MGA14: Earned My Path Tag!

Another year of the Michigan Geocaching Adventure completed! How many days until May 1st? #cannotwaitfornextyear #MGA15

Geocaches as Memory Tools

Many a moon ago, I married my high school sweetheart and moved away.  We were a military family, and our first duty station was in Jacksonville, NC.  I loved the area, and I loved my new job…. for the most part.  I was hired into an art gallery to work in the framing division which consisted of 50% military wives and 50% locals. 

We got along well… for the most part.  As long as Mae was having a good day.  Mae was a local and could be quite cantankerous.  My most vivid memory of her was her proud declaration that she’s never been outside her birth county.  What?  Never outside Onslow County?  Furthermore, she hadn’t been to most places IN Onslow County!  Never a need. Never a desire.  She wouldn’t even visit her kids as they had moved “away”.  Even two decades later I still can’t fathom that. I’m sure you can imagine the contempt she spewed when the military wives would tell of our travels after a particularly glorious weekend. Mindblowing… we lived along the Crystal Coast and not far from the Outer Banks.  So much beauty…. Wasted on her.

I love being a tourist, even in my own hometown.  For each of our birthdays, my sister and I take the day off and explore.  Downtown Detroit.  Hamtramck. Frankenmuth.  Ann Arbor.  We’ve taken trips to DC, Chicago, and Missouri. On weekends my family takes tours and day trips and field trips, too. And thanks to geocaching, my Sweetie and I have explored most every nook and cranny of Southeastern Michigan plus Grand Traverse Bay (while also dipping our toes in Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania). As this blog attests, we appreciate all the history and artistry and beauty around us.

As the November wind has swept into Michigan, this past weekend’s adventures were closer to home.  On Saturday members of Team Free Range Lobsters headed to Wolcott Mill (Huron MetroPark) to grab another cache in the MGA14 series. 

 

TaGeez, WikidKriket and SnakeyLicks at Wolcott Mill

And on Sunday, we made it over to the Eleanor and Edsel Ford house along Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Shores.  

 

TaGeez, WikidKriket and SnakeyLicks at the Ford House

So, what do I mean about “geocaches as memory tools”? Simple.  We made a point of saving our cache-a-days to grab nearby caches, ones that were significant to the locale.  After grabbing the MGA14 cache, we visited the nearby farm to pet the animals (and grabbed the Victory Gardens cache so we can upload our farm pics to the log).  Upon completing the Ford House tour, we moseyed across the street to the Ford Forest cache.  Now, every time we see those smilies on our map or come across those logs, we will remember the wonderful adventures we had nearby.  

I really wish I had known about geocaching when I first returned to Michigan.  All those adventures!  Can you imagine the scope of all those smilies?!?

MGA14: Lake Erie Metropark Adventure

Fall in Michigan – can’t beat it!  We’re so lucky that we can get out and enjoy these golden days.

If it wasn't for geocaching, I'd never have walked down that trail to this....

Out with members of Team Free Range Lobsters doing the MGA2014 – Lake Erie, Good and Evil Coexist GC51ZBY cache.  Today’s group consisted of myself, TaGeez, WikidKriket, SnakeyLicks and Fiona-the-wonder-geo-pup!  Love the annual Metropark series!

Snakey, Kriket and Fiona leading the way

TaGeez and Kriket know I don't like bridges - brats!

Kriket, Snakey, Fiona, scrapcat and TaGeez

One of the most gorgeous views

Not too cold for this wonderpup!

Hadley family photo

TaGeez taking in a beautiful Fall day

My Love

Sisters <3

After finding the cache, we drove over to the beach near the wave pool. Cold but beautiful.  The sun was setting too fast.

Keeper of the Cache

Fiona, Snakey, Kriket, and TaGeez

Team Free Range Lobsters

This takes care of #10.  Only 3 more to go, and then we have to wait another year.

Hines Drive and the MGA Adventures!

Preparing for GeoBash, I’m a little behind in our adventures. 

The day after the Historic Caches of St Clair County was the Hines Drive adventure: Hines Drive Mill Tour Wherigo GC4CR39 put out by DougPeterson.  Hines Drive is a series of connected parks that follow the Rogue River from Dearborn to Northville (17 miles long).  Per Experience Detroit:

Prior to European settlement of the area, the Rouge served as the road through this country for local Indian tribes and for French and English trappers.  Later, the river was a pathway for escaped slaves on their way to Canada along the Underground Railroad.  Hines Drive was built in 1949 with land donated by Henry Ford and was named after Edward Hines, head of the Wayne County Road Commission.  Along the way there are a number of historic mills, some of which Henry Ford used to make automobile parts.  In addition to mills, Hines Drive is lined with baseball and soccer fields, hiking and biking paths, fishing docks, and picnic areas.  Exploring the cities of Dearborn, Plymouth, and Northville is an added bonus when traveling this multi-faceted parkway.

Mills Race Village

Doug’s Wherigo led us on an 11-mile curvy tour of the Historic Mills.  At each stop, you must answer a question to lead you onto the next leg of the tour.  Have you ever done a Wherigo?  They can be fabulous when done right – Doug deserved his favorite points for this one!  Here are a few (of our many, many) pictures!

Mills Race Village

This was definitely Henry Ford country.  Almost every mill on Hines Drive was "Henry Ford bought this property....", "Henry Ford built engines parts here.... ", "Henry Ford was the first to..".

Northville Valve Plant

I have to admit…. I had a “DUH!” moment.  I’ve cruised Hines Drive over the years (mainly during the annual Wayne County Light Show).  I’ve heard of Nankin Mills, Meads Mill, Mills Race…. Never actually struck me it’s because there were MILLS there!  I thought the labels were artifice like Farmington HILLS or Dearborn HEIGHTS or Grosse Pointe FARMS.

