A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach around Lake Michigan

Next Friday (March 11, 2011) at 7 PM at Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay, Loreen Niewenhuis will release her book, A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach. The book chronicles her walk around the shoreline of Lake Michigan and her observations along the way. Absolute Michigan caught up with Loreen and asked her a couple of questions.

ABSOLUTE MICHIGAN: What prompted you to do this?

LOREEN NIEWENHUIS: I’ve always felt connected to Lake Michigan.  It has always been the place where I relax, walk, and recenter myself.  When I turned 45, I wanted to take on something large, something that would challenge me on many levels.  So, I pulled out my maps of Lake Michigan and plotted a 1000-mile route around it.

ABSOLUTE MICHIGAN: What was your favorite stretch of Michigan beach?

LOREEN NIEWENHUIS: I fell in love with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Leelanau Peninsula all over again.  The natural beauty is amazing, the towns are very connected to the lake along this stretch, and there are several excellent independent bookstores along the way.

Visit Loreen’s blog for photos from her trip through the Sleeping Bear, read an excerpt from the book over at Absolute Michigan and meet her next Friday at Brilliant Books!