Category: Blog

There are so many things to say about the insanely awesome team at The Public Works who so beautifully captured our story and made the process so natural and fun. An epic adventure right here in our beautiful backyard with Thor Industries and great company.

Take a read and see some incredible imagery captured by Beth Price Photography: 

The Freshwater Life: How RVing and Freshwater Adventures Bond Two Sisters

“Join us along the coast of Michigan for a freshwater adventure with sisters Annabel and Ella Skrocki of Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak in Empire, Michigan. We caught up with them to chat about their love for adventure, why travel has made their sisterly bond even stronger and how RVing and freshwater living go hand-in-hand.”

“A few day adventure with an epic team around my favorite area with my best friend was beyond fun. It gave a new insight to just how fortunate we are to live in such a pristine area with endless things to do and endless places to visit, even within a 20 minute drive. Every adventure with my sister gets even more fun and I am so grateful this one was so beautifully captured.” Annabel Skrocki

Super fun Skrocki sister podcast with Mappy Hour‘s Erica Zazo

“A Q&A with Ella and Annabel Skrocki, sister surfers from Northern Michigan, who share what it’s like to ride freshwater waves – winter, summer, spring and fall. We talk about their environmentalism efforts to protect the world’s largest freshwater system, we discuss safety tips and how to stay warm in frigid temps, and we also learn from Ella/Annabel about what makes Michigan’s surf culture so unique.” Mappy Hour

Written by Emily Hopcian / Photographs by Beth Price Photography

“Conversations and moments shared with these friends, both in person and digital, create a meaningful feeling of home that transcends any one space. This time on the Manistee River is a reminder of that. Our journey is relaxed in nature. Our goal is simple: get out on the water together for a night and two days” Finding Gratitude in a Year of Exhales

A fun collaboration with our friends next door at Huntington Bank. An ode to the hard times that challenge us to think outside the box. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, as most small businesses had to, we rose up and made adaptations to our business that were vital to opening our doors and keeping them open. Thank you to our community for continuing to support us through such a challenging time in history. And thank you to Huntington Bank for seeing the value in our story and passion for what we do. And for letting 7 year old Annabel withdraw $5 to get ice cream at your Empire location every day even though she couldn’t see over the counter.

“Against the Current explores the impact invasive carp are having on Southern and Midwestern waters and the threat they pose to the Great Lakes and their connected waters by sharing business, tourism, tribal, fishing, outdoor recreation, scientific, and conservation perspectives from northern Michigan to Tennessee.” Drew YoungeDyke of the National Wildlife Federation

We were honored to be one of those perspectives. No one wants a fish slap from an Asian Carp while they’re trying to paddle or play in the surf.

Watch the full film here:

“Lake Michigan’s sheer size and power can feel overwhelming at first, but the women learn to embrace the water’s fluidity, its constant change and movement. Metaphors between the women’s experiences in the water and in the rest of their lives abound: instability and adaptation; balance and release; turbulence and calm; falling and rising, again and again.” Finding Their Balance