TaGeez at Meads Mill

Meads Mill

It was fascinating returning to Meads Mill in the summer.  You might remember our Arctic explorations this past March.  Totally the opposite experience this time!

Rogue River

Here's an example of the historical markers along the way.  This one excited me.  The workers at the Phoenix Mill were all women, and Henry Ford paid them the same rate as the men working comparable jobs!

Phoenix Mill

It was quite the fascinating history lesson. Steve and I read every historical marker and sign.  We had a little trouble at the final - the skeeters were doing their darnedest to protect the cache - but we were victorious. Favorite points for a fabulous journey!

Nankin Mills

The following day was MGA14.  With his recent medical situation, TaGeez hadn’t been able to do the MGA Caches (Lower Huron, Willow, and Oakwood) with the rest of the Free Range Lobsters.  We went out and did a major run, ending in Rockwood, to catch him up!

The only easy part of the Freckles Puzzle!

We love to eat on our adventures
Stopped off at Big Bear Lodge in Rockwood

After lunch, we moseyed out to the back of the restaurant's parking lot for a cache.  Concealed up on a hill under some greenery was a cemetery!  Completely closed off and abandoned. Fascinating to stop and look at the stones in the tall grass.

Who knew?

It was a whirlwind weekend.  Port Huron on Friday, Hines Drive on Saturday, 3 Huron Metroparks on Sunday and the Detroit Zoo on Monday - with 6 special caches!  Stay tuned for that last adventure!

Metroparking on Memorial Day

We've had a bit of a family crisis to deal with.... all is well in the end.  But as a result, I never posted my pictures from our recent MGA 2014 adventure.  Members of Team Free Range Lobsters (Myself, SnakeyLicks, WikidKriket, Fiona-the-wonder-geo-pup and 3inaTree) explored Lower Huron, Willow and Oakwood Metroparks.

First stop: Lower Huron Metropark

Unsuspecting fools.... 

... because the skeeters were waiting!  Rained for several days
before and the cache was in a natural marshland. Ugh.

Willow Metropark:

Fiona for the find!
Actually, Jeremy was signing as she was looking.

A lot less marshland = happier cachers!

In the middle of Willow Metropark is
Huron Township Cemetery.
Fitting to visit on Memorial Day

Lovely old cemetery - stones dating back to the Civil War

Oakwoods Metropark:

Time for our hot dog lunch!
Fiona is rewarded for being a good pup-pup

Visiting Hawkeye at the Nature Center

Pilgrimage to Squirrel Nutkins GC363
Michigan's 6th oldest active cache

Cemetery Hopping.

That area of Southeastern Michigan is brimming with historic, well-maintained cemeteries.  So, on the way down and back, I stopped off at a few.

SQ - Happy Hunting Grounds GCRFTC

Near SQ-Mother's Day Cache GC2VQR1

Circa 1810 GC1PH79

This last stop was quite fascinating.  It was my last stop of the day.  It's a cemetery (established 1842) that currently resides in the middle of several fenced in parking lots/storage yards and bordered by the highway.  The only way to it is to lightly-trespass by parking in a junk lot full of abandoned cars and walk down this blocked off paved road to the cemetery on the hill.  Weird!  Cool!

Down the Lane #21 - Clark Cemetery GC2RWY2

Blue check is the parking

Although I missed my partner-in-cache (TaGeez was home sick), it was a beautiful (if stifling hot) day.  Totals for the day included:

• 3 MGA14 caches
• 7 cemetery caches
• 1 historic cache with a deceased raccoon hanging nearby

Looking forward to our next excursion!

MGA14 - Hudson Mills and Dehli

Members of Team Free Range Lobsters were on the road again this weekend!  This was our inaugural adventure and picnic for the 2014 Huron Clinton Metroparks Geocaching Adventure (MGA14)!  

Hudson Mills Metropark

Present were myself, TaGeez, WikidKriket, SnakeyLicks and Fiona-the-wonder-geo-pup.

Ready for an adventure!

As Hudson Mills is Kriket’s least favorite park (although beautiful, it can be such a LONG walk), we decided to knock it off on this first trip MGA14-Hudson Mills GC52P76.  Paired with the longest walk, we also hit the shortest walk (which just happens to be down the road), MGA4-Dehli GC52QFW.

TaGeez, Kriket, Licks and Fiona at Dehli

The weather was beautiful – they had been predicting rain for the entire day, but, by the time we made it to the parks, all was sunny if a little breezy. 

Kriket and scrapcat at Hudson Mills

In addition to the MGA14 caches, we were pleasantly surprised that the MGA13-Series Bonus Cache GC49C7Q (located in Hudson Mills) was still active!  Although Kriket solved the puzzle last year, we never made it back this way to make the grab.  We were the first cachers in almost 6 months to lay hands on it. Beautiful walk!

As we began work on the Multi, we realized that the long one-way walk was unnecessary. The final was nearby. 

We found a nice secluded picnic area to setup our grill and enjoy a little Michigan fare: sausage dogs, Pringles, Faygo, grapes, and strawberries. I was food-prep and TaGeez was grillmaster today.

After our picnic, we decided to tackle the 4-mile roundtrip walk anyway, picking up 5 HM-Purr Fect Trail caches released the prior year.  I must admit we were hobbling at the end, and it was a really tough getting out of bed Sunday morning! 

 

We're not sure what they're doing....

In reflection, you could tell it had been a harsh winter – trees were down and the remaining ones were just now budding.  Not too many animal interactions today – we spotted Robins, Redwing blackbirds, turkey vultures, a rabbit and deer.  We returned back to the car just as the sun was setting.

2 down – 11 to go!