Trail Therapy in Alpena, Michigan: Sanctuary of the Great Lakes
VisitAlpena.com
Have you heard of Forest Bathing? Studies have shown that time spent in nature can lower blood pressure, improve ADHD and depression and ease anxiety, just to name a few suggested health benefits. Need some trail therapy in your stressful life? Just take your pick: the inner-city stroll at Island Park nature preserve; the rugged mountain bike Rim Trail at Rockport State Recreation Area; or, the easy rolling hills at Norway Ridge Pathway. Can't pick just one way to get your trail therapy in? In the Alpena area you don't have to choose between hiking, biking, MTB, bird-watching, or nature walks - here, you can do it all! Let the breeze in the trees carry your worries away. This community, known as the Sanctuary of the Great Lakes, boasts more than 43,000 acres of state forest land and more than 100 miles of groomed trails and that number keeps growing. From rough and rugged to smooth and peaceful, this serene escape gives you plenty of options. Enjoy a modern city at nature's doorstep. The perfect destination for reconnecting with people you care about, regaining balance within your own life, and making new memories to fuel the days in between adventures. Alpena truly embodies the haven to relax from the stresses of everyday life. We'll see you on the trails!
Light Therapy in Alpena, Michigan: Sanctuary of the Great Lakes
VisitAlpena.com
Have you ever noticed that even a moment of light after days of cloud-cover always makes you feel better? It is well-known that a certain amount of sunshine and moon-glow is a healthy requirement of most all living things. Need some light therapy in your stressful life? Just take your pick: the brilliant star shine at one of our 3 designated Dark Sky Preserve Parks (Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompsons Harbor State Park, & Negwegon State Park); the flash of a chef's pan at a local restaurant, the glorious rays of summer days in the garden or at the beach; or, the bonding of friends around a campfire under the stars. Can't pick just one way to get your light therapy in? In the Alpena area you can start your day with a sunrise, end it with the Northern Lights, and soak up as much light as the day offers in between. This community, known as the Sanctuary of the Great Lakes, boasts dozens of sunrise watching locations and just as many sunset watching locations over open water, 3 Dark Sky Preserve parks for star gazing, and none of this ever takes you too far from the amenities of a modern city at nature's doorstep. Relax, rejuvenate, and restore. The perfect destination for reconnecting with people you care about, regaining balance within your own life, and making new memories to fuel the days in between adventures. Alpena truly embodies the haven from the stresses of everyday life. We'll see you here, where the light shines on your face and sparks an inner glow.
Lower Peninsula Michigan Road Trip
1. Scenic Air Tours (Manistee)
2. Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary (Manistee)
3. Glen Park Mineral Springs (Onekama)
4. Inspiration Point (Blaine Township)
5. Guntzviller Taxidermy & Spirit of the Woods Museum (Williamsburg)
6. Earl Young Gnome Houses (Charlevoix)
7. Charles Ransom Nature Preserve (Charlevoix)
8. Castle Farms (Charlevoix)
9. Thorne Swift Nature Preserve (Harbor Springs)
10. Tunnel of Trees (Harbor Springs)
11. Mackinac Island
12. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Alpena)
13. Dinosaur Gardens (Sanborn Township)
14. Frankenmuth
15. Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge (Saginaw)
16. Hell
17. Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Farmington Hills)
18. Hamtramck Disneyland (Hamtramck)
19. McCourtie Park (Jerome)
20. Midwest Miniatures Museum (Hickory Corners)
With only 3-4 days we didn't have much time, but the whirlwind of it all was INCREDIBLE. We've already started planning a trip for next year for the spots we missed, and the places we want to visit again.
I'm in awe--inspired, rejuvenated, proud of what we put together and what unfolded. One of the best trips of my life. Thank you, #PureMichigan.
USA Great Outdoors: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary- Michigan
Discover the scenic landscapes that adventure seeker Shawn explored during his visit to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Park Featured:
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Michigan Micro Adventures: Kayaking the Albany Shipwreck
visitalpena.com
Take a trip to discover the Albany Shipwreck in Albany Bay just north of Alpena in Presque Isle, Michigan. Filmographer Zach Irving captures stunning imagery while Hosts Gary and Ely Irving show you step-by-step how to access the water, properly plan for safety considerations, and how to find the shipwreck by kayak. You're sure to get the itch to explore after watching this debut episode of Michigan MicroAdventures! Check out more at michiganmicroadventures.com
This episode of Michigan MicroAdventures was created in partnership with the Alpena Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the exploration opportunities throughout the Alpena region.
