Here you’ll find my recent Great Lakes Mindset blog articles from 2024-2026. Share in my adventures from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the southern shore of Lake Superior and southern Lake Michigan beaches. Additionally, I share my exploration of Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the northwoods of Wisconsin, and top scenic biking and hiking trails throughout the Upper Midwest. There is so much beauty in the Great Lakes region!
Outside of the Midwest, I’ve highlighted recent adventures from the western U.S., including a hike along the rim of the ancient Capulin Volcano in New Mexico, exploration at 10,000 feet in the Santa Fe National Forest, and hikes across the vast dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
Winter Hiking | Ice Age Trail, Wisconsin
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Step Back in Time along Wisconsin’s Beautiful Shore Path | Geneva Lake
The picturesque city of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in Walworth County, has a rich history, from the time of early settlers to present day. Settlers first arrived in Lake…
4 min read
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Explore Madison Wisconsin’s Beautiful Lake Monona Loop
The bustling capitol city of Madison, Wisconsin offers visitors scenic beauty, cultural events, great food, and numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. Home to the University of Madison, Bucky…
4 min read
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Explore the Lavender Fields of Baraboo | New Life Lavender Farm
New Life Lavender Farm | Baraboo, Wisconsin Now in their 9th season, New Life Lavender Farm in Baraboo, Wisconsin offers visitors a unique experience. Open fields of lavender, 8…
4 min read
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Bike Wisconsin’s Beautiful Northwoods – Heart of Vilas County Trail
Vilas County, Wisconsin is in the heart of the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This beautiful region of the state is filled with clean lakes, quiet stands of pine trees,…
4 min read
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Explore the Beauty of Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico
Have you ever hiked the rim of a volcanic crater? For most of us, the answer is no. Are you interested in exploring an ancient cinder cone volcano…
4 min read
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Explore the Beautiful Dune Landscapes Great Sand Dunes National Park
Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in an environment that looks and feels like a foreign planet? To visualize hundreds of thousands of years of geologic time…
4 min read
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Experience Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore | Stunning Lake Superior Landscapes
Have you visited Michigan’s stunning Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore? Along Lake Superior’s southern shore near Munising, Michigan, beautiful 50-200 foot sandstone cliffs line the shore for over 15…
4 min read
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America’s Little Switzerland | Enjoy Authentic Swiss Food in New Glarus, Wisconsin
The town of New Glarus, in south central Wisconsin, is charming and picturesque. Located 28 miles southwest of Madison, New Glarus is known as “America’s Little Switzerland”. Home…
4 min read
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Explore the Beautiful Driftless Region of Wisconsin | Sugar River State Trail – Brodhead to New Glarus
Wisconsin is home to a variety of picturesque landscapes, in large part shaped by the receding glaciers of the last Ice Age. Over the millennia, glacial ice scoured the…
4 min read
Outdoor Gear Recommendations | Great Lakes Region
Outdoor recreation should be comfortable and fun in all seasons. If you’re looking for comfortable, functional, durable outdoor gear, check out my personal recommendations for outdoor gear HERE. I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite packs, hiking layers, insulation, biking gear, and outdoor accessories that have worked well for me for different weather conditions and activities.
Check out the images below from some of my recent adventures!
View looking up through the pines, Ice Age Trail 
Sunny afternoon among the pines (edited with Prisma) 
Ice Age Trail yellow blaze trail marker 
Snowshoeing around Lake LaGrange, Ice Age Trail 
Hepatica, spring ephemeral 
Gray tree frog 
Eastern Pasque flower 
Lake Superior rocks beneath the water Miner’s Castle, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore 
Blackrocks Beach, Presque Isle 
Blackrocks Beach, Presque Isle, Marquette, Michigan 
Picnic Rocks Beach, Marquette, MI 
Simmons Island Beach, Kenosha, WI 
Osprey Talon 11 backpack 
Fresh strawberry pie from Jelli’s Market Farm Store 
Tree-lined stretch of the Glacial Drumlin State Trail 
El Santo Tacos and Tequila, Michigan Margarita 
Marquette Harbor Lighthouse at McCarty’s Cove 
Noquemanon Trailhead – South Trails, Marquette, Michigan 
Sculpture at South Trails Noquemanon Trailhead, Marquette, Michigan 
Sign for intersection of Sugar River State Trail and Badger State Trail 
Gifts from the farm store and lavender ice cream – delicious! Lavender fields of Baraboo 
Manitowish River, WI 
Ghost Pipe 
Blackrocks basalt outcrop – 1.7 billion years old (Presque Isle Park) 
Expansive view of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field from Crater Rim Trail 
Sticky Gilia with visitor, Crater Rim Trail 
Great Sand Dunes National Park 
Ozaukee Interurban Bike Trail, Cedarburg, WI 
White River Trail near Lyons, Wisconsin (effects by Prisma) 
View from the Tumbled Rocks Trail, Devil’s Lake State Park 
Aspen leaf, Santa Fe National Forest 
Nambe Lake Trail – Santa Fe National Forest 
Fallison Lake Nature Trail, Boulder Junction, WI 
View from cedar trees atop Gibraltar Bluff 
Geodetic Survey Marker atop Gibraltar Bluff
Great Lakes Facts
Check out the Pure Michigan website for 10 Great Lakes Fun Facts You May Not Know. To learn more about current research in the Great Lakes, check out NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.
Furthermore, I’d love to hear about your adventures in the Great Lakes region, or topics and places you’d like to learn more about. Subscribe using the form below for access to my bi-monthly newsletter filled with information on outdoor recreation, food, culture, and adventure in the Great Lakes region. Come explore with me!
GET OUT THERE AND FIND AN ADVENTURE!
-Erin