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HIKED TO THE HIGHEST POINT IN TENNESSEE Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: October 12, 2026

In our ongoing goal to hike to the highest point in every state, we were able to check off Tennessee. We hiked to the observation point and summit at Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome), the highest point in Tennessee at an elevation of 6,643 feet and the highest point in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. It is also the third-highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi River. The trail from the Kuwohi Visitor Center parking lot is asphalt and you hike about .5 miles to the curving 375-foot ramp that takes you up to the concrete observation tower at the summit. The tower stands 45 feet tall. At 9am it was 48 degrees and foggy with low clouds and you could see nothing from the tower. After hiking several miles on nearby trails, we returned two hours later, and the clouds had lifted and you saw magnificent vista views from the tower.

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HIKED MOSQUITO BEACH TRAIL Alger County, Michigan

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 4, 2026

During our ten-mile kayak trip along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, we beached here for a quick lunch. We hiked almost a mile out and back on a trail peppered with wildflowers and lined with hemlocks and other conifer trees. We didn’t have time to continue and reach the spur trail to Mosquito Falls, a small, picturesque 8-foot-high waterfall cascading over an 8-foot-high rock cliff. We did find some unique, colorful rocks along the beach.

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KAYAKED PICURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE, Munising, Michigan

Kayak Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 4, 2026

This was a fun six-hour Pictured Rocks adventure combining ten miles of kayaking on Lake Superior and four miles of hiking utilizing Uncle Ducky’s Outdoor/Paddling Michigan guides. Rosie and I shared a double kayak, our first opportunity to paddle in a double since Alaska.

We paddled past beautiful rock formations, caves and waterfalls including iconic sites such as Flower Vase, Chapel Cove, Rainbow Cave, Indian Head Rock, the famed Lovers Leap Arch, and others. After about six miles we stopped briefly for lunch at Mosquito Beach.

We continued eastward and the waves picked up a bit for the final several miles. The guide led us on a paddle through an arch and later in and out of a small cave. The beauty of pictured rocks even on this overcast day was outstanding. The rocks along the way looked like they were dripping colors. The striking red, blue, white and green colors painted onto the stone cliffs are from mineral-laden groundwater seeping from the sandstone.

After ten miles paddling overall, we beached our double kayak on the sand dune shores of Chapel Beach and began hiking four miles as the second part of our adventure.

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HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST Manistique, Michigan

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 3 & 4, 2026

This almost 900,000-acre wilderness forest in the Upper UP of Michigan has both an east and west section. The forest is named after the Mohawk Indian Chief. We first encountered the forest as we drove along the shoreline along the south part of it touching Lake Michigan. The combination of lakes, sand dunes and forest was beautiful. We hiked a small part of the North Country Trail through the National Forest near Munising and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. While at a parking lot in the forest, we noticed this (Photo #3) abnormality on our travel trailer window. Rosie things that it was an angel marking.

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NATIONAL ROAD IN MARYLAND Cumberland, Maryland

Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: August 7-12, 2026

America’s first long distance highway, this 620-mile road (also known as US 40) began at Cumberland, Maryland and went westward to Vandalia, Illinois. Toll houses were built along the road. The historical marker marks the location where the road began on Greene Street and Braddock Road. The road was a vision of George Washington to develop the continent and unite the country; his idea was championed by President Thomas Jefferson & authorized in 1806. Construction work began in 1811. 

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HIKED SUMMIT PARK TRAIL Blue Ash, Ohio

Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: August 22, 2026

The former site of a small airpark, this 130-acre park had playground equipment for our grandkids, small zip lines/nature playscape area, green space for concerts, hiking trails, restaurants, water corridor area, fishing pond and an observation tower. We hiked across the park and then climbed 204 steps (153 feet) up to the tower’s Observation Deck giving us an incredible view of the park and area. We hiked about 1.4 miles on the Mulch Trail and Gravel Trail around the west side of the park.

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COPS & DONUTS Gaylord, Michigan

Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 3, 2026

Located attached to Jay’s Sporting Goods, this roadside attraction offers a large variety of donuts, coffee, t-shirts and police related items. One donut, probably a man’s dream donut, was their long john donut wrapped in bacon!

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BIKED OTSEGO STATE PARK BIKE TRAIL Gaylord, Michigan

Biking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 3, 2026

We bicycled from our KOA Campground about a mile to hook up with the Iron Belle Trail which ran north/south on the east side of the state park parallel to State Route 27. We biked about ten miles in total, enjoying the views of the lake, the beautiful cottages, Arbutus Beach and talking to several people vacationing there.

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MAN KILLING CLAM Cheboygan, Michigan

Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 3, 2026

At Seashell City were thousands of souvenirs, books, shells and gifts but the star attraction was the Giant Man Killing Clam. The clam weighs 500 pounds but hasn’t really killed anyone but it has the ability if its jaws close on an unsuspecting diver or swimmer. It was a dangerous place, as ou can see from the funny photos we were attacked by sharks.

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GIANT BOTTLE OF BEER Gaylord, Michigan

Investigation Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: September 3, 2026

Next to Big Buck Brewery is a giant 45-foot tall, long neck beer bottle. This landmark is easily viewed from northbound I-75, but you don’t appreciate its size until you stand beside it.