A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach

One Woman's Trek of the Perimeter of Lake Michigan

By: Loreen Niewenhuis

Narrated by: Loreen Niewenhuis

In 2009, Loreen Niewenhuis walked completely around Lake Michigan. This audiobook chronicles that journey, a 1,000-mile walk around the world's fifth-largest lake. The audiobook explores both the geology of the lake and the measure of a person - a woman, married, mother of two sons (who joined her for portions of the walk). But most of the walk was done solo, an adventure in discovery of self and place.

Niewenhuis conveys a sense of the magnitude of the lake she loves, a place so elemental to the four Midwestern states that form its shores. From a ground-level perspective, the audiobook explores the natural and human history of Lake Michigan…and raises important questions about preserving our wild places and protecting fragile ecosystems on which we all depend.

©2011 Loreen Niewenhuis (P)2014 Loreen Niewenhuis

That's my Lake

If you could sum up A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Informative, Interesting

Which scene was your favorite?

When she walked by our fruit farm near the pumped storage plant south of Ludington

Any additional comments?

This is my favorite of all the books I have listened to. Every Michigander should listen to this book, along with everyone else who lives around the Lake.

Not edgy, but enjoyable

As someone who has spent a lot of time around the Great Lakes, I found Loreen Niewenhuis's trek interesting. She was strongest when she spoke about ecology and environmental issues. I say this not to raise the flag for this important cause, but as someone who has always been curious about what I was seeing out there. This book filled in some blanks for me. All in all, this book has a pleasant, friendly tone, especially since it's read by the author. And while this was a hearty trek, it's not fraught with the kind of peril encountered on the Appalachian Trail. So, not a lot of drama.

For my tastes, there could have been more description of the many moods of the lakes, and of the scenery. Sometimes I wasn't even sure how close she was to the lake. But I'm glad she did it, and it's a little crazy that we don't have more of a hiking path for people who want to do the same.

A beach book with substance

What made the experience of listening to A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach the most enjoyable?

I loved how the author would divert from the retelling of the journey to give facts about the history of each area, environmental concerns, and other information. It was done masterfully so as to not take away from the flow of the book. The narration was also wonderfully done.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved hearing about the history and the places. I also liked hearing about the current concerns due to industry's footprint in the area.

What about Loreen Niewenhuis’s performance did you like?

Her voice is soothing, and holds your interest. So much so that my four-year-old son insists on listening to the "lake book" at bedtime. It is hard to find a narrator that I enjoy and Loreen did a wonderful job narrating her own book. The only disappointment I have is that the rest of her Great Lakes treks are not available on Audible yet.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

1000 Miles

Any additional comments?

Read this book! I enjoyed it, and was impressed so much by Loreen's knowledge about environmental concerns and history in each area that I find myself hoping to steal away to one of her lectures next time we are visiting family in Michigan!

Love! Love! Love!

I needed a Michigan book for my ladies book group and decided on this one. So glad I did! I live in Michigan and learned so much from this. I loved that the author narrated. It was like having lunch with a friend. Definitely recommend.

Great boik!

Great book! The author's dry sense of humor added a lot to listening to it. i am riding around the Lakes on my bike and visited many of the towns that she went through.

It is a really good book

I grew up on Lake Michigan. I'm fifty eight, but I feel like I'm 12 again, walking the lake.

Impulse purchase that paid off

I liked the book quite a lot as a travel narrative, and the author does a good job narrating her own work. My issue was that I found her a bit of a downer regarding the ecological problems of the lake, which are well known, and being addressed; still, I'd definitely recommend the book to those who feel the topic might be of interest.

A relaxing, yet informative listen!

if you enjoy listening to middle-aged baby boomer family, and have some sort of connection or desire to learn about the most frequented Great Lake, this is a great novel to listen to in passing. It's even better when you are driving back along the Lakeshore!

I enjoyed it, but I won't recommend it

I'm a big fan of Bill Bryson, and especially his book A Walk in the Woods. This book has a great idea, to walk around Lake Michigan, 1,000 miles total. The writer/narrator does a few things well, giving us a light amount of lake science and city history. But where did she stay? What did she eat? Where she really falls short is her lack of ability to connect with the reader through humor. The book is dry, and is both written and read like a long mid level college poem. On the flip side, it is an epic trip, and as a Michigan and Chicago native I enjoyed listening to her pass cities and landmarks that I know. If you are from the Lake Michigan area, and you enjoyed A Walk in the Woods and think you would still like it minus humor, then give it a read. It's not bad.

Could get past the narration.

I thought this would be an interesting listen since I'm born and raised in Michigan but I simply could not get past the author/narrator's delivery. Her hyper careful enunciation and slow pace brought to mind a cross between a third grade reading to her class and Siri giving me wrong information. I left the book just south of Ludington. Perhaps I'll listen to more later but I need a break for now.