CHICAGO -- Peter Frank sank to his knees as he felt the fresh, clear water of Lake Michigan. Tears ran down his face as he felt peace wash over him.

Frank is back in the Great Lakes after canoeing to Florida and back.

The adventurer set out from his hometown of Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula on June 27, 2024, and headed west through the Great Lakes, Canada and New York before reaching the Atlantic. From there it was all saltwater to Florida where he reached the halfway point. Then, in Mobile, Alabama he began the long arduous river journey north.

The 24-year-old is canoeing the Great Loop, a 6,000 mile trip.

He reached Chicago on Sept. 19, but not without facing extreme difficulties. It was hard for Frank to put into words exactly what he’s been through over the past six months, let a

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