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hello stranger midwest adventure
  • 17 Epic Winter Hikes & Adventures in Michigan

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  • McCargoe Cove on Isle Royale National Park

    Ultimate Guide to Isle Royale National Park (hiking, kayaking, and more!)

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  • image of avalanche mountain in the fall

    17 Best Things to Do in Bellaire, Michigan

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  • Fall Color on a backroad near Traverse City, in Northern Michigan

    7 Beautiful Fall Hiking Ideas in Northern Michigan

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  • A loon on a small quiet lake near Traverse City, Michigan

    7 Beautiful Places to Kayak in Traverse City, MI

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  • Beachscape and sand dunes with crystal clear water at the Dune Climb Hike in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near Traverse City

    11 Best Easy Day Hikes near Traverse City

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  • A yellow kayak on Lake Superior by the red and orange Pictured Rocks Cliffs

    8 Best Hiking Trails & Adventures in the Pictured Rocks

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  • Sweeping views from Empire Bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

    11 Best Hiking Trails in the Sleeping Bear Dunes

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Newer Posts 1 2 3

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🏕
📍Northwoods & Lake Superior
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
↓ FREE trail guides ↓

Car camping 101🚗⛺️ As told by mistakes I made on Car camping 101🚗⛺️As told by mistakes I made on a solo two week road trip around the Midwest 😅
Kayaking the Apostle Islands☀️🌊🛶 Kayaking the Apostle Islands☀️🌊🛶
Desert gold from Utah last spring💌🌵 I spent a lot Desert gold from Utah last spring💌🌵I spent a lot of this week in front of the computer working & vegging on the couch but this time last year @explorenborgen & I were backpacking and bumming around the desert :)
Learn to sea kayak on Superior🎉🌊🛶 Win a scholarsh Learn to sea kayak on Superior🎉🌊🛶Win a scholarship spot at the @freshwater.paddler.symposium (June 25-28) in Cornucopia, Wisconsin.This sponsorship covers your registration + gear rentals and is aimed at beginner padders to help more women access the sport of sea kayaking. Transportation, pre-event workshops, and meals save the group dinner are not included. Anyone who identifies as a woman & uses she/her pronouns is welcome to apply, no previous kayaking experience required.About the symposium: Join fellow paddlers at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for a few days of fun paddling and skill building at the Freshwater Paddlers Sea Kayak Symposium. Open to sea kayakers of all skill levels, come and learn from ACA Certified Instructors, with paddling opportunities from calm bays to rowdy open water, and get involved in the Apostle Islands sea kayaking community. Four ladies will be randomly selected from this form as scholarship winners. If you have already registered for the symposium and win you can use your winning to refund your registration and rental cost, or transfer your scholarship to a friend. Each scholarship covers one individuals registration and rentals only. Free camping is available for the event at the Cornucopia airport; Maddy (hello@madelinemarquardt.com, sponsoring the scholarship) has loaner camping gear available if needed.Application open until April 30th.*Note that the typical solo sea kayak fits women up to about 250 pounds comfortably. If you have questions about boat fit/availability you can contact me (Maddy) directly and I’m happy to help you get a gauge on whether or not you’ll be comfortable and see if I can find a boat that works. Sea kayaking is also generally not a good fit for anyone sporting shoulder injuries. Also note that this is a sea kayak instruction and skill building event, not a guided tour. You’ll be in and out of the water working on rescues, paddling techniques and more, with additional opportunities to paddle throughout the area and explore.
Calling your name♥️ Calling your name♥️
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