Almost Heaven: Baseball in the 1910s (2023 publication)
December 2055… a baseball-fanatic, 101-year-old man, dies and goes to heaven. Beyond blessed by being reunited with loved ones who have gone before, and meeting the two Guardian Angels who ushered him during his time on earth, he is embraced by The Other Side’s peaceful, gentle, majestic, comforting, loving, and awe-inspiring beauty.
As wonderful as it all is, including seeing Beethoven & Hendrix perform together on stage (John Prine the opening act), to paddle endless winding rivers with a back that never aches, play in baseball games that joyfully run for days yet never tire, it is the opportunity to be sent back to earth by Saint Peter for a decade-long (1911 through 1920) “human experience” that is most intriguing. This human experience provides the opportunity to see, arguably, the greatest baseball player of them all, Ty Cobb, in action - viewed by a Tiger fan born 3 decades after Cobb retired.
“Almost Heaven” takes you back to the 1910s, a decade that began with major league baseball teams constructing the first steel & concrete stadiums to replace their old wooden ballparks, and ends as the dead ball era of Detroit Tigers Ty Cobb & Wahoo Sam Crawford begins its metamorphosis into the live ball era epitomized by home run king Babe Ruth. The dead ball era (through 1919) was an era noted for its scientific / small ball approach, when teams played for one run at a time by out-thinking the foe, bunting, stealing bases, “hittin’ ‘em where they ain’t”, creating a mental hazard for the opposition by doing the unexpected – and Ty Cobb was its leading practitioner.
This novel recounts accurately the games that are written about, including each game’s participants, outcome, key moments, dates played, ballpark features, and the achievements and failures – statistical and otherwise - of the players on both teams (and umpires). The author’s imagination adds a descriptive element to these events.
This is the 11th book by author Doc Fletcher, lifelong Michigan resident & Tiger fan, and recipient of the Michigan Library Association’s 2017 “Michigan Author Award”
The History of Tiger Stadium: A Love Letter to Baseball at Michigan & Trumbull (2019 publication)
After writing 9 books about the joy of canoeing & kayaking rivers, lifelong Michigan resident Doc Fletcher moves to dry land for his latest book: "The History of Tiger Stadium: A Love Letter to Baseball at Michigan & Trumbull", honoring The Cathedral at The Corner where - together with great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, siblings, children, godchildren, & friends - we have cheered our Detroit Tigers. Although the structure is gone, the memories remain...
"It was a night game, the field a shade of green that was the most beautiful color I'd ever seen, the smells, sounds, and sights of the pre-game action delightfully overwhelming... the air filled with the bouquet of hot dogs, spilt beer, roasted peanuts, and a cigar aroma much like that of the House of Windsor stogies preferred by my Dad. Cries of the vendors peddling those items pierced the air.Several Tigers were engaged in a game of pepper along the box seats down the right field foul line, as nearby Bill Freehan tossed a ball back 'n forth with a teammate, entertaining the fans by playfully catching the ball behind his back".
Go Tigers!
Doc was recognized with the 2017 Author Award by the Michigan Library Association AND 2018 marks 10 years since the publication of Doc's first book, Weekend Canoeing in Michigan. In honor of these two events, Arbutus Press has released a "10th Anniversary/ Revised Edition" of Weekend Canoeing in Michigan. The revised edition is based, in part, on river revisits, and features updated information on paddling landmarks, canoe 'n kayak liveries, Detroit Tiger radio affiliates, and taverns (a pub may burn down, but eventually a new one will pop up to replace it).
A total of 20 Michigan paddling adventures are detailed for you in Weekend Canoeing in Michigan. You'll read of river fun found all over our great state, from the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula, including slow meanders down family-friendly rivers to more challenging runs on swift-flowing waters. Only rivers serviced by canoe 'n kayak liveries are included, so that this book can be a guide to all who love paddling Michigan, whether they own their own boat or not.
