes passion, primal forces, energy, and adventure. It's an apt description for a community that has been transformed from...
Say, “French Lick,” and 80% will excitedly respond, Oh yeah, the hometown of Larry Bird! The iconic NBA legend did indeed play basketball at Spring Valley High School in French Lick, Indiana. Recently, I’ve learned there are even more impressive historical...
Big things come in small-town packages. New Bern, North Carolina is the shiny gem in a small velvet box - open it up and discover the appeal, both on the surface and underneath. The intercoastal and ocean views are the shiny gem exterior, but the friendly locals are...
Drip…. Drip…. Drip…. I am in my office, tapping keys to the rhythm of the snowmelt dripping off the roof and soaking into the saturated ground. The birds are back, too, even Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal. Their calls mix in with the drip, and a chorus begins, announcing the...
Faster is not better. Rushing through the process doesn't help either. Calm down, take a breath, and find a slower tempo…. before you address that little white ball. It's about technique and letting the club do its part. Want to improve your golf game and be happier...
News flash - people plan entire vacations around cool places to ride a bike! You've heard of ski-in-ski-out condos, but the new trend is bike-in and bike-out! Bike-centricity is the hot new amenity to type in the search box, and trail accessibility is the new black....
Trail usage is on the rise for runners, hikers, and bikers of all levels… especially the mountain bike niche. Dirt shredders and their two-wheeled creatures have come out of their homes from the COVID coop-up ready to roll. Trail builders, DMO’s (Destination...
Lake Superior whipped up a September gale and slowed the RV down considerably as we made our way across the Mackinaw Bridge, to Marquette then to Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Four important appendages (mountain bikes) were racked on the back of...
It was the first time in three years that we did not have severe weather to contend with on the annual nieces and nephews’ backpacking adventure. There were, however, plenty of other happenings that keep the drama and laugh meter high. We added another nephew to the...
As a travel writer, I get this question a lot: Where’s your next trip? Usually, it’s a quick top-of-mind answer, but now, my answers are nebulous and messy. “Well, we were planning a Lake Superior Circle Tour road trip, but we have to wait because the Canadian border...
Travel, road trips, and vacation planning have all taken a detour from our usual route. As May pushes into June and almost three months of the COVID Stay Home/Stay Safe order in Michigan, the travel pivot will continue. A staycation has become a bad word because we've...
Much like the Little Red Riding Hood story, Sedona is a village with beautiful scenery (a red rock riding neighborhood) to explore. However, beauty can also hold danger, a symbolic wolf…the advanced and rocky terrain. Riders will be lulled into gazing at the distinct...
The #9SuperFriends trip to Chile and Argentina was anything but traditional. We traded seasons: winter for late spring and Thanksgiving dinner and turkey for a gourmet dinner in the heart of Chilean wine country, the Maipo Valley. Piles of beef and fish were the...
I am a woman. I am a mountain biker. I am in a significant minority. I want to inspire more women to ride.I want the sport to grow. I want people to get outside, to be mentally and physically healthy and connect with nature.The Outdoor Industry Association shows...
Is Michigan one of the Midwest's premier mountain bike destinations? Yes, but only if you are willing to cross the bridge to the U.P. the much wilder peninsula. The U.P. is home to two IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) ride centers, one in Marquette and...
We billed it as a "learning journey," so the kids would be exposed to backcountry camping, the kind where you hike in your gear and poop in the woods. We chose Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness with beach access to Lake Michigan just north of Ludington. Perhaps the excessive...
Michigan is often called the Great Lake state, and its residents try to selfishly hog the accolades of all five of the amazing inland seas of freshwater. The reality, Michigan is great and is bordered by four of the five: Lake Michigan, Superior, Huron, and Erie. Only...
The Holmes & Watson Beerventure quest continues. Admittedly after hitting the 100 mark, the next phase seemed daunting. Michigan craft breweries pop up like springtime morels and it seems improbable to make a dent in visiting the almost 300 in the Great Lake...