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hello stranger midwest adventure

  • 19 Things to Do in the San Juan Islands (by a kayak guide!)

    May 1, 2025

    Looking for the best things to do in the San Juan Islands? Here is a complete guide on what to do in Washington’s San Juan Islands

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  • image of wilderness systems pungo at sunset in Big Island Lakes Wilderness

    Ultimate Kayaking Packing List (by a Kayak Guide!)

    April 2, 2024

    Planning a kayaking trip? For what to pack for kayaking, how to pack, and more, read this article!

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  • Best Places to Kayak near Seattle (by a Kayak Guide!)

    February 24, 2024

    Looking for the best places to sea kayak near Seattle? Here are all the best places to have an overnight sea kayaking adventure near Seattle!

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  • How to Sea Kayak the Gulf Islands, British Columbia

    February 23, 2024

    Read this article for how to kayak Gulf Islands, BC! Campsites, beaches, sunsest spots, and more!

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  • kayaker explores the sea caves of sand island in the apostle islands national lakeshore, a four hour drive from Minneapolis

    15 Helpful Hacks for Kayak Camping (by a Kayak Guide!)

    October 15, 2023

    tips for beginner kayak camping including how to pack a kayak, the best kayak camping gear, planning overnight kayak trips, and more!

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  • Sea Kayakers on the Pacific Ocean in the San Juan Islands

    9 Best Kayaking Spots in the San Juan Islands

    August 1, 2022

    The best kayaking in the San Juan Islands to see orcas, camp, and for adventure!

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maddymarq

guide & writer exploring the midwestšŸ•
šŸ“Wisconsin Northwoods
inquiries: hello@madelinemarquardt.com
ā†“ FREE exploring the Midwest eBooks ā†“
A Superior Dream Team šŸ’™ā¬‡ļø Two Lake Superio A Superior Dream Team šŸ’™ā¬‡ļø Two Lake Superior lovinā€™ accounts. One shared obsession with the north. And a giveaway bundle built for the dreamers, road trippers, sunrise seekers, and wave watchers. @freshcoastcabins and @maddymarq have teamed up to celebrate the wild beauty of the Keweenawā€”and the community that keeps coming back for more. Whether youā€™re camping, cabin-ing, paddling, or just planning your next Great Lakes escape, this oneā€™s for you. One lucky winner will receive: šŸŒ€ A Rumpl Lake Superior blanket šŸ§¢ A Fresh Coast Cabins beanie šŸ“– A copy of Keweenawland ā€“ a stunning photo book from Michiganā€™s Copper Country šŸ§¤ A pair of handmade Nordic mittens crafted by Maddy herself To enter, head to @maddymarq ā€˜s link in bio and hit ā€œENTER GIVEAWAYā€ get ready to pack your bags (or at least your daydreams)šŸŒŠ
Lake Superior summer camera rollšŸŽžļø Things Iā€™ve been up to lately: lots of writing, lots of reading the news for too long then logging off for several days, lots of trying to only read print magazines and articles only, lots of pink drinks and long walks and podcasts, lots of half finished projects, lots of sea kayaking but also not that much, lots of feeling overwhelmed and too busy but simultaneously not knowing what to do with any free time. Lots of little beautiful things and time either outside the whole day or struggling to get outside at all. Photos edited with my new ā€œoutdoor studiesā€ presets! Now live and half off this week only :) šŸ”—in my profile! šŸ“Traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe Nation
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. Itā€™s really important to paddle a sea kayak, or a boat with bulkheads or sealed pockets of air in the front and backā€” this way if you capsize your boat wonā€™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 isnā€™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 ā€™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 outšŸ¤£ 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 Hereā€™s what AD/ solo trip with @visit_keweenaw Hereā€™s what Iā€™ve been up toā€¦ 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 didnā€™t make it that far, but my favorites were from Jenā€™s Kitchen in Calumet, Mohawk Superette in Mohawk and Kruppā€™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
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Ā© 2025 Madeline Marquardt