Rivers featured in "Weekend Canoeing in Michigan":
* Upper Peninsula - Fox, Manistique, Michigamme, Ontonagon, Two Hearted.
* Lower Peninsula - AuSable South Branch, Chippewa, Flat, Huron, Jordan, Little Manistee, Little Muskegon, Muskegon, Pere Marquette,
Pigeon, Pine, Platte, Rifle, Sturgeon, White.
For each river, you're provided information about a suggested day trip including that trip's hours, its "degree of difficulty" (letting you know if this is the appropriate trip for the paddling ability of you & your group), liveries where you can rent your canoe or kayak from (who will also help you with your own equipment), and key landmarks that act as your "clock on the water", letting you know how you're progressing against the trip's total time.
After each chapter opens with a river day trip outline, you'll next read about histories of nearby towns along with their Detroit Tiger radio affiliate so you can find the Boys of Summer wherever you float, and then the chapter concludes by directing you to a local old-time tavern, a place where you can relax & relive the day's trip over a great bar burger & a cold one.
Signed copies of Weekend Canoeing In Michigan - 10th Anniversary Edition may be ordered by mailing a (per copy) $20 check or money order that covers the cost of the book, postage & shipper. The money order should be made out to Jeff Fletcher, a close, personal associate. Include your address and a note telling who you would like the book(s) inscribed to. Mail the money order to Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167.
His books may be purchased at bookstores across Michigan and in limited cities outside of Michigan that are located around the Great Lakes, as well as through Amazon and other dotcoms.
To order this book for resale at your bookstore, canoe livery, or other retail outlet, please contact Susan Bays at editor@arbutuspress.com or call her at (231) 946-7240.
Reviews
A Liver Runs Through It: The Bourbon-Soaked History of the 4Day - 2017 publication
A Liver Runs Through It is Doc's 9th book & 1st novel. The title spoofs that of Norman Maclean's wonderful book, A River Runs Through It. The novel tells the legendary, four-decade-long, story of the annual "4Day!" canoe 'n kayak trip taking place each year on the rivers of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Readers can hear the pfsst of beers opening and smell the cigar smoke swirling about the bourbon-soaked history of the 4Day, as it comes to life in stories told among paddlers on the river, 'round the evening campfire, and bellied up to northern bars.
From one 4Day evening in 1988...
4Day-eve lodging was at our home-away-from-home, the Wa-Wa-Tam Motel in Mackinaw City. After checking in, we headed over to Audie's, a family restaurant that seats 60, for their buffet, before making a night of it at the Keyhole Lounge. 7 of us grabbed tables at Audie's, arriving several minutes before the slower-moving but chow-time focused four of Big Guy plus Vollmers Brothers Wayne and rookies Bob & Rusty. In girth units, these 4 averaged 300 pounds plus, with heights between 5'11" and 6'5".
The sun was setting in such a way that it came in low through the windows at Audie's front door - until the final four arrived. Those big fellers stepped into the restaurant and blotted out the early-evening sun, immediately sending the room into a brown-out situation. The Vollmers Boys and Big Guy scanned the room, their eyes coming to a screeching halt on the buffet, involuntary smiles curling the corners of their mouths. They were lined up much like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the gang at the O.K. Corral shootout, and every bit as serious. Initially paralyzed into silence, the patrons soon understood what the arrival of these 4 meant, and bolted to the buffet, much as a drowning man grabs the last seat on the dinghy floating by.
You can order a copy of the book, and cover the cost of the shipper and postage, by sending a $35 check, made out to "Jeff Fletcher", a close personal associate. Mail to Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. Let us know who you'd like the inscription made out to, and what you'd like the inscription to include.
To the people in the U.P., who put up with us, some years more than others. Doc
Canoeing and Kayaking College Campuses in Michigan - 2016 publication
The great philosopher Bluto Blutarsky once said, “7 years of college down the drain – might as well join the (expletive deleted) Peace Corps”. No Bluto, that’s not the way to look at it. College is such an incredible experience that stretching the adventure out a few years seems very sensible AND if you’re fortunate enough to attend an institution that has a river meandering through or nearby, well, that’s about as good as good gets.
