Whether you’re on a Northern Michigan vacation or a local, August brings the last bit of warm summer days and an opportunity to pack in as many activities as possible. From Traverse City to Harbor Springs, soak up the rest of the Northern Michigan summer with some family fun activity ideas from Molly Ames Baker. Find the original article in the August 2015 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine.

Make your walk in Northern Michigan more fun, interesting and comfortable with these ideas from experienced outdoor educator Molly Ames Baker, of Harbor Springs, Michigan.

Sometimes leaving the Great Lakes State instills a greater appreciation for all the wonderful things that Northern Michigan offers, one of the biggest being the abundance of freshwater. Molly Ames Baker writes about her trip to the desert and how it provided some fresh perspective for her. Find the original essay in the May 2015 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine.

“Ok everybody, close your eyes. Now, on the count of three, point to north.”

Within seconds, there’s a tangled mass of arms, fingers pointing in most every direction. A resounding “Hah!” comes from this group of middle-school students, quickly followed by a collective “Huh?” It’s mid-April, and we’re standing atop Mt. Baldy, a forested backdune in Petoskey State Park, catching an early-spring vista of Little Traverse Bay.

In this essay Molly Ames Baker reflects on the “everyday awesomeness” of living in Northern Michigan. The original piece was featured in the March 2015 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine… I resist the notion that adventure need be tied to peak-bagging or the “sketch factor.”