Dinosaur Gardens | Under the Radar | Pure Michigan
Visit for more.
Just south of Alpena, Michigan is Dinosaur Gardens and it is like taking a trip back in time. The park is a walking tour that lets you see what these dinosaurs must have looked like when they roamed the earth millions of years ago.
Shipwreck Tour of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
A tour of some of the 93 incredibly-preserved shipwrecks sunk in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary of Lake Huron.
Michigander Bicycle Tour
The 28th annual Michigander Bicycle Tour will take place July 13-18 on the Sunrise Side, featuring a 2-day and 6-day ride that showcases Lake Huron, the Iron Belle Trail and the 100th Anniversary of the Michigan State Parks as it travels through Tawas City, Oscoda, Lupton, Rose City, Higgins Lake, Cadillac, Tustin, Leroy, Reed City and Evart. Riders will enjoy the Rifle River Recreation Area, Higgins Lake State Park and William Mitchell State Park as they travel along the Iron Belle and White Pine Trails, as well as a portion of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail.
Go to michigander.bike for more info.
Straits of Mackinac From The Sky
The Straits of Mackinac and lighthouse from an aerial perspective. Music Courtesy of Jennifer Westwood And The Handsome Devils.
Like and share their FaceBook page: Jennifer Westwood And The Handsome Devils or go to their website jwhandsomedevils.com for additional information and concert dates.
The Importance of Healthy Dunes
Beach-dune shorelines are the most diverse ecosystem in the Great Lakes Basin. They are also the most vulnerable to human pressures. This video introduces the topic of dune conservation and outlines some of the ways beach-dune ecosystems can be protected and restored.
Independence Day 2016. July 4th - Photos The New York Times
Independence Day 2016. July 4th - Photos The New York Times
National Independence Day Parade July 4th Washington USA, independence day 2016
Photos The New York Times, 2016
#Times #parade #Washington
1. MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, OREGON 1/7/2016
Duane Ehmer on his horse, Hellboy. He was in a group of anti-government protesters who took over a federally owned wildlife sanctuary for nearly 6 weeks.
Rob Kerr/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
2. PHILADELPHIA 7/28/2016
Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, onstage at the end of the Democratic National Convention.
Josh Haner/The New York Times
3. DALLAS 7/8/2016
Police Chief David O. Brown of Dallas at a prayer vigil honoring five officers killed during a protest over police abuse.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
4. SANTA CLARA, CALIF. 10/2/2016
San Francisco 49ers players, from left, Eli Harold, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
5. BRIXTON, SOUTH LONDON 1/12/2016
A crowd gathered at a mural depicting the musician David Bowie, painted by James Cochran. Mr. Bowie died on Jan. 10 at age 69.
Leon Neal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
6. NEW YORK 2/9/2016
Members of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company performed in “Crucible,” by choreographer Alwin Nikolais. A mirror created a doubling effect.
Andrea Mohin/The New York Times
7. BROOKLYN 4/17/2016
A supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders took a breather during a rally in Prospect Park for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Damon Winter/The New York Times
8. VISTA, CALIF. 5/22/2016
Michael Johnson of San Diego donned a Bernie Sanders head at a campaign rally.
Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
9. CHICAGO 5/28/2016
A memorial for Mark Lindsey, 25, shot dead in his car outside his mother’s house. He was one of 64 people shot in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend.
Whitney Curtis for The New York Times
10. CLEVELAND 11/3/2016
The Chicago Cubs celebrated their World Series victory, the team’s first in 108 years, as a Cleveland Indians player walked away.
Jason Miller/Getty Images
11. SANTA CLARA, CALIF. 2/7/2016
At Beyoncé’s performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, her dancers wore outfits reminiscent of the Black Panther movement.
Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated, via Getty Images
12. BROOKLYN 2/26/2016
Elephants went through their paces before a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. The circus retired its elephant act in May.
Todd Heisler/The New York Times
13. MANHATTAN 3/21/2016
A woman walked near the New York Stock Exchange.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
14. BROOKLYN 12/19/2016
Holiday lights aglow in Brooklyn Heights.
George Etheredge for The New York Times
15. channel logo Walking Nice
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Nice walking places, video stories and streets of cities. Music for walking, houses, streets, cities, video walk, virtual tour. Short film format.
Come back every week for more exclusive videos and walks with us, feel the emotions and free your heart from anxiety, and more.
