Points North: Discover Hidden Campgrounds, Natural Wonders, and Waterways of the Upper Peninsula
by Mikel B. Classen

Review by Tom Powers, Michigan in Books

Points North by MIkel B. Classen

Yes, yet another travel guide to the Upper Peninsula, and if you’re tempted to dismiss it and say enough already, you would be wrong. This is both a travel guide to 40 uniquely beautiful and scenic wonders or historically significant destinations north of Big Mac and it also doubles as a tribute to the indisputable beauty, splendor, and unique history of the U.P.

Unlike a typical travel guide, a two- to four-page essay is devoted to each site. The author’s love for the U.P. is obvious on every page. Whether a museum, a state park, or a 17,000-acre wilderness area Classen’s descriptions are vibrant, enticing, and thorough. Color photographs, most of which were taken by the author, complement the essays.

The book contains almost as many surprises as the “Secret Upper Peninsula.” The author credits the Au Train River as the best kayaking river in the U.P. In an essay on a state forest campground located on Lake Michigan near Naubinway he not only fully describes the little-used campground and the beautiful beach but also mentions that just offshore is the Lake Michigan Water Trail which I Googled because I had never heard of it. It seems the trail is still under development in the four states surrounding Lake Michigan and when completed it will be the longest freshwater water trail in the world.

I was particularly taken with the book’s scenic descriptions, history, and activities to be found at the 17,000-acre McCormick Wilderness Tract, the three square miles of the little-used Donnelley Wilderness Tract located in the foothills of the Huron Mtns, and the Grand Canyon of the U.P. the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness. It is another book that belongs in the car of any Troll (those of us living below the Mackinac Bridge) vacationing in the U.P. Better yet the book should be read by anyone planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula. It is sure to influence their itinerary.

Even if you are never going to the U.P. it is still well worth reading just to gain an appreciation of what this great state and the Upper Peninsula have to offer its citizens in the way of outdoor adventures and unique natural wonders. This sparkling collection of essays makes for great reading. There is no arguing with the author’s claim that the essays and the research that went into them were a”labor of love.”

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Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors [HC]

Name: Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors [HC]
Brand: Modern History Press
SKU: 978-1-61599-765-7
Price: 33.95 USD
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Messages from My Ancestors

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UPC: 978-1-61599-765-7

Brand: Modern History Press

Binding: Hardcover

Audiobook: Audible, iTunes

Edition: 1st

Author: Diana Raab

Pages: 174

Publication Date: 01/15/2024

PRE-ORDER ONLY -- ORDERS PLACED TODAY WILL BE SHIPPED 01/15/2024

Hummingbird is a spiritual memoir about the connection between three generations of women—the author, her mother and maternal grandmother, who was her primary caretaker until she took her life when the author was ten. Her wisdoms taught the author how to exist in the world. For more than five decades she carried these wisdoms with her as an author, nurse, research psychologist, teacher, cancer survivor, mother and grandmother. Her grandmother taught her how to follow her intuition and listen to her heart. The book also creates a bridge between her grandmother as a cholera pandemic survivor and the author’s experience with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Raab has a photo of her grandmother on her desk. When she stares into her eyes, she’s given clear messages. The deepest connection with her grandmother materialized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her magic emerged via hummingbird visitations outside her writing studio. Woven into the narrative of their relationship is Raab’s journey and life challenges: being raised by a narcissistic mother, loss of loved ones, meeting her soulmate, raising three becoming a grandmother, and passing on her legacy. She illustrates how her grandmother’s spirit gave her comfort and strength.

Diana Raab's new memoir explores the depths of love and loss across three generations of women. The book includes six decades of stories and universal truths garnered in the three generations of women. It also includes elements of female relationships, the power of empathy, tapping into deeper knowing, as well as nurturing emotional wellness, fostering gratitude, interconnectedness, and the importance of storytelling.Hummingbird touches on how we can continue to connect with our ancestors. The book’s themes are blended into the magic of the circle of life, as Raab makes peace with the hummingbird which represents the traumas, wisdoms, love and survival of three generations of women.

Learn more at www.DianaRaab.com

From Modern History Press

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