Outdoor & Sporting
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The History of the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener
Half a million people on the water before noon. Boats launched in the dark. Coffee in thermoses, walleyes on stringers, and a sitting governor somewhere in the mix, rod in hand, cameras rolling.
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Stewarding the Great Lakes: Five Ways You Can Make an Impact This Earth Day
As the largest freshwater system on Earth, and holding 20% of the world’s freshwater, the Great Lakes are a spectacle to behold and a resource to protect for generations to come (Michigan Sea Grant, n.d.). Over the years, there have been several threats to the well-being of our Great Lakes. Recent threats include waves of…
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Exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
What makes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) unlike anything else is its continuity. Today’s paddlers cross the same lakes, follow the same portage trails, and camp on the same granite ledges that Anishinaabe travelers, voyageur fur traders, and conservation pioneers like Sigurd Olson used for centuries. This tradition is simultaneously recreational, spiritual, and…
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The Tradition of Great Lakes Surfing
If you’ve ever stood on the shore of Lake Michigan on a gray November morning and watched six-foot waves roll in off the water, you already know the Great Lakes are capable of something most people don’t expect. What you might not know is that there’s a community of surfers who have been showing up…
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A Guide to Dark Parks and Stargazing Spots in the Great Lakes
There’s no denying that the Great Lakes region boasts some of the best Dark Parks in the United States. From watching northern lights wisp across the sky to counting hundreds of shooting stars during a meteor shower, dark parks in the Great Lakes region allow us to have a front row seat to nature’s celestial…
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The Spring Bounty: Foraging and Fishing on the Great Lakes
For the local outdoor enthusiast, Great Lakes spring foraging and fishing represent the true start of the year. Spring isn’t just about warmer weather; it’s about the harvest that comes with the great thaw. It’s the smell of pine and rain, the thrill of finding the first morel, and the late-night vigil for the smelt…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Clay Shooting
Long before it became a weekend sport, clay shooting grew out of field tradition as a humane, simulated alternative to live pigeon shooting.
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Where to Take Sailing Classes on the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes were built by working sailors, fishermen, and families who learned the wind because they had to. Today, that tradition lives on in harbors and inland lakes across the Midwest. Here’s where to begin your own sailing journey this summer.
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Ice Sailing: A Cherished Winter Pastime in the Great Lakes
Ice sailing is a deeply cherished winter sport that has been passed down through generations in the Great Lakes region and is as entertaining to watch as it is to participate in.
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Top Five Hikes to Take Around the Great Lakes This Summer
The long winter nights often turn our thoughts toward the sun-drenched summers. We dream of the feeling of warm sand beneath our feet and the sharp, clean scent of a lake breeze. Summer in the Great Lakes isn’t just a season; it is a slower way of being. It is an invitation to breathe with…