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Great Circus - WATER ACROBATES - Street Performance
Maroseyka Street - Nice Walking Places | MOSCOW 2019
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Music: Anchors Aweigh (1921)
Artist: United States Marine Band
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Great Waterfront Trail Adventure (GWTA) 2018
After six long, incredible days of cycling from Ajax, we arrived at the Québec border! The 11th Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure was a celebration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, with goals of connecting communities and protecting the land and water.
We cycled hundreds of kilometres through communities, farmlands, cities, villages, waterways, marinas, harbours, islands, pastures, fields, highways, country roads, forests, wetlands, conservation projects, provincial and municipal parks, boardwalks, and beaches along Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River. Every community welcomed us with open arms and tables of food and drinks. We built fantastic friendships and bonded like one big family.
I am so grateful to have been sponsored as the youth ambassador of the ride this year. My role before, during, and after the GWTA 2018 is to engage the next generation of cyclists who will be advocating and raising awareness for protecting, healing, and caring for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. We, as youth, need to be empowered to take action for, with, and in our communities. We are not just future leaders, but we are current leaders, and we have a lot to contribute. Thanks to Waterfront Regeneration Trust, Waterlution, Toronto Conservation Authority, CAA, and the other generous sponsors of the GWTA 2018, I was able to join the ride for my second time and share my experiences of this remarkable project and trip!
Along our journey, I asked cyclists, councillors, and mayors to describe (in 10 seconds or less) what the Waterfront Trail means to them. I braided these interviews with video clips from my GoPro, which was mounted on my helmet for the entire trip. Every single person I talked to showed a strong awareness of their responsibilities to protect, heal, and care for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. It was inspiring and uplifting to hear their words and see their actions carried through the path along the waterfront. Their stories and experiences demonstrate the power of the Waterfront Trail to connect people to water. You can watch, listen, and feel those powerful words about the beautiful landscapes and spectacular peoples for yourself.
(Music Copyright Free from YouTube)
Trumpeter swans/male display
Trumpeter swans on Silver Lake near Cumberland in NW Wisconsin. Male trumpeter lands and begins displaying. Adult Trumpeter Swans are entirely white with a black bill and black legs. Immatures are gray-brown.
Trumpeter Swans February 28, 2014
I shot this video on February 28, 2014 during my morning walk on the Caledonia Prison Farm in Halifax County, North Carolina.
Music: Americana, by: Kevin MacLeod
Besser Elementary Students Release Salmon into the Wild
Alpena- Around 150 Chinook salmon found a new home in the Thunder Bay River Monday afternoon.
Thanks to the help of 87 fourth and fifth grade students from Besser Elementary, these tiny salmon will one day transform into full grown Chinook salmon.
The students had been raising and taking care of the salmon all school year as part of the ‘Salmon in the Classroom’ program offered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The course teaches students to undertake conservation and instruct care for fish and the environment. They also provide classrooms with eggs to help hatch and eventually send out into the wild.
Today, the students collected data from their Chinook salmon, some even naming their little fish. The young marine biologists studied different macro-invertebrates, took water samples of the river for pH levels, learned about water plants, and looked at Rotary Island wildlife.
“I love it when they (the students) are so passionate in answering their questions and when they’re actually releasing the salmon. They are all so excited to let them out into their new habitat,” said Besser Elementary School Teacher Allison Elliott.
This is the first time Elliott has utilized the program offered by the Michigan DNR. She learned about it during her student teaching time in California. One of the biggest topics Elliott wanted to study with her class was the introduction of Salmon to the Great Lakes. Salmon are native to the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. They serve a different purpose in the Midwest, helping control populations like the Alewife, an invasive fish from the Atlantic Ocean. Salmon adapt to fresh and salt water very well so introduction was easy for scientist. The salmon also plays a critical role in helping balance the ecosystem.
“The ecosystem is very diverse, every fish has it’s own life cycle, and our salmon, thankfully, can acclimate well to anything,” said Elliott.
Several community partners came together to help make the project possible including U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, Michigan State University Sea Grant, the Michigan DNR, and members of the the Department of Energy. Elliott praises all of these organizations who helped pull off an experience that the students won’t soon forget.
“Just to see what I’ve taught in the classroom, it’s come full circle.”
Riley Trails Hike in Ottawa County, Michigan near Holland.
