Life, Love and Lore Along Michigan’s Most Iconic River
One hundred years after Ernest Hemingway’s short story elevated the myth of the Two Hearted River into the public consciousness, Bob Otwell invites you to the riverside—to experience the revered watershed as it really is.
In The Real Two Hearted: Life, Love, and Lore Along Michigan’s Most Iconic River, Otwell reveals truths about the river’s past, present, and future in ways that only he can.
As the owners and caretakers of a secluded old cabin called “Boggy’s Camp,” Otwell and his family have spent decades paddling, hiking, and mountain biking in an area along the Two Hearted River so remote that visiting in the winter requires skiing five miles.
With professional experience in hydrology and environmental investigations, Otwell explains the river’s science and shares his thoughts about conserving the watershed’s delicate balance.
Otwell weaves together the rich history of this isolated gem in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; he introduces colorful local characters, including the man named Boggy. And he reminisces about his family’s adventures at a beautiful and hidden bend along the storied Two Hearted.
The Real Two Hearted Reviews
“Bob Otwell has written a fascinating and insightful tribute to Michigan’s most famous river. As a hydrologist and engineer, he presents an authoritative and carefully researched study of the Two Hearted and its watershed. But he has the heart of a poet, too, and his love for the river shines through on every page.”
– Jerry Dennis, author of The Living Great Lakes
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Author Bob Otwell
Bob lives in Traverse City with his wife, Laura. They have three grown children and four grandchildren. Bob and Laura stay engaged in their community and enjoy making most trips around town on their bikes or by walking. They also enjoy camping, cycling, hiking, and cross-country skiing around the region’s beautiful lakes, hills, and forests.
Bob is a retired consulting civil engineer with experience in groundwater and surface water hydrology and environmental science. After working in Southern California and Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1988 he founded Otwell Mawby P.C. OMPC is a Traverse City, Michigan consulting engineering company.
Subsequently, he worked for the TART Trails advocacy organization. He has served on the Board of Directors of FLOW (For Love of Water), a Great Lakes law and water policy organization, Norte Youth Cycling, and on the Traverse City Planning Commission. He holds degrees from Michigan State University (a BS and PhD in civil engineering), and an MS from the University of Michigan.
Real Two Hearted Photo Gallery
Photos from the book,
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