With a Michigan map spread across the desk and a bit of time spent researching colleges across the Great Lakes State, it is evident that there are over 20 Michigan colleges that can tell you they have a great paddling river for a neighbor. 20 of those river-college unions are highlighted in this book.
The rivers written about were paddled with a GPS, a waterproof camera, and a digital voice recorder. Utilizing these 3 items on the water allowed me to measure miles & minutes from start to finish and from start to key landmarks along the way (and inform readers about what to expect on the journey, and how far each landmark is from the river launch), plus photograph and communicate the beauty of the river and its surroundings.
Whatever your age, canoeing or kayaking all 20 river trips in this book will earn you a Degree in Riverology:In the Upper Peninsula, Michigan Tech Huskies (Houghton) and Keweenaw Peninsula residents & visitors can relax with a paddle down the Bete Grise (bay-da greez) River, while Northern Michigan Wildcats (Marquette) can take a study break with their friends ‘n fellow travelers by paddling the nearby Escanaba River. Along with those in the Lower Peninsula, there’s a long list of recreational paddling opportunities in collegiate backyards…
Bete Grise River / MTU-Michigan Tech University (Houghton)
Boardman River / NMC-Northwestern Michigan College (Traverse City)
Chippewa River / CMU-Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant)
Clinton River / OU-Oakland University (Rochester)
Escanaba River / NMU-Northern Michigan University (Marquette)
Flint River / UMF-University of Michigan Flint (Flint)
Grand River / GVSU-Grand Valley State University (Allendale)
Grand River / JC-Jackson College (Jackson)
Huron River / EMU-Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti)
Huron River / UM-University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
Kalamazoo River / AC-Albion College (Albion)
Kalamazoo River / WMU-Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo)
Kawkawlin River / SVSU-Saginaw Valley State University (University Center/Saginaw)
Macatawa (Black) River / HC-Hope College (Holland)
Muskegon River / FSU-Ferris State University (Big Rapids)
(not that) Pine River / AC-Alma College (Alma)
Red Cedar River / MSU-Michigan State University (East Lansing)
Rouge River (Lower & Middle Br.) / UMD-University of Michigan Dearborn (Dearborn)
Thunder Bay River / ACC-Alpena Community College
&
Tittabawassee River/NU-Northwood University (Midland)
Each river gets its own chapter that includes…
- The river’s Degree of Paddling Difficulty, a 3 level assessment: beginner (1), intermediate (2), & (the most difficult) skilled (3);
- The Livery contact to service your trip on the river, which will include canoe/kayak rental, (ask for availability of) car spotting & hauling, and the livery’s expert advice on how the river is running that day;
- Local Detroit Tiger radio station, so you can follow the Boys of Summer while away from home;
- Directions to the launch site and the take-out;
- Background of the River including its length, flow direction, occasional historical tidbits, and environmental stewards of the river;
- Camping near the river;
- Paddling the River gives minutes and miles from launch to take-out and from launch to interesting landmarks along the journey;
- The College fun facts, brief history, and what makes that institute unique;
- The Tavern near campus to kick back at after a day on the water and grab a fine bar burger or other good grub and to wet your whistle.
Re-live the magic of those crazy college days via a 3-part curriculum… (1) paddle the river, (2) walk the nearby college campus & (3) enjoy the local tavern. College, for many the greatest experience of our lives… expanding minds, no parents, first taste of independence, learning responsibility, building life-long friendships, and – like the joy of paddling a river - creating a long list of happy, fantastic memories.
Having fun is important, but safety is always the #1 priority, so… never paddle alone, wear your life vest, and always call the livery for the latest river conditions before you head out on the water.
