Look at this great raffle prize! Won it at Frito's I-275 event! I'm hooked up for our adventures this weekend!
Wow! Have my priorities changed - LOL
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Sunday, June 23, 2019
MSPCGT: The Bugs are Taking Over
Before heading up North a coworker - a native Yooper - warned me about the clouds. "Look for them off the Mackinaw Bridge. Look to the East. It looks like smoke from a fire. It's bugs."
Ok, admittedly I thought she was pulling my leg, but our first stop at Tawas Point proved her right. Who knew?
This one's at the Village of Fayette. It doesn't look like much, but that cloud is like a mile away. ShelleyJean has better pictures of the swarms.
And the bugs were bad, but luckily we came prepared. I felt stupid for about 3 seconds and then relief! Soon we were wearing them in town without a second thought because the gnats, midges, mayflies, fish flies, and mosquitoes were bad! We heard we missed the black fly hatching by just a few days! It's been a wet Spring, so it will only get worse.
This is my head net - Sea to Summit. It cost a little more, but I liked it better than the cheaper one TaGeez found in the State Park gift shop. This one has a drawstring around the neck instead of elastic and came with a protective pouch (to avoid unnecessary holes).
With 56 more State Parks to go, this will be our most invaluable tool of the trade.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
MSPCGT: Adding to the Adventure
Our trips so far are more memorable with a few additional tools and toys in our bag.
Cachetur.no
Great tool for planning routes and holding cache details in your hand. Sign up for a free account, import the caches, and arrange the order of your route. The image below includes the cache order with travel distances and times. Click in for more detail.
This was the route up US 23 and the Upper Peninsula.
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| Map created on Cachetur.no |
Michigan State Park Stamp & Go Guide
How about a guide to the State Parks? It can be bought at several of the State Parks or on the Peninsulas website. Driving park to park, we read aloud brief descriptions of the parks. And, at the ranger booths, have the rangers stamp your page!
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| Purchase at Peninsulas Shop Actual guide is only about 5" tall |
National & State Parks Visitor's Journal
Look what I found on Amazon? Also available in some park gift shops....
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| Available on Amazon |
This journal holds 100 park entries, and a great way to remember our adventures. Each night after a series of finds, I logged my parks, printed keepsake pictures, and adhered my souvenir stickers inside the cover.
Sprocket/Postcards
Speaking of printing pictures... My family likes postcards, but, after awhile, I ran out of things to say! But look at this cool idea! TaGeez and I took a selfie and added it to the back of the postcard to my sister. Now she knows exactly how much we enjoyed the Falls! The photo paper for the HP Sprocket has an adhesive back.
Let me know if you use any of these ideas!
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
MSPCGT: And Things Got Weird
I've shared beautiful views with you, but what really happens when geocachers have a holiday plus 6 days off?
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| You Sexy Thang photoshoot! |
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| Different kind of treasure |
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| Have you experienced Walt's Meats? |
Ok, confession time! We crashed the 'Shoes Memorial celebration for a selfie and some cookies! Best decision ever!
Thank you, ShelleyJean, for snapping our mugs at each state park sign. Sometimes it got a little weird...
ShelleyJean also came through with an Upper Michigan Survival Kit. It was wrapped in a doggy bag!
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| (sigh) |
Hey! They let anyone into Tahquemenon Falls! Mr GSIXX and family were a great surprise!
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| Where'd Steve go? |
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| Take us to your leader! Or, at least, away from the skeeters! |
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| Have you been to Lakenenland? |
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| Amazing Wood Shop at Henry's Place |
The goal here is to grab the knife first and fend off your teammates from this cinnamon roll!
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| Hilltop Restaurant - L'Anse |
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| Peek-a-boo! Not your average birdhouse |
And giant snow rulers, too!
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| A bakery run my monks? YUM! The Jampot |
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| Lake Superior is a frigid witch! |
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| A happening place in Calumet |
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| Glad you wore the big boots! |
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| How many bears in this picture? |
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| New dance? Or mosquito evasion? You decide. |
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| Oh, my. That's a sexy merman! |
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| I don't know where we are. Do you? Make sure we don't leave you behind! |
Nothing says romance like crashing a wedding at a roadside rest top in front of a waterfall!
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| Um.. where's the sign? What the heck? |
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| Just turn your back for a few minutes.. |
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| Nothing says class than a plastic moose in Escanaba! |
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| Have you been to the virtual in Fayette? |
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| This village is haunted! Oh, that's us! |
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| Kitch-iti-kippi Can you believe they let us drive? |
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| Finally got our pasties! YUM! 3 Seasons Cafe |
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
MSPCGT: Distracted by the View
A month into the geotour series, TaGeez, ShelleyJean and I (and Signal) have completed 44 parks so far. But don't think for a moment we haven't enjoyed the best of every park. And let me tell you... MICHIGAN STATE PARKS ARE BEAUTIFUL!
In the Thumb...
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| Port Crescent SP |
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| Port Crescent SP |
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| Photo by ShelleyJean |
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| Photo by ShelleyJean |
Up U.S. 23 along Lake Huron...
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| Tawas Point SP |
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| Harrisville SP |
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| Thompson's Harbor SP |
Ocqueoc Falls is the largest waterfall in Michigan's Lower Peninsula and the only universally-accessible waterfall in the United States
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| scrapcat - TaGeez - ShelleyJean Ocqueoc Falls |
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| Cheboygan SP |
And into the Upper Peninsula
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| Brimley SP |
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| Upper Tahquamenon Falls |
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| Lower Tahquamenon Falls |
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| Muskallonge SP - Agate Hunting |
We happened upon a lot of roadside waterfalls including Agler Falls, Upper & Lower Tioga Creek, Eagle River Falls, Jacob Falls, Agate Falls, Menominee Rapids and Fumee Falls (where we crashed a wedding at a roadside rest stop!).
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| Agler Falls |
Ah, Lake Superior. What a frigid witch you are!
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| Brockway Mountain Drive - Lake Superior |
Lovely spot and view, but even lovelier volunteers. The lighthouse was still closed for the season, but one of volunteers opened her up to give me a private tour! She stamped my lighthouse passport, too!
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| Eagle Harbor Lighthouse |
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| Fort Wilkins SP |
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| Copper Harbor Lighthouse - taken by ShelleyJean |
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| Lake in the Clouds |
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| Bond Falls |
Amazing view from the shell of a fort.
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| Fayette SP Village |
Kitch-iti-kipi was amazing! The water so clear and jade! As terrified of boats as I am, I was determined to experience the water firsthand!
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| Palms Book SP AKA Kitch-ipi-kipi or The Big Spring |
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| View from the center of the raft |
And can you imagine? We have 56 more parks to visit! And we are going to enjoy EVERY minute!
Thank you, MiGO and Michigan DNR, for setting up this amazing tour!