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hello stranger midwest adventure

12 Incredible Things to do Frankfort, Michigan

Looking for the best things to do in Frankfort, Michigan? Just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Frankfort is an adorable small town on Lake Michigan with great…

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29 Tips to Start a Travel Blog in 2026 (for Content Creators!)

If you're here, you're probably thinking about starting a blog in 2026 . Whether you're thinking of starting a blog to make money, share your travels, or augment your content…

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15 Best Things to do Traverse City, Michigan

Looking for the best things to do in Traverse City, Michigan? Traverse City is a great place to visit for Michiganders looking for beach time, hiking trails, cozy coffee shops…

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  • 12 Incredible Things to do Frankfort, Michigan

    November 11, 2025
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  • Where to watch the sunset in Grand Marais ? Head out to artist point. Image of a photographer watching a beautiful red sunset over Lake Superior with the sawtooth mountains outlined in the background

    29 Tips to Start a Travel Blog in 2026 (for Content Creators!)

    November 6, 2025
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  • image of hiking at Overlook Nine in the Sleeping Bear Dunes

    15 Best Things to do Traverse City, Michigan

    November 6, 2025
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  • image of a car camping travel set up in the late autumn woods. A mug sits on a womans lap, a sleeping bag curled at her side with a book on top.

    19 Exciting Gift Ideas for Travelers (Budget & Luxury!)

    October 17, 2025
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  • image of a hiker in canyonlands national park near needles

    39 Gift Ideas for Hikers (by an outdoor guide!)

    October 17, 2025
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  • image of devil's island lighthouse on Lake Superior

    The Ultimate Guide to Lake Superior (By an outdoor guide!)

    October 2, 2025
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  • Sun peaks into snow-covered woods

    What To Wear Winter Hiking (by an outdoor guide!)

    September 25, 2025
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  • Best Women’s Baselayers (by an outdoor guide!)

    September 18, 2025
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  • Image of a hiker in a puffer jacket standing in front of light snow in the woods

    Best Puffer Jackets for Hiking (by an outdoor guide!)

    September 18, 2025
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  • image of MSR WindBurner in front of kayaks on Oak Island

    9 Best Camping Stoves (by an outdoor guide!)

    September 12, 2025
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1 2 3 … 14 Older Posts

hello stranger // about me

Hi there, and welcome to Hello Stranger. My name is Maddy, and I'm the voice behind the blog. I'm a writer, paddler, photographer, traveller, and freelance editor. I'm committed to exploring the beautiful American Midwest to prove that you can find real adventure anywhere! Toss your email below to keep up with the adventure!

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maddymarq

guide & writer exploring the midwest🏕
📍Wisconsin Northwoods & Lake Superior
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
↓ FREE trail guides ↓

Reasons to love winter up north✨❄️🌅 1- sunrise in Reasons to love winter up north✨❄️🌅1- sunrise in grand Marais2- @sisuandloylysauna 3- cascade falls4- a canyon hike, shot by @rachel_moon__ 5 & 6 - a sunset, a sunrise 7- winter kayaking (everyone pictured in my winter kayaking photos is wearing a drysuit and has deep water self rescue practice including ACA L3 skills assessments at minimum + local knowledge. I do not recommend people kayak on lake superior in the winter.)8- ice 9- knitting— this is one of my patterns! I’m hoping to write it up some info on it this winter for a size s, m, & l! When I do it will be literally just some instructions and color charts in an Instagram post, fully free but not fully fleshed out. You can also find a lot of similar Selbu rose patterns like this that are more detailed online!10- sea smoke 11- snowy picnic12- full moon13- pancake ice14- cross country skiing up in Keweenawland @visit_keweenaw 15- cozy diner 17- icy caves📍Traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe Nation
Winter on Lake Superior is magic❄️✨🌅 Follow @madd Winter on Lake Superior is magic❄️✨🌅Follow @maddymarq for more winter inspo :)📍Traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe Nation
Nature repeating itself?❄️🏜️ Nature repeating itself?❄️🏜️
I… had a terrible time living on the west coast. I… had a terrible time living on the west coast. In my head the Pacific Northwest is this sparkling and magical green place. From the Midwest, I imagined crashing teal waves and snow capped peaks that turn dusty purple in the evening and blaze pink in the morning sun. I imagined thick carpets of moss and blue rivers and that I would sit by the base of waterfalls and journal, mist clinging to my hair and making the pages of my notebook crinkle. I thought I would get up from my spot by the waterfalls and come home, still smelling fresh like forest. I thought it would be all mountains and alpine lakes, and a deep green rainy season and I thought I would go for a morning jog and drink matcha tea and maybe lose ten pounds and get a line drawing tattoo of the mountains and I would journal every night and I would cook lentils or some shit like that for dinner but the Pacific Northwest cannot make me a morning runner.We write about places like romantics. We show tumbling waterfalls and peaks and on our Pinterest boards cobble together an idea of a place that the place itself couldn’t possibly measure up to. I do think there’s something wonderful about choosing to find your life and the places you are magical, but when all the information you’ve consumed about a place is how magical it is, perhaps we do ourselves a disservice. Maybe my disappointment in the Pacific Northwest is that it’s a real place at all, and that I didn’t magically transition into a beautiful new life upon entering. Maybe my frustration is with myself entirely.Morning Runner PNW Maddy who was somehow four inches taller than me and only drank tea and did yoga every morning never came to fruition but I’m starting to figure just me, Midwest Maddy, might be enough.Still, these are some photos from a weekend early winter camping trip on the coast where, just for a second, PNW Maddy felt real.
Five winters on Superior❄️🌊✨ 2- winter kayaking t Five winters on Superior❄️🌊✨2- winter kayaking through an arch (everyone pictured is a local guide & kayak instructor wearing a drysuit. This is NOT a beginner activity and I do not recommend it without training, local knowledge and specialized gear)3- Lake Superior ice garden4- a frozen river canyon5- more winter kayaking (no, we weren’t worried about ice falling on ice. It was slushy and not hard and we were pretty conscious of the conditions)6- winter camping 7- a frozen waterfall cave 8- ice caves9- a -40 morning 10- hiking on Lake Superior, a sea stack11- aliens? Or ice?12- @sisuandloylysauna 13- snowshoeing :)14- the grand Marais lighthouse 15- winter shadows on the wall
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© 2025 Madeline Marquardt