You can order a copy of this book, and cover the cost of the shipper and postage, by sending a $20 check, made out to "Jeff Fletcher", a close personal associate. Mail to Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. Let me know who you'd like the inscription made out to, and what you'd like the inscription to include.
Streaming Higher Education Your Way,
Doc
Paddling & Pastimes
Pittsburgh… Minneapolis… Chicago… Milwaukee… Cleveland… Detroit…
Major Midwestern cities that evolved on the banks of these rivers that flowed through them: the Allegheny, the Mississippi, the Chicago, the Milwaukee, the Cuyahoga, and the Detroit. 6 rivers critical to the 6 towns in their discovery, development, transportation, commerce, and enjoyment. Urban paddling trips down each of the 6 rivers, at least the segment of the rivers flowing through these big cities, are wide, deep, slow-moving affairs – not your usual canoeing ‘n kayaking rural, north woods adventures – combining the joy of paddling with fascinating glimpses of history and architecture on the riverbanks. With backgrounds provided by river tour guides and history books, readers of P&P get details on a day trip down each river and the unique view from the water, in words and photos, of the area history and riverside landmarks.
One landmark each city has in common is a major league ballpark either along or near the river. The birth of our national pastime of baseball coincided with the 1800s industrial development of these 6 Midwest cities. The grand old game of baseball offered an escape from our country’s often painful and turbulent shift from a society of primarily family farmers to Industrial Revolution factory workers. The beauty of the hit-and-run, the green grass of a sun-lit field, a ballpark frank and a cold beer, brought the same smile and serenity in the 1800s as they do today... a timeless happiness, much like paddling down a river. Read stories of each ballpark and tales from the history of each ball club.
From the 1800s through the late-1900s, riverside businesses and private residents used these urban rivers as a place to dispose of industrial waste and as an open sewer. The 6 rivers went from a place to swim and cool down to a place to contract cholera & typhoid fever. Although a work in progress, the well-being of each river is being restored through the combined efforts of private citizens, businesses, and government. An excellent marker of the success of these efforts is that the number of insects and fish in each river is increasing dramatically: exhibit A is the Allegheny River system... where only one species of fish (blue gill) was found in the 1950s, today 53 species of fish thrive.
At 3 years old, I learned from my Grandpa Zande that we have a second national pastime: visiting the local old time tavern. Grandpa would set me on the stool at the end of the bar with an orange pop and a bag of chips. I recall looking down the bar, wide-eyed, at the paisans bellied up, downing beers and talking loudly in their broken English. To honor all of our Grandfathers, the day of “paddling and pastimes” continues as you’re directed to a riverside, old time pub in each town for an evening that is every bit the national pastime that baseball is, and afterward a well-deserved check-in at a nearby bed and breakfast.
With over 200 color photos, "Paddling & Pastimes" makes an excellent book for the coffee table, the cottage, or as a gift. The book retails for $47.99. Through our website, you may buy a signed copy for $35 which includes the postage and shipper. Make a check out to "Jeff Fletcher", a close personal associate, and mail it to: Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. If you'd like the book inscribed, please let us know to who and we'll include that, too.
To the River of No Return,
Doc
Pine River book
The Pine is one of Michigan’s most loved rivers. It runs clear, cold, clean, and is best known for its speed, its high quality trout fishing, & summer-time popularity w/ paddlers (for the best experience, go pre-Memorial Day & post-Labor Day & avoid summer weekends). The Pine has been designated: (1) a Michigan “Blue Ribbon Trout Stream”, (2) a Michigan “Natural River” and (3) in its lower 26 miles, a U.S. Forest Service “National Wild & Scenic River”.
This is not a beginner’s river. The Pine’s final 43 of its 60 miles are serviced by canoe & kayak liveries (rentals), and those 43 miles feature class 1 and 2 rapids throughout. Over the Pine’s entire 60 miles, it has a gradient drop of 7’ per mile, but over its final 43 miles the per mile drop in the river floor is among the Lower Peninsula’s highest at almost 10’ per mile with a maximum gradient drop of 20’ in the 1st mile downstream from the Peterson access.
