National Parks; A Bargain at Any Price

Posted on August 9th, 2018

The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass Last year when the National Park Service raised the price of the senior citizen lifetime pass from $10 to $80 we’re assuming there must have been a loud outcry. Jim DuFresne, the main contributor to MichiganTrailMaps.com, missed bei… read more

Odd Bird on a Kirtlands Warbler Tour

Posted on April 12th, 2018

Kirtlands Warbler This week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will begin the procedure to potentially remove the Kirtland’s warbler from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. The proposed delisting now enters a 90-day public comment period and a final decision i… read more

Oh, To Be A Guide In Alaska

Posted on February 2nd, 2018

We noticed the following help wanted ad in our email box recently. So did Jim DuFresne and it made him reminisce about the two years he worked for a guiding company in Southeast Alaska. Was it his dream job? Read on. Later this month DuFresne will be giving his new presentation, A Place Called the Porkie… read more

County Road 371: One Short & Adventurous Drive

Posted on September 17th, 2016

In the latest Trail Talk blog from MichiganTrailMaps.com, Jim DuFresne writes about the most amazing road he has ever followed in Colorado. Country Road 371 offers spectacular scenery, lots of outdoor adventure and places to camp. Even more amazing, CR 371 is only 10 miles long. Jim no more flew bac… read more

Waterford Crystal glassware, the finest crystal in the world.

Debt Repaid: Touring the House of Waterford Crystal

Posted on September 21st, 2015

Jim DuFresne just returned from a trip to Ireland and wrote this Trail Talk blog about touring the House of Waterford Crystal. What the …!!! Has the main blogger for MichiganTrailMaps.com, an avid fly fisherman, hiker and camper, gone soft on us? You read the blog and decide. By Jim DuFresne During… read more

Kids, Rain & Lakeshore Trail; What Could Be Better?

Posted on June 2nd, 2015

Ken Jacobsen is a nature photographer and a father. When he took his kids for a backpacking trip on the Lakeshore Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and it was raining he thought he had a disaster on his hands. Hardly. In this Trail Talk blog he tell us why it was one of their best outings ever. You… read more

Fat tire bikers following a trail in winter.

Fat Bikers & Skinny Skiers: A Trail Conflict

Posted on May 6th, 2014

Trail conflicts are nothing new and they are not going away. Jim DuFresne looks into the latest; fat tire bikers and cross-country skiers, in this Trail Talk blog entry. Don’t forget, our newest map is now out and available from our e-shop. The 11 by 17-inch, two-sided map covers the Lakeshore T… read more

Living on the Edge of the Grand Canyon

Posted on April 4th, 2014

The Lakeshore Trail map. In this Trail Talk blog entry Jim DuFresne writes about one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, and seeing it with somebody with a fear of steep drop-offs. Another spectacular area with some steep drop-offs is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the… read more

H58 – The Adventurous Road To Pictured Rocks

Posted on October 4th, 2013

Editor’s Note: Finally we’re starting to get back to what we do best; cover trails and parks in Michigan. The re-launch of MichiganTrailMaps.com has been a time-consuming experience and we still haven’t worked out all the bugs. But please check out the new site and let us know what you thi… read more

A Trusted Friend: My Dana Backpack

Posted on January 30th, 2013

Editor’s Note: In the latest Trail Talk, Jim DuFresne writes about the Dana Design backpack he used for 25 years. The final adventure with it was while researching our new map of North Manitou Island last summer. The map is now out and available from our e-shop. The large format map measures 11 b… read more

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