‘Northeast Minnesota’ book tour kicks off Saturday in Stillwater

I’ll be signing my latest book, Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota, at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, Minn., on Saturday, May 16.

The indispensable guide to anyone who owns or rents a cabin on the North Shore, in the Arrowhead, and along the St. Croix River, Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota describes more than 200 trails in Chisago, Pine, Carlton, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties. Within a week of being released, it hit No. 1 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list for Travel>Midwest ebooks and No. 4 on Amazon.com’s Travel>Midwest bestseller list for paperbacks. Amazon.com also named it a No. 1 Hot New Release in Midwest>U.S. Travel Guides.

The Valley Bookseller stop marks the first stop in my summer promotion tour for Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota. I’ll be there from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Copies of the book can be purchased in advance of or during the event.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Great books to get kids exciting about hiking (and even camping!)

Get kids interested in hiking by having them read
about it. Photo courtesy of adwriter/Photoree.

To get children excited about going on a day hike, you may want to consider reading them a book about nature and hiking.

There are a number of good books to choose from; here are a few I recommend:
g “My First Hike,” by Catherine Maria Woolf – This board book is great for toddlers. It tells the story of a child reluctant to hike with grandpa but after going discovers it’s a lot of fun.
g “Molly Goes Hiking” by Radlauer – Another good book for toddlers and preschoolers, in which the little girl Molly leaves her comfort zone of the house for a great hiking adventure by way of her backyard.
g “Kids Go Wild,” by Sarah Burke – A brother and sister practice “Leave no trace” on their wilderness camping adventure in the Canadian Rockies. Good for preschoolers through early elementary age kids.
g “Buck Wilder’s Small Twig Hiking & Camping Guide: A Complete Introduction to the World of Hiking & Camping for Small Twigs of All Ages” by Tim Smith and Mark Herrick – For preschoolers through grade 3, with colorful pictures this book is a basic introduction to these outdoor activities.
g “Let’s Go Hiking: Boys’ Life Series” by DK Publishing – Though aimed at boys, this book for elementary age children will inspire your kids to hit the trail by taking readers to waterfalls, mountaintops, swimming holes and more.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

'Hikes' makes Blue Ridge Foothills & Lakes

Hikes with Tykes made a list of seven favorite hiking and nature books on the blog for the Blue Ridge Foothills and Lakes Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist on Tuesday. The chapter consists of volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping Virginia conserve and manage its natural resources.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.