The high sandy banks of the lower Pine, along with the river’s deep & rich riverside vegetation, provide a beautiful back drop to a canoe or kayak trip. Located in the northwest Lower Peninsula, the Pine is the best way to travel though the counties of Osceola, Lake, Wexford, and Manistee. The “Pine” name comes from the White Pine forests that were thick along its banks. In Michigan’s logging days of the mid to late 1800s, the Pine River was known as the South Branch of the Manistee River. The Pine & Manistee Rivers meet in Manistee County, 5 minutes north of the small town of Wellston, a mile and a half above the east-west M55 highway. The confluence of the rivers takes place as both flow into the Tippy Dam Pond, east of Tippy Dam. On the west side of Tippy Dam, only one of these two great rivers continues its westward flow as the Pine is no more, its waters absorbed by the Manistee.
The headwaters of the Pine form 15 miles southwest of Cadillac and 3 miles west of Tustin, a community found 1 mile east of US131 exit 168. The river is created by the merger of two creeks, the East & the North Branches of the Pine, a few feet SW of 20 Mile Road & 220 Avenue. From this beginning, the Pine flows southwest and then it pivots to the northwest until it ends at the Tippy Dam Pond north of Wellston. On its 60 mile journey, the Pine flows through or near the towns of Riverbank, the ghost town of Edgetts, and the small communities of Bristol, Luther, Hoxeyville, Dublin, and Wellston.
The first 17 miles of the Pine are not serviced by canoe & kayak liveries, and are full of logjams. This book then is about the final 43 of the Pine’s 60 miles, i.e. the section of the river kept free-flowing by the 6 canoe & kayak liveries located along the river. Within these 43 miles are 12 public access points. In this book you will find listings of liveries, public access points, and campgrounds found along or near the Pine. For the 26 miles of the Lower Pine (beginning at Elm Flats), due to large summertime crowds, paddling permits are required by law from the Memorial Day Friday through Labor Day and are available at www.recreation.gov.
The final 43 miles of the river are broken up into 6 day trips, each day trip getting its own chapter, or travelogue. The daily travelogue notes miles and minutes from that day’s start to finish, and from start to various landmarks along the way, letting you know how you are progressing against the daily total time/miles, as well as letting you know what to expect downstream. Also noted is each day’s degree of paddling difficulty, a simple 3-step rating system: 1. Beginner, 2 Intermediate (the difference vs. beginner is “can you steer around/through obstructions OR rapids?”) and 3. Highly Skilled.
The Pine meanders through an area of rich Michigan history, detailed in this book in a series of articles, including one about the most important day of fishing our country has ever known. Of all the joy that the Pine brings to us, it’s biggest contribution to our lives began with one man fishing the river in 1925 near private land, an act that led to a lawsuit and a series of legal actions culminating in a 1936 Supreme Court decision confirming that anyone in the United States has the right to paddle or fish on a river – any river – through privately-owned land.
To keep an ear on the Boys of Summer while paddling the Pine, turn your radio dial to 93.7FM. Go get ‘em Tigers!
To order by mail, send a $20 check (made out to "Jeff Fletcher") to: Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. The $25 covers the book, the shipper, and postage. All books will be signed. If you'd also like a special inscription, please include with your check a note with the inscription request.
Paddle Now – Chores Later,
Doc
Pere Marquette River book
"Michigan's Pere Marquette River: Paddling Through Its History"...
The Pere Marquette River, known to many as the P.M., is the mid-state boundary holding together the northern and southern halves of Michigan. It is the Great Lakes State river highway where north meets south, a state of Michigan designated Blue Ribbon Trout Stream & Natural River, and a federally-designated Wild and Scenic River.
