SANDY BOTTOM ADVENTURE

MAKE THE Past…

Stay at the Sauder Heritage Inn with indoor pool or Sauder Village Campground with splash pad Homestyle dining at the Barn Restaurant & tasty ice cream at the Soda Fountain Freshly baked treats & specialty drinks at the Doughbox Bakery D Discover handmade brooms, baskets, pottery and more at our unique shops

SauderVillage.org

666 State Route , Archbold, OH • 888...8.....

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Made here at our farm from Holstein, Brown Swiss and Jersey Cows 32 Flavors

Visit the farm, watch daily milking at 4pm & see all the animals!

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Beach Baby

7994 Billmyer, Tecumseh | goldenacresmichigan.com | 517.423.3004 

By Ann Belote-WeirO n any given day, one can look out onto the rippling waters of Evans Lake and see people on stand-up paddle boards (SUP), and a good share of them are enjoying one of several classes offered by Karen Stipe of Sandy Bottom Adventures. These are not typical classes. From Mornings and Mimosas to Pilates and Paddleboards and Sunset SUP and Sip, her dream was to bring something unique to the Irish Hills. “I like to be around people who like to have fun, and no one was doing anything like this in the area,” said Stipe, who teaches physical education during the school year. She took a trip to Tennessee where she became a certified personal trainer, and brought back new ways for local residents to stay active. In addition to the SUP classes, she also offers Paddleboard Yoga. “We don’t do super-crazy poses,” Stipe said. “We will do poses like the Warrior and poses on the knees, though the more adventurous can try some harder poses.” Those who are hesitant to do yoga on a paddleboard, or are new to yoga, need not be intimidated. “The poses can all be modified. Not only are the poses modified, but the boards are a bit wider,” she said. “You can still straddle the board, but they are wide enough to accommodate the movement.” She also recently added SUPBALL, which she described as “Rugby on a paddleboard,” a more strenuous physical activity. This is Stipe’s second year in business, and she has added more to the mix beyond offering classes. Rentals are available for SUPs, kayaks, and aqua pads for floating in the water. Stipe pointed out how the fishing kayaks differ from standard kayaks. “These are a more durable kayak and can hold a bit more weight than the standard kayak for tackle and other fishing supplies, and they have pole holders,” she said.

She also offers activities for events, such as wedding showers, an idea that came to her while speaking with Alan Macher and Thomas Emerson, owners of Evans Lake Resort. “There is an island on Evans Lake with a rental house, and they said a group rented it for a bachelorette party and mentioned it was too bad they didn’t know about the paddleboards,” said Stipe. The idea of adding events was born.