Veteran walking 800 miles around Lake Michigan stops in Oceana County.

Travis Snyder, at left, walks with Phil McTaggart and Vicki Platt on the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail as the Hart Police Department provides an escort. – Contributed photo by Rob Splane

Veteran walking 800 miles around Lake Michigan stops in Oceana County.

HART — Marine veteran Travis Snyder of Holland made stops in Oceana County last week at the beginning of an 800-mile walk around Lake Michigan. The trek is part of Mission 22, a veteran’s suicide awareness effort. 

Contributed photo

When Snyder was in Hart Wednesday, May 4, he walked alongside Hart Mayor Vicki Platt and military veteran Phil McTaggart of Hart. McTaggart carried Snyder’s pack in a show of support.

This is the veteran’s fourth consecutive trip around the lake. His first voyage was in 2019.

“It was inspiring to meet Travis and walk with him for a short distance,” said Hart City Manager Rob Splane. “We really do need to talk more openly about the mental health issues present both in veterans and society as a whole.”

Snyder embarked upon his trip May 1 in Holland and is expected to complete his trip in Holland by June 23.

Snyder and McTaggart make their way down the rail trail as Platt waves a US flag. Contributed photo

The following are Snyder’s Facebook posts describing his experiences in Oceana County:

Day 4 Complete! Whitehall/Montague to Hart, MI; 23 Miles Walked; 77 Total Miles Walked

What a bright and sunny day! Perfect for walking! I followed the Hart-Montague Rail-Trail to my destination today. (Fun Fact, the Hart-Montague trail was the first Rail-Trail in Michigan). Thank you to my friends at The Artisan in New Era for lunch, and the very delicious pineapple beverage for hydration (10/10 👌🏽). Upon arrival to Hart, I was greeted in town by a very welcoming group, including Mayor Vicki Platt and other friends from the City of Hart. Thank you as well to the folks at VFW Post 802, it certainly was nice to meet and visit with you all! Of course, I had to see my friends Ryan and Nikki at Big Hart Brewing Co.

Tomorrow I’ll make my way through Pentwater, along the Pere Marquette Highway and into Ludington, MI. I’m also looking forward to meeting with folks with the local Marine Corps League Detachment as well. 

To learn more about Mission 22, and the great things they do for our military community please visit mission22.com/donate

If you feel led to contribute to my trip personally: https://gofund.me/faea838b (GoFundMe)

Venmo: @travishikeslakemi 

Travis Snyder Facebook photos

Thank for being a part of our mission and cause, and for your words of encouragement, especially for our veteran sisters and brothers in need. Please don’t refrain from reaching out if you’d like to support in any way at all, whether that be connect, walk with me, or even find me out on the road to say hello! Much love!

Day 5 Complete!

Hart – Pentwater – Ludington; 18 Miles Walked; 95 Total Miles Walked

I started my day having breakfast with some Veterans from the local Marine Corps League Detachment in Hart. We enjoyed swapping stories over coffee and eggs at Deb’s Lakeside Cafe in Shelby. Thank you to my good friends Tom and Sandra Hazlett for their hospitality last night. The first portion of the trek today consisted of strolling through the woods, two-tracking my way North. Pentwater is one of my favorite small towns in Michigan, so I had to stop for lunch at The Brown Bear before getting back on the road. I was able to make it to Ludington via the Pere Marquette highway, before meeting up with my friend Anna, as I would be staying with her and the fam (thanks!). Being that it was Cinco de Mayo, it was only fitting that we enjoyed tacos, cervazas, and even a piñata a had to pickup for the kids. As you can see, I also had to say hello to the horses.

Tomorrow I’ll be making my way up to Manistee. Being that there is construction on US-31, I’ll likely be taking the backroads up North. If you’re in the area, feel free to stop and say hello, or even join in for a mile or two. I’ll be walking into town hopefully by 5pm, where I intend to grab dinner downtown and visit with any friends in the area that are available for a hug and hello.

Travis Snyder Facebook photos

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