If you love canoeing and kayaking you will love your time on the P.M. A day on the river features a current with above-average speed, steering challenges through and around its fallen trees and hanging branches, gorgeous driftwood, and among its abundant wildlife are majestic blue herons flying just ahead of you. A journey down the Pere Marquette is wonderfully wide-open as the P.M. is the only major river in the Lake Michigan watershed that flows unimpeded by a dam.
The 65-mile long Pere Marquette River runs through the Manistee National Forest. Located in the northwest section of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the river flows from east to west, roughly parallel and south of US10. Its headwaters form southeast of Baldwin, at the confluence of the Middle Branch and the Little South Branch, a place called “the Forks”. From there it winds its way westward by the towns of Baldwin, Branch, Walhalla, Custer, and Scottville until the P.M. empties into Lake Michigan a few feet south of the lighthouse in Ludington.
The majority of the P.M.’s riverbanks are privately-owned, but there are 18 well-maintained public access points on the river, from the Forks in the east to the Father Marquette Memorial access at Ludington in the west. At 4 of the 18 access sites there is camping available: Gleason’s Landing, Bowman Bridge, Sulak, and at Henry’s Landing. A 5th Pere Marquette riverside camping area is a free “canoe-to-only” campsite known as Elk, 10 minutes downstream from the Upper Branch Bridge. Although not a canoe/kayak access, a 6th riverside campsite is at Claybanks, located between the Green Cottage and Gleason’s Landing access points. Info about, and directions to, all public accesses and campsites are listed in the back of the book.
This book breaks the 65 miles of the Pere Marquette River into 8 paddling day trips. Each of the day trips gets its own chapter, or travelogue. The day trips range in miles from 5 to 12, and range in hours from 2 to 4. Each chapter lists the miles and hours for that day trip, directions to its starting access point, a day trip overview and a river map outlining the day trip from start to finish. Key landmarks are noted along the way to let you know how you’re progressing against the trip’s total miles and minutes. Also included is a “degree of difficulty” paddling rating for that day trip, a simple 3-step rating: 1. Beginner, 2. Intermediate (the difference vs. beginner is “can you steer around obstructions or through fast water?”) and 3. Skilled.
Chapter 1 puts you on the river at its beginnings, near Baldwin. From there each subsequent chapter takes you further and further west, until the river flows into Lake Michigan in Ludington at the end of chapter 8. As you travel west, the fascinating history of the area will open up to you in sidebar articles, from the Idlewild resort just east of Baldwin, a special getaway where non-white vacationers were welcome (while being entertained by Louis Armstrong and Sarah Vaughan) during segregation days, to Father’s Marquette’s death on the shores of Lake Michigan near the Pere Marquette’s rivermouth, as he was trying to get back to his beloved St. Ignace. One of the historical sidebars, in between Idlewild and where Father Marquette took his final breath, tells the story of one of the last great Native American versus Native American battles in the Midwest, known as “Notipekago” and fought along the P.M. south of the town of Custer.
To order by mail, send a $27 check (made out to "Jeff Fletcher") to: Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. The $27 covers the book, the shipper, and postage. All books will be signed. If you'd also like a special inscription, please include with your check a note with the inscription request.
To order this book for resale at your store, please contact Susan Bays at
editor@arbutuspress.com or call her at (231) 946-7240.
Let the P.M. put an imprint on your soul,
Doc
Canoeing & Kayaking Wisconsin book
A day on the river is a week of happiness. "Canoeing and Kayaking Wisconsin: the Rivers the Towns the Taverns" is written to get you out into the middle of that happiness as easily as possible.
20 river trips through Wisconsin are included, from isolated rural trips on small streams as narrow as the White River near Drummond (in sections, only 5' from riverbank to riverbank), middle-of-nowhere rivers where bears sip water at the shoreline and eagles perch overhead, to the urban adventure of the Milwaukee River, taking you past riverside taverns on your way to a rendezvous with Lake Michigan. As a bonus, a paddle on the Chicago River, taking you through the steel & glass canyon of downtown Chicago, is included as a 21st river trip.
