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hello stranger midwest adventure

Best Hiking Sandals (For women, by an outdoor guide!)

Looking for the best hiking sandals on the market? Hiking sandals are a great option for hikes with water features, sand, river crossings, or anytime it's hot out. Hiking Sandals…

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27 Things to Do on the North Shore, MN (RANKED!!!)

Looking for the best things to do on the North Shore? For the best hiking on the North Shore, incredible waterfalls, great food, beaches, and more on the North Shore,…

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How to Visit Olympic National Park (Budget Guide!)

Looking for the best things to do in Olympic National Park if you only have a weekend? From trails to beaches to sightseeing, here are the best things to do…

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  • 16 Best Things to do in Grand Marais, Minnesota

    March 3, 2025
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  • 25 Things to do Sleeping Bear Dunes (by an outdoor guide!)

    March 3, 2025
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  • Best Hiking backpacks for women header image

    Best Hiking Backpacks (for women, by an outdoor guide!!)

    March 3, 2025
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  • Ultimate Michigan Bucket List (By an Outdoor Guide!)

    February 17, 2025
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  • Oboz bridger mids, the best womens hiking boots i have used, on the superior hiking trail

    Best Women’s Hiking Boots (by an outdoor guide!)

    February 1, 2025
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  • image of clear waters of the US Virgin Islands National Park

    Midwest Spring Break Ideas (by an outdoor guide!)

    February 1, 2025
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  • Image of a campsite in the porcupine mountains with a cup of coffee in front of a stunning overlook

    Ultimate 7-Day Upper Peninsula Road Trip (budget guide!)

    January 26, 2025
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  • image of a tent on isle royale when kayak camping isle royale in the fall

    How to Choose the Best Tent (by an outdoor guide!)

    January 18, 2025
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  • Top 10 Midwest Road Trip Ideas (By and Outdoor Guide!)

    January 18, 2025
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  • best day hikes in the san juan islands, cattle point lighthouse viewed from Mt Finlayson

    15 Beautiful Day Hikes in the San Juan Islands, WA

    January 12, 2025
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Newer Posts 1 2 3 4 … 12 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!

note: this website uses affiliate links! this means if you choose to make a purchase based on recommendation I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you.

maddymarq

guide & writer exploring the midwestšŸ•
šŸ“Wisconsin Northwoods
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
↓ FREE exploring the Midwest eBooks ↓

Adventure is where you make itšŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø F Adventure is where you make itšŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø

Footage from a trip with @visit_keweenaw !!
Sauna @takkasaunas 
Hiking & paddling guides for this area can be found on my page :)

šŸ“Traditional homelands of the Lake Superior Anishinaabe
AD/ Lake Superior adventure notesā˜€ļøā¤µļø I s AD/ Lake Superior adventure notesā˜€ļøā¤µļø

I strongly recommend booking a guided tour for this route with @keweenawadventure !

Lake Superior is cold, the weather patterns can be difficult to read, and waves often kick up with little warning. It’s really important to paddle a sea kayak, or a boat with bulkheads or sealed pockets of air in the front and back— this way if you capsize your boat won’t sink out from under you and with deep water self rescue skills, or a guide who can help you, you can get back in and paddle to safety. A sea kayak alone isn’t enough! You also need safety gear such as a bilge pump, paddle float, and knowledge of rescues and how to use that safety gear.

Check out @visit_keweenaw ’s Keweenaw Pasty Trail! 12 pasties, an epic route, and all the glory! Tragically I made it to pasty number four before I had to tap out🤣

After any hard day on the water or trail honestly nothing feels better than a sauna! @takkasaunas Superior location is right on the Lake and a perfect sunset spot!

@visit_keweenaw #michigan #adventure
AD/ solo trip with @visit_keweenaw Here’s what AD/ solo trip with @visit_keweenaw

Here’s what I’ve been up to…

1- paddled the gorgeous 12-mile route to Montreal Falls, which cascades directly into Lake Superior! This route has been on my list since my first summer working as a sea kayaking guide back in 2018.Ā 

This is an exposed route on a Great Lake! Deep water self-rescue skills and a kayak with bulkheads is a MUST. Book a guided tour with @keweenawadventure

2- Lots of solo hiking! I love Mt. Baldy, a six-mile route from Eagle Harbor and O Kun-De-Kun Falls! Also recommend the new Cliff View Trail at @mountbohemia and the Berry Picker Trail on Brockway Mountain. Find more trail resources on the @visit_keweenaw website!

3- Last winter I visited @takkasaunas on the Portage Canal, and this week I headed up to their sauna on Lake Superior for a sunset session and WOW!! I got so lucky with the sunset and the feeling of solo swimming in the lake to this!?? Unbeatable

(Thanks to sauna guide Megan for being the coolest ever!!)Ā 

4- Long walks on the beach :)Ā 

The Great Sand Bay in the Keweenaw is one of my favorite places on earth
5- Solo dinner @lake_effect_barandgrill

In 2018 after my first year working as a sea kayak guide I did my first ever solo trip up here to the Keweenaw and had my first ever solo meal in a restaurant at this place. Now, seven years later it felt kind of serendipitous to come back and retrace my steps.Ā 

6- I ate too many pastiesĀ 

My friends at @visit_keweenaw slipped me a brochure for the Keweenaw Pasty Trail and for a brief and shining moment I did consider trying to eat 12 pasties in four days. I didn’t make it that far, but my favorites were from Jen’s Kitchen in Calumet, Mohawk Superette in Mohawk and Krupp’s Mini Mart in Toivola.Ā 

7- Did some shopping in Houghton!Ā 

@down_wind_sports is one of my favorite outdoor shops/used gear spots, and I was actually on a mission to find new trail runners and ended up at @queencityrunningco_hgt ! From here, I grabbed a Great Lakes shipwreck book from @blackicecomics , new yarn from Sew Irresistible, and some @keweenawcoffee !

8- Mocktails at the new @smallcraftco in Houghton!Ā 

#lakesuperior #keweenaw #solofemaletravel
do I smell like neoprene be honest do I smell like neoprene be honest
morning coffee somewhere special šŸ«¶šŸ»ā˜•ļø 1 morning coffee somewhere special šŸ«¶šŸ»ā˜•ļø

1- Lummi Island
2- Bean & Bear Overlook
3- Copeland Islands
4- Stockton Island, guiding overnight trips with @lostcreekadventures 
5- @elycabincollective [hosted]
6- Canyonlands
7- the Porkies
8- Jones Island
9- BWCAW
10- Desolation Sound
11- Wyalusing State Park
12- @escapeinaframe [hosted]
13- Frankfort
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Ā© 2025 Madeline Marquardt