2018's List of Favorite Things

Since we started traveling full-time, we enjoy looking back each year to find our favorites. We had a shorter travel loop this year, so our hiking list is shorter. But our kayaking list is longer, as we made our way through Minnesota--the land of 10,000 lakes. The length of these two lists might also be related to the fact that Denisa's sprained ankle kept us off the trails for a while. But a swollen and bruised ankle can rest quite nicely propped up on the side of our inflatable kayak. We also found that many of the midwestern states we visited this year have some great bike trails. So it is a nice trip down memory lane as we list some of our favorites for 2018. We would definitely recommend each one of these experiences to fellow travelers. Be sure to read to the end because one of our favorite list of favorites is the last one--our Favorite Experiences.

FAVORITE KAYAKING



Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore - Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Boundary Waters - Hegman Lake - Ely, Minnesota
Boundary Waters - Numbered Lakes - Ely, Minnesota
Ash River Falls - Voyageurs National Park - Minnesota
Ozawindib Lake - Itasca State Park - Minnesota
Spring River - Twin Bridges State Park - Grove, Oklahoma
Steinhagen Lake - Martin Dies Jr. State Park - Jasper, Texas
Cypress Trails - Caddo Lake State Park - Uncertain, Texas
Lake Kabetogama - Voyageurs National Park - Minnesota





FAVORITE HIKES



Chapel Rock Trail - Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore - Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Horse Thief Springs Trail - Cedar Lake, Oklahoma
Cascade Rivers State Park - Lake Superior's North Shore - Minnesota
Temperance River State Park - Lake Superior's North Shore - Minnesota
Baldy Dune - C.S. Mott Nature Preserve - Bear Lake, Michigan

FAVORITE BIKING




Katy Trail - New Franklin to Rocheport, Missouri
Tow Path on the Erie Canal - Delphi, Indiana
Pumpkinvine Trail thru Amish Country - Shipshewana, Indiana
Lake Bemidji State Park - Bemidji, Minnesota
Martin Dies Jr. State Park trails - Jasper, Texas
Mackinac Island, Michigan





FAVORITE FESTIVALS



Art Prize - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Apple Festival - Niles, Michigan
University of Missouri Homecoming - Columbia, Missouri
Hill Climb - Newport, Indiana
Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators - Shreveport, Louisiana
Petoskey Bay Festival - Petoskey, Michigan




FAVORITE EXPERIENCES



Hunting for Petoskey Stones - Lake Michigan's Eastern Shores
Amish Bakeries and Farms - Northern Indiana
Picking Blueberries around the lakes of Northern Minnesota
Eating fresh-caught walleye fish that our neighbors caught on Lake Kabetogama, Minnesota
Listening to the Call of the Loon - Minnesota's State Bird
Attending the College National Baseball Championship Game - Omaha, Nebraska
Watching the big cargo ships dock on the Great Lakes
Finding all the Covered Bridges in Parke County, Indiana
Watching the Whopping Cranes near Rockport, Texas
Boat Ride with new Friends around the Apostle Islands, Bayfield, Wisconsin
Being at the Hospital when our first Granddaughter was Born in Kansas City, Missouri
Enjoying the beautiful outdoor Wedding of our Youngest Son and his Bride in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma




2018 was a great year of traveling, and we were proud to welcome two new members into our little family. We have wandered God's wonders in new and special ways this past year!