From whitewater to flat water, from experience required to beginner friendly, you'll read about fun river trips through Wisconsin.
Rivers featured in "Canoeing and Kayaking Wisconsin: the Rivers the Towns the Taverns":
Baraboo, Black, Bois Brule, Brule, Chicago, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Flambeau South Fork, Grant, Kickapoo, Lemonweir, Little Wolf, Mecan, Milwaukee, Namekagon, Sugar, Tomahawk, White, Wisconsin trip 1 (headwaters), Wisconsin trip 2 (Spring Green) and Wisconsin trip 3 (taking it as it merges into the Mississippi River).
Each river gets its own chapter. That chapter opens with the river background, it's paddling degree of difficulty, a detailed 2 to 4 hour day trip outline, the trip noted in miles and hours/ minutes, a map of the river trip, and info about a local livery that can rent you a canoe or kayak, that can spot your vehicle, and can pick you up at the trip's end. After the river, the chapter moves on to the nearby town including fascinating history of the area and, so that you can follow your sports teams while on river expeditions, you're given the local radio affiliates of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers. Each chapter concludes as you're directed to an old time tavern where you can grab a post-paddle bar burger & aPBR or a Schlitz or a Leinie to go with it.
At the back of the book is a comprehensive listing of Wisconsin canoe & kayak liveries (all rivers are listed alphabetically) and a Paddling/Camping Checklist.
Inscribed copies of "Canoeing and Kayaking Wisconsin" may be ordered from us by sending a $20 check or money order (covering the cost of the book, the shipper, postage) made out to "Jeff Fletcher" and mailing it to: Doc Fletcher, 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167.
Include a note letting us know who to inscribe it to, along with the address the book should be mailed to.
To order this book for resale at your store, please contact Susan Bays at editor@arbutuspress.com or call her at (231) 946-7240.
Michigan Rivers Less Paddled
A total of 21 Michigan paddling adventures are detailed for you in "Michigan Rivers Less Paddled". You'll read of river fun found all over our great state, from the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula, including slow meanders down family-friendly rivers to more challenging runs on swift-flowing waters. Only rivers serviced by canoe/kayak liveries are included, so that this book can be a guide to all who love paddling Michigan, whether they own their own boat or not.
For each river, you're provided information about a suggested day trip including that trip's hours, its "degree of difficulty" (letting you know if this is the appropriate trip for the paddling ability of you & your group), liveries where you can rent your canoe or kayak from (who will also help you with your own equipment), and key landmarks that act as your "clock on the water", letting you know how you're progressing against the trip's total time.
After each chapter opens with a river day trip outline, you'll next read about histories of nearby towns along with their Detroit Tiger radio affiliate so you can find the Boys of Summer wherever you float, and then the chapter concludes by directing you to a local old-time tavern, a place where you can relax & relive the day's trip over a great bar burger & a cold one.
Signed copies may be ordered from us by mailing a check or money order that covers the cost of the book, postage & shipper. For "Michigan Rivers Less Paddled" send a $20, made out to Jeff Fletcher. Include your address and a note telling us who you would like the book(s) inscribed to. Mail the money order to 43647 Nine Mile Road, Northville MI 48167. This book is also available at bookstores across Michigan and in limited cities outside of Michigan that are located around the Great Lakes, as well as through Amazon and other dotcoms.
Rivers featured in "Michigan Rivers Less Paddled":
- Upper Peninsula - AuTrain, Escanaba, Ford, Tahquamenon.
- Lower Peninsula - Bear, Betsie, Black, Cass, Crystal, Dowagiac, Grand, Hersey, Kalamazoo, Looking Glass, Maple, Raisin, Rocky, Rogue,
Rouge, Thornapple, Thunder Bay.
To order this book for resale at your bookstore, canoe livery, or other retail outlet, please contact Susan Bays at www.arbutuspress.com
or at (231) 946-7240.