A good walk around Riley Trails near Holland, MI. The park is for hikers and mountain bikers. On the day I was there, all the mountain bikers were very friendly and I had plenty of warning to step to the side to let them pass. There are a bunch of different routes you can take around this park as you'll see from the map in the video. I hiked around it, while my wife mountain biked around it. She's a novice on the mountain bike, and she had no problems on this trail. A little sandy in a couple spots, but nothing she couldn't get through. This was one of three parks that we went to that day, so check out the other two videos when they're up if your interested in this area of Michigan.
Great Lakes Paddleboarding and Kayaking in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is one of the most popular vacation destination in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for some very good reasons. The Soo is a surprisingly diverse waterfront community and offers a wealth of things to see and do. With year round recreational activities, historical sites, the world-famous Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls, and spectacular lighthouses, forests and waters. Sault Ste Marie also offers fantastic kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing experiences!
There is always something to do in “The Soo”.
LEARN MORE:
Under the Radar Michigan Season 4 Promo
Where are we going in Season 4??? Here's just a few of the places you'll find us.
Trumpeter Swans & Redhead Ducks on Roberts Lake - Wisconsin - J. Meyer Studios
With a fresh snowfall in the Northwoods, I decided to stop by Roberts Lake to check out the scenery. Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon 8 Trumpeter swans in the bay, along with a group of Redhead ducks. The ducks immediately flew away as I approached to take photos. I got a lot of great shots of the swans and decided to take a short video with my new, Nikon D500 camera. (I apologize for the focus problem around the 2:00 minute mark.. I'm a beginner to videography, haha)
A little F.Y.I., the reason the video stops where it does, is that I really wanted to take more photos with the ducks grouping with the swans..
Hope you enjoy!
Economic and cultural impact of horses in the state of Michigan
Alpena --- Horses have called Michigan home for centuries, providing a variety of resources to the people that live in the 'Wolverine State.'
The American Horse Council Foundation recently released a number of statistics of the economic impacts that the horse industry has on Michigan. The two year study broke down the impact into five different sectors. The racing sector supports 3,946 jobs and creates a total impact of $389 million. The competition sector supports 11,942 jobs and has an economic impact of $1 billion. Recreation, equine therapy, and equine rescues & sanctuaries make up over a half a million dollars in economic impacts on the industry. The total impact on Michigan's economy comes out to $2.6 billion.
Horses activists and enthusiasts believe that number should be higher. Retired Army Colonel Don Packard now serves as president of the Michigan Horse Council. He rode in the 2016 inaugural parade as part of the Michigan Mounted Police Unit. It was the first time that a person and not a member of the unit has ridden with the group. The retired Army Colonel looked at just the sheer dollars that go into the equipment to haul a horse as testament for a higher economic impact.
Every time you go to a trail ride group or organization, you see a $60,000 truck pulling an $100,000 trailer, said Packard. Then you see all of the gas that goes into that truck and trailer, all of the food and fuel and money that all of the individual trail riders and show people spend.
A few aspect have put financial dents into the amount of dollars from the equine industry into Michigan. Public Act 288 increased the amount of trails and roads for off-road vehicles. For horse owners, motorized vehicles can cause panic and flight in horses. These trails no longer become viable for horse trail riders to utilize. In addition, two major horse racing tracks have closed within the past few years, leaving only Northville Downs.
Horses have been around much longer, we have a right to ride in this state and we plan on pursuing that aggressively as often as we can, said Packard.
Packard is one of the few to ride from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron on horseback. His passion in horse culture and riding can be found through the 8 trips across the state. In Northern Michigan, horse riding and the great outdoors combine to make this region a perfect tool for equine education and culture. In Mackinac Island, Ashley Day, Program Manager at the Mackinac Community Equestrian Center, helps out with education of people on respect and proper use of horses.
It really helps with development in children and young adults, said Day. It puts them in a situation where they have to really utilize critical thinking skills and build confidence, they have to be accountable, they have to be self aware.
Education and exposure to horses will be the tools that local community horse organizations use to help the equine industry continue thriving. Jackie Konecke of the Alpena County Horsemen's Club wants more people to spend time with horses. By gaining more exposure, the horse activist expects to see more benefits than just a new found love.
There's lots of riding in our Northeastern Michigan that people don't realize that brings our community up, said Konecke. It will get people to come from the south and other states and to come up here to Northern Michigan and bring much needed dollars to our community which will help not only just the equestrians but mom and pop shops as well.
Pairing the beauty of the area with an outdoor activity creates another draw for people to visit and enjoy the opportunities available. Throughout the year, both Mackinac and Alpena's horse organizations offer a number of activities, competitions, shows, and community outreach that helps ensure horses as part of the cultural and communal fabric that makes up Michigan.