Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Canoe & Kayak Awards - Spirit of Adventure Nomination

We are ecstatic to announce that we have recently been nominated for a Canoe & Kayak Award! We were interviewed for Canoe & Kayak Magazine a few months back and our story must have hit it off with many of their readers.

This year's Canoe & Kayak Awards will present awards for seven categories: Male and Female Paddler of the Year, Filmmaking Achievement, Paddle With Purpose, the Spirit of Adventure Award and Expedition of the Year, plus the Photo of the Year. The category we are nominated in is the "Spirit of Adventure." This award will be given to the person or group who best embodies the spirit of adventure in paddling. The other nominees are insanely impressive! It is a huge honor to just be recognized with such an amazing group of athletes and adventurers.

Be sure to head over to their website before June 30th to cast your VOTE!  Thanks for all of the support!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Storytelling Evening at the Memorial Opera House!

Hi everyone!
We hope that you are able to come join us for an evening of fun this Saturday, June 8th at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. We will be giving our presentation of entertaining stories, photos, and video at 6pm. Following the talk we will walk next door to the Porter County Museum of History where you can hang out with Makeba and enjoy some wine, cheese, and chit chatting :) If you haven't heard us present about our trip in person yet, you are in for a treat. Here is the event invite - I hope that you are able to join us! Contact us or the Porter County Museum of History for advance tickets.


Modern-Day Adventurers Present Lake Michigan in a Dugout on June 8

When Mary Catterlin started hand-carving a 2600 lb cottonwood tree into a dugout canoe, Amy Lukas knew they were in for an adventure. “The sailing was rarely easy and the paddling was even worse, but every moment of this adventure was worth it,” said Amy Lukas, one of the two determined young women that circumnavigated Lake Michigan in the summer of 2012. The two traveled over 1,200 miles of shoreline in 93 days.

Amy and Mary brought their adventure to the Porter County Museum in the form of Lake Michigan in a Dugout—an exhibit chronicling the depth of their journey. “Mary and Amy accomplished an incredible adventure and continually strive to achieve on their own terms in unconventional ways,” remarked the Museum Director Kevin Matthew Pazour. “These two young women were just as methodical in their planning and implementation as they were conscientious of their limits.”

Aside from numerous artifacts and pictures, the premier piece on display is Makeba, the eleven foot hand-carved dugout canoe. “Our boat was a hybrid of mixed engineering and scrap yard know-how,” shared Mary Catterlin, builder of the boat. Many have weighed in on whether or not the boat should have made it, but in the end she proved her worth when she landed back home three months later. The exhibit concludes on June 15.

The general public is invited to join Amy and Mary in the laughter and daring of their maritime adventure through photographs, video footage, and lively storytelling Saturday, June 8 at 6 o’clock at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana. Afterwards, attendees are encouraged to come meet Makeba at the Porter County Museum next door. Complimentary wine and cheese will be provided by Porter County’s very own Restaurante Don Quijote.

For tickets to this event, contact the Porter County Museum at (219) 465-3595 or email events@pocomuse.org. Seating is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot right away. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Memorial Opera House is located at 102 Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso, Indiana. The Porter County Museum is situated next door at 153 South Franklin Street. Lake Michigan in a Dugout will remain on display until June 15. Public hours at the PoCo Muse are Wednesday through Saturday, 9a-5p. More information about the June 8 presentation is available at pocomuse.org.