Northwest Indiana Paddling Association
NWIPA
Event Details:
The Burnham to Marquette Water Trail Expedition is a bi-state sea kayaking event that will allow competent participants to be a part of a historic weekend long journey from Chicago to Michigan City. The route will follow the new Southern Lake Michigan Water Trail that will be dedicated by this inaugural event.
Beginning in Chicago, participants will paddle along the Illinois and Indiana coastline in 5-8 mile segments allowing participants to be able join in and finish at various points along the route. Early on the morning of Saturday, June 13th, the Expedition will begin from Burnham Harbor / Northerly Island.
Programs at the Illinois landing sites will focus on the Burnham Plan, what came about because of it, and keeping in the spirit of the original vision, what the future holds for lakefront projects.
On Saturday afternoon, the Expedition will cross into Indiana and the public programs at landing sites will shift focus to the Marquette Plan.
Stopping points along the way will either be public access sites that will be part of the Indiana portion of the Lake Michigan Water Trail or places of interest that are part of the Marquette Plan. Several of the stops along the route will highlight the natural areas along the Southern Lake Michigan coast situated side by side with industry, as well the native ecology of the Great Lakes.
After the first leg of the expedition on June 13th, paddlers will camp along the lakeshore at Marquette Park in Miller Beach. There will be food, live entertainment as well as a showing of a recently digitized 1973 film documenting the three hundredth anniversary re-enactment of the Jolliet-Marquette expedition of 1673. On Sunday, June 14th, paddlers will complete the Expedition from Miller Beach to Michigan City culminating in a party with live entertainment from "The Stoneflys" celebrating the journey and the opening of the new Southern Lake Michigan Water Trail.
Impact & Goals of the Expedition:
On so many levels, the culmination of the Burnham to Marquette Sea Kayak Expedition embodies what Daniel Burnham set forth one hundred years ago. From the finishing point in Michigan City, IN, which Daniel Burnham recognized as being part of the greater Chicago Metropolitan area, to the celebration of the dedication of the Indiana portion of the Lake Michigan Water Trail, part of the Marquette Plan, we feel this activity is exactly the type of “Bold Plan, Big Dream” event that the Burnham Centennial is all about. Not only does the event help educate the public about the history of the Burnham Plan, it looks to the future garnering support for the bold and visionary projects in both states such as restoration and revitalization efforts in Chicago and throughout the Calumet Region. The act of pulling the paddling community together across the entire Chicago metropolitan region, as well as so many partners and organizations who recognize the symbolism and effort that will be needed to complete the expedition, we have no doubt that this event will be one of the premier celebrations of the Burnham Centennial this summer.
Expedition Partners to Date:
Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association, the Illinois Paddling Council, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Sanitary District of Michigan City, Dunes Learning Center, City of Gary, City of Whiting, Portage Parks & Rec., City of East Chicago, National Park Service IDNL, Indiana DNR Coastal Program, Lake County Parks Department, Indiana University Northwest School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Michigan City Power Squadron, the IU Center for Regional Excellence, the Northern Indiana Consortium for the Environment (NICE), and the Citizens of Miller Beach
Sponsors:
Openlands, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Sahara Restaurant, Newcomb Integrated Marketing Solutions, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Chicago Department of the Environment, Weaver Boos Consulting, LaPorte Co. CVB, Policy Analytics, King Richards Beverages, J.F. New, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 531, Michigan City Parks & Rec., Bass Pro, The Stoneflys, and Ahern Sign & Design
The Burnham to Marquette Water Trail Expedition is a bi-
Beginning in Chicago, participants will paddle along the Illinois and Indiana coastline in 5-
Programs at the Illinois landing sites will focus on the Burnham Plan, what came about because of it, and keeping in the spirit of the original vision, what the future holds for lakefront projects.
On Saturday afternoon, the Expedition will cross into Indiana and the public programs at landing sites will shift focus to the Marquette Plan.
Stopping points along the way will either be public access sites that will be part of the Indiana portion of the Lake Michigan Water Trail or places of interest that are part of the Marquette Plan. Several of the stops along the route will highlight the natural areas along the Southern Lake Michigan coast situated side by side with industry, as well the native ecology of the Great Lakes.
After the first leg of the expedition on June 13th, paddlers will camp along the lakeshore at Marquette Park in Miller Beach. There will be food, live entertainment as well as a showing of a recently digitized 1973 film documenting the three hundredth anniversary re-
Impact & Goals of the Expedition:
On so many levels, the culmination of the Burnham to Marquette Sea Kayak Expedition embodies what Daniel Burnham set forth one hundred years ago. From the finishing point in Michigan City, IN, which Daniel Burnham recognized as being part of the greater Chicago Metropolitan area, to the celebration of the dedication of the Indiana portion of the Lake Michigan Water Trail, part of the Marquette Plan, we feel this activity is exactly the type of “Bold Plan, Big Dream” event that the Burnham Centennial is all about. Not only does the event help educate the public about the history of the Burnham Plan, it looks to the future garnering support for the bold and visionary projects in both states such as restoration and revitalization efforts in Chicago and throughout the Calumet Region. The act of pulling the paddling community together across the entire Chicago metropolitan region, as well as so many partners and organizations who recognize the symbolism and effort that will be needed to complete the expedition, we have no doubt that this event will be one of the premier celebrations of the Burnham Centennial this summer.
Expedition Partners to Date:
Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association, the Illinois Paddling Council, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Sanitary District of Michigan City, Dunes Learning Center, City of Gary, City of Whiting, Portage Parks & Rec., City of East Chicago, National Park Service IDNL, Indiana DNR Coastal Program, Lake County Parks Department, Indiana University Northwest School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Michigan City Power Squadron, the IU Center for Regional Excellence, the Northern Indiana Consortium for the Environment (NICE), and the Citizens of Miller Beach
Sponsors:
Openlands, Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, Sahara Restaurant, Newcomb Integrated Marketing Solutions, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, Chicago Department of the Environment, Weaver Boos Consulting, LaPorte Co. CVB, Policy Analytics, King Richards Beverages, J.F. New, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 531, Michigan City Parks & Rec., Bass Pro, The Stoneflys, and Ahern Sign & Design
Burnham to Marquette Water Trail Expedition 2009
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