Personal Fitness Training

August.  The month of escape.  The month dedicated to summer vacation.  And, can’t you tell a lot about a person by the type of vacation they take?  I started to notice this as I talked with my clients about how they were planning on spending their time away.  We have Team Body Within members riding bikes all over the state, canoeing down the Au Sable, hiking the Pictured Rocks, and scaling the Rocky Mountains.  All this vacation talk got me thinking about adventure travel and how our fitness can take us to amazing places.

Of course when I think adventure I can hear the National Geographic theme song in my head and I think BIG!  If you really want to go on an adventure National Geographic has several expeditions to fulfill even the wildest imagination.  Some of the choices include exploring the Polar Region where polar bears, walrus and reindeer can be found.  You can kayak in Arctic waters and experience the midnight sun, spouting geysers and massive fjords.  If this sounds too cold for your taste you can trek the Amazon and experience bird watching in the jungle’s canopy.  Another option is to explore volcanoes in New Zealand along with whale watching.  Sounds great, but not all of us have 17 days and 15 grand to spend on summer vacation.

Not to worry.  Using these grand tours as inspiration one can find adventure destinations much closer to home.  I love Michigan for this reason.  There are so many ways to escape and relax.  Of course the biggest adventures I can think of are up north across the bridge.  Although I have not been fortunate enough to experience the Pictured Rocks, everyone who has visited raves about the natural beauty.  The Pictured Rocks offer back packing, biking, day hiking, kayaking and camping.  With descriptions like this, how can you not want to see for yourself?

“Towering above Lake Superior are the most prominent of the lakeshore’s geographic and scientific features…These cliffs reach to a height of 200 feet above the lake and extend more than 12 of the 42 miles of  shoreline with sand dunes perched atop five square miles of high sand bluffs.” Pictured Rocks Website

Another natural offering of the U.P. are the Tahquamenon Falls.  This is a must see during the changing of the leaves in fall.  50,000 gallons of water rush over the lip of the falls every second!  A four-mile hike takes visitors from the upper falls to the lowers falls where rowboats can be rented.  This provides spectacular, close up views of the five smaller falls.  Falls Website

Of course there are so many more reasons to cross the bridge.  One of Body Within’s husband and wife teams recently participating in the Ore to Shore ride.  This is either a 24 or 48-mile bike ride through Marquette County with Lake Superior as the backdrop.

Another husband and wife team rode in the annual Zoo-de-Mack this past spring.  Never heard of it?  Read this…

“The bike ride starts at Boyne Highlands Resort and spans 51 miles along Lake Michigan.  Riders pedal through rolling countryside and trillium covered forests, along sandy beaches, and are surrounded by breathtaking views of Lake Michigan from 400′ high bluffs. The ride stops approximately half way, at a unique place called the Legs Inn for a leisurely lunch. The ride continues on to Mackinaw City for a huge finish line party at The Crossings and where Arnold Ferry boats have been chartered for the ride over to Mackinac Island.”

This couple had such a great time that Body Within is hoping to organize a team for next year’s ride.  And note this is not a race!  It is a ride to enjoy the beauty of our great state.  Let us know if you are interested.

So, this article only gives a few ideas on adventure travel in our state.  Do you have ideas?  Have you taken an amazing vacation you’d like to share?  Please do!  Your comments are welcomed and may serve as the inspiration for us.