Superior Hiking Trail Series – Part 5: Nature Effect
You've probably heard that being out in nature is good for the body and soul. After all, there are scores of studies out there that prove this. The studies show nature can do everything from lessen your stress to help you recover more quickly from surgery. Nature can...
Superior Hiking Trail Series – Part 4: Suffering and Joy
When you embark upon a long-distance trek along a path like the Superior Hiking Trail, something is likely to go wrong every day. Usually, it's little things. But sometimes you can face rather significant obstacles. Still, the joy of the experience erases the pain....
Superior Hiking Trail Series – Part 3: People of the Trail
The Superior Hiking Trail lures a wide variety of people to its meandering path. And actually, all trails sing siren songs to attract people. But who answers those calls? This is what is so interesting. For you can't stereotype hikers. For trekkers are an incredibly...
What You Need to Know About the Scariest Waterslides in Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells is the waterpark capital of the world, and so is home to some of the world's scariest waterslides. I should know, as I live near the Dells and have been there countless times, both for story research and fun. Now, I don't particularly like heights. Nor...
Superior Hiking Trail Series – Part 2: Hiking Boom
There's a major hiking boom occurring across the nation and around the globe. My assignment for the second installation of this series was to weave that theme into my hiking narrative. So I started interviewing some of the other hikers I met along the way to find out...
Superior Hiking Trail Series – Part 1: Water Everywhere
My hike along the Superior Hiking Trail, or SHT, began in the water. That is, in the rain. I knew a few days ahead of time that the forecast wasn't promising. So this became one of those times you really hope the weather forecasters are wrong. Oh, and not only did the...
Superior Hiking Trail Series – Prologue
I was beyond thrilled to be asked to pen a seven-part series on the Superior Hiking Trail, or SHT. It was the spring of 2017, and I'd recently undergone surgery to reattach my left hamstring. Thankfully, it hadn't suddenly ruptured. Rather, it had become 90 percent...
Warrior Expeditions Helps Vets
Warrior Expeditions, originally named Warrior Hike, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. This group was created by a combat veteran named Sean Gobin, who hiked the Appalachian Trail after separating...
North County Trail Re-Route Mired in Politics
In 1980, Congress approved the North Country Trail (NCT) as one of America's National Scenic Trails. In doing so, the NCT joined the famous "Triple Crown" trails – the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide – to become our fourth National Scenic Trail. Now,...
Vía de la Plata Camino Filled with Roman Ruins
I've hiked Spain's Vía de la Plata Camino, which is filled with spectacular Roman ruins, several times. Here is one of several articles I wrote about my experiences. The gravel path unspools before me in an endless ribbon, cutting through a sea of rustling, golden...
What to Know About Snowshoeing the Porcupine Mountains
If you're looking for a great place to go snowshoeing in the Upper Midwest, the Porcupine Mountains (aka the Porkies) are a great spot. The Porkies hug the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. These mountains are also considered a wilderness...
Visit One of the World’s Largest Nativity Collections
Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church in Oshkosh, Wis., is home to one of the world's largest Nativity collections. The locale seems an unlikely spot. But then again, why not Oshkosh, Wis.? Here's the quick backstory. For Mildred Turner, 1988 was a terrible year....
Extreme Sports Birthed in New Zealand
Ever wonder why New Zealand is home to extreme sports? Some say it's due to the country's Accident Compensation Corporation, or ACC. The ACC pays the medical bills of those injured in accidents on Kiwi soil. In the article above, I explain all about the ACC. But here,...
How to Hike Through Big Cypress Swamp
A foot of snow and sub-zero temperatures await me back home, I remind myself, as I work my way through Big Cypress Swamp. The day's uncomfortable heat and humidity quickly dampen my shirt and cause droplets of sweat to pool on my forehead and rhythmically drip from my...
The Secrets to Biking on Mackinac Island
Biking is all the rage on Mackinac Island, where cars are forbidden. That no-car rule has an interesting history, but it's in the story, so I won't spoil it. So, for those of you who haven't heard of Mackinac Island, it's an island belonging to the state of Michigan....
Climbing the Manitou Incline Is a Novel Challenge
The Manitou Incline is a +2,700-step staircase in Manitou Springs, which is near Colorado's Pikes Peak. This insane incline rises 2,000 vertical feet in just under one mile. That's steep, folks. The Manitou Incline began life as a cable car track used to ferry...
