With a four-square foundation symbolized by four downtown statues and an abundance of art, Charlotte, the Queen City of North Carolina, also teems with spectator sports.

By Irwin Speizer
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Early in the morning before sunrise, the last stars shine on the blue-black back of Lake Superior. To paddle on such a morning among the Apostle Islands is to kayak among the constellations. By Jeff Rennicke

From June through early October, these 21 islands sprinkled like stars off Wisconsin’s north coast (a 90-minute to two-hour drive from Duluth, Minn., are rainbowed with colorful kayaks. Sandy beaches, black bears and bald eagles, and the lee shores of wild islands, make this one of the best freshwater sea-kayaking destinations in the country. Paddling the islands can be a connect-the-dots affair. A good nautical chart is a must. You can find one online at the Office of Coast Survey site. GPS and compass skills are helpful.

The most popular paddle is a day trip to the Mawikwe Sea Caves, a mile-long maze of burnt orange cliffs carved by the waves, with some caves as big as cathedrals, others as small as a kayak.

Farther out, lighthouses—the largest collection in any national park—and wilderness beckon. Trips to the outer islands are overnight ventures, ranging from a half-day to two weeks—14 days is the camping limit set by the National Park Service (NPS).

 At Raspberry Island you can step back in time as you tour the island’s lighthouse with a National Park Service ranger . Tour the historic Manitou Island fish camp, or walk the silent hallways of old brownstone quarries.

Outer Island, Devil’s Island and some of the more distant destinations sport big waves, wild shores and a designation as national wilderness areas. Still, there are trips suitable for any skill level. Paddling alone beyond the inner islands is best done by moderately experienced paddlers. Those with less skill can go safely with a guide.

Local adventure companies such as Living Adventure offer equipment rental packages with everything you need, including kayaks, life jackets, paddles and paddling instruction. Rental packages start at $32 for eight hours, depending on the type and size of the boat.

Guided trips range from half-day excursions starting at $59 per person to overnight adventures starting at $294.

Campers on the islands will find varying accommodations, from the developed sites of Stockton Island, complete with picnic tables and fire pits with grills to primitive back-country sites (camping permits and a fee required; contact the NPS). But from any camp among the Apostle Islands, paddlers can slip their boats into the early morning waters, silently push off and, with barely a ripple, find themselves paddling among the stars.

Kayaker and photographer Jeff Rennicke is the author of Jewels on the Water: Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands. www.jeffrennicke.com

Golftown USA is the city’s self-proclaimed moniker, and with more than 120 public and semiprivate courses arranged end to end over the 60-mile strip called the Grand Strand, the name certainly fits.  By Larry Olmsted
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Michigan’s Fruit Basket

Open your senses to the pastoral charm of southwest Michigan.

Sight Delight in the vision of the late 19th-century covered bridges that dot the roads near Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.

Sound Dance along with Grand Haven’s Musical Fountain as it performs its nightly water, light and music shows.

Taste Sip wine along the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail.

Touch Sift the sand at Warren Dunes State Park, while hang gliders take off overhead.

Smell Inhale the aroma of blueberries, fresh-picked or in scented soaps, candles and other products, throughout South Haven.

Road Rules

Residents of a foreign country, that signed the 1949 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic who are temporarily in the United States, may drive in Michigan with a valid International Driving Permit and home country license. The vehicle’s registration and proof of insurance or rental agreement must be in the car at all times.

BlogHer ’10: Life Well Said starts on Thusrday night, and I’ll be departing the hot and humid Midwest on Thursday for New York City… bright lights, big city… more heat and more humidity!   I can’t wait to meet all the bloggin’ mamas that I’ve become friends with this year… and of course, learn more about how to make www.talkofthecountry.com the very best it can be.  Follow me on twitter (@CountryInns) to see what I’m up to – especially if you’d like to connect. 
The sessions should be fascinating … covering topics ranging from basic HTML and online security, to how to blog for brand-building purposes, to the “Change Agents” sessions with all these wonderful mommybloggers.   And of course, the keynote speakers will be outstanding!

For those of you watching from home, you can follow @BlogherAtHome to feel like you’re in on the action. 

I’m off to the City that Never Sleeps… but after each day of hoofing it around New York City, mingling, mixing and networking, I’m sure to rest easy at night!

I love this Country.
~Emily

When professional golfers need new clubs, they don’t go to the corner store. They get their clubs custom made at places such as TaylorMade Performance Labs, where they can wear sensors all over their bodies as a giant computerized simulator precisely measures every aspect of their swing. So can you.  By Larry Olmsted
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