A Little More About Me

Hello!  I'm Mike, I run this place, and I love the outdoors.  I am from Michigan, which has a wide array of outdoor activities available to residents and visitors. I grew up hiking (but just called it walking?), cross-country skiing, swimming, and camping.  During college, I picked up a habit of taking road trips and it sparked a whole new fire within me to see the country and the world.  For four consecutive spring breaks, friends and I would explore the country in search of new scenery and adventures.

After graduation, my uncle found me a job and I moved to Texas with my 1994 Chrysler and a borrowed $300. I quickly adjusted to the life and chaos of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.  After a few years of realizing the city had limited natural areas, I discovered the 52 Hike Challenge and adapted it to start exploring statewide to fully appreciate a new kind of outdoor lifestyle.

I've learned to love the deserts, grasslands, hills, and forests that cover the giant state.  From Texas, I spent a year in New Mexico and went full ham with the mountain forests and desert landscape. After New Mexico I made my way up to the Pacific Northwest, my home away from home. The trees, rain, and cold beaches always made me feel at ease. I could always find a good hike or a view that soothed the soul in the Pacific Northwest. But, life kept moving and I moved to Ohio for a spell. I was surprised by the beauty around Hocking Hills and even more pleasantly surprised with my adventures into West Virginia.

Life has a funny way of working out and after many years of trying, I’m finally becoming a resident of Minnesota. The stars have aligned, and I’ll be living my Great Lakes dream for the foreseeable future. Join me as I explore Minnesota, Ontario, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Don’t worry, I’ll still be trekking around the country and beyond, but I’m excited to focus on my favorite lakes.

Number of named national parks I’ve been to: 29
Number of breweries I’ve sampled: 249
Number of states in the US visited: 46