When the canoes and kayaks of Grand River Expedition 2010 pull in to Grand Haven next week, there will be a face familiar to long-time residents. Gloria Miller, now of Wacousta, spent several years in the 1960s teaching Chemistry, Health, and Physical Education at Grand Haven High School. She then moved to Lansing where she [...]

Our fourth day on the water brought new faces – day paddlers enjoying the Sunday with those of us completing the entire Expedition. This weekend we’ve also been visited by friends and family members of people on the Expedition. Thanks to the people coming down to the water to see us. If you’re not able [...]

One of the Expedition participants told an interesting story about a college football camp orientation. The parents of the players were told to expect a call from their sons on the third day asking their parents to pick them up. Their parents were advised to tell them “I can’t come tonight, maybe tomorrow”, the idea [...]

Today we moved from the Upper Grand and its narrow, winding, channel, to the wider and straighter Middle Grand. With the sunshine and great food, Grand River Expedition was fantastic today. If you haven’t considered doing it, take a serious look at your schedule and set aside a day to join us. The Grand River [...]

The first day in the water offered everything you could imagine, and then some. After putting in the water at 8:00 in Michigan Center, we went through many miles of a Grand River very different than those of us in the Lower Grand Watershed are used to seeing. Narrow channels and shallow, clear water at [...]

Tonight as we sit around the park in Michigan Center there is an obvious eagerness to get on the water. In the meantime we’re all focused on getting the tent up, getting organized, figuring out logistics (where do I get water and where is the bathroom?). The Upper Grand organizers pulled out all the stops [...]

Grand River Expedition 2010 kicked off Wednesday in Liberty, located in Jackson County, the headwaters of the Grand River. Jim Spink, Liberty Township Supervisor, welcomed more than 80 people who braved the 90 degree weather to attend to the ceremony celebrating the third Expedition down the Grand. The ceremony included presentation of a history of [...]

The greatest legacy you can leave is positive social change that continues beyond your involvement. This is exemplified by the Grand River Expedition – Verlen Kruger’s legacy to the people of the Grand River Watershed. Verlen began life as a sharecropper’s son in 1922, and went on to serve as a tank driver, an Army [...]

When you prepare for a 225 mile canoe trip, there’s a lot of stuff to pack. But for Erich Ditschman of East Lansing there’s one essential piece of equipment – his dialysis machine. Ditschman is participating in Grand River Expedition 2010, the July 14-26 event to draw attention to the river, even though it means [...]