MSPCGT: Gluttons for Punishment

What were we thinking?!?

2019 is ticking down, and the team had hoped to finish the Michigan State Parks Centennial GeoTour (MSPCGT) during the centennial year. So that means finding caches in all season - including the unseasonable weather that has rolled in.

Starting at Holland State Park (time to get the "sand dune" wherigos over with), we began on the beach where the water was frigid and the the wind carried ice pellets! BRRRR!

The MSPCGT: Holland State Park cache is an 18-stage tour of the beach area, nearby town, up 200 steps, along the top of a sand dune, and, eventually, to a cache final. We've been dreading it all year, but we're determined to finish all 100 caches in the series. 

Waiting until Fall, we hoped to avoid the heat on the sand, the EEE mosquitoes in the woods, and the Muggles on the beach. It did that, but we weren't accounting for the freezing wet feet and chapped cheeks. 

Up! Up! Up, we go! Summer crowds are so numerous there are signs that the stairs must be taken single-file and NO STOPPING! 

Look! Atop the dune and heading down!

I won't spoil the final. So, instead. here's a lion. After making the find, we headed downtown to see the new Wizard of Oz statues outside the library and for a little shopping downtown. If you get a chance, the art made from recycled materials along the main road are fun!

Holland State Park

Reprieve over... time to tackle another dune.

MSPCGT: Saugatuck SP is down the road from Holland.  This is another lengthy wherigo. This time touring the Felt Mansion....

... along the property into the nearby state park....

... and taking trails up the side of hills, along ridges, and over the dunes.

Yet another view of the beautiful and frigid Lake Michigan. The final was just a few hundred feet further on the trail. It was purported "so hard to find", but I think all three of us tripped on it almost immediately. WOW! Two multi-mile wherigos involving steps, trails & sand dunes -- I felt it for days afterwards.

Last find of the day was MSPCGT: Van Buren SP. I gave the letterbox container & special stamps a favorite point, but, if I'm being honest, the short walk to the cache was a major influence.

Our reward for our perseverance was an amazing sunset in South Haven and then dinner at Clementines! Look at these amazing photos! It's one of my favorite places in Michigan <3 

Thank you, ShelleyJean, for this favorite photo!

Sadly, we turned away from Lake Michigan Sunday morning and started heading home. Our next three MSPCGT caches were ammo cans on the pole.

MSPCGT: Grand Mere

MSPCGT: Warren Dunes

You would'a thought the word "dunes" in the state park name (Warren Dunes) would've clued me into the possibility of more sand and sandy heights. Oi! Luckily SJ and TaGeez powered on!

We pulled up to the gates of MSPCGT: Warren Woods and found a surprise - a locked gate with a sign stating "Closed until April".  Not deterred (we came so far) we hefted our packs and headed a half mile down the road. Nearing the final, we spied a group looking as guilty as we were. 

Team Stone's Throw was a group of muggles we hopefully converted. They were fascinated by the cache and the idea of caching. They are a beautiful group of women who actually hike for fun! I hope we see them on the trails again.

And now... off to my favorite road, U.S. Route 12 in Michigan. I swear, one day I'm going to drive it from Detroit to its final in Aberdeen, Washington. In Michigan, U.S. 12 takes you through quaint town squares and along the railroad. We visited historic cemeteries, stopping at several Virtuals.

Hero's was one of my favorite Virtuals on the trip. It's in a little downtown park filled with many, many, many ducks! Excitedly we paid out our quarters and fed the ducks until they stormed us! A single-minded flock of feathery evil! Luckily, I saved enough feed to make it to the Virtual and back. I distracted the swarm with the last of the bird food and raced to my team, pinned in the car! Adventure!

Last stop of our tour was MSPCGT: Coldwater Lake SP. We were warned that it was an undeveloped slight of land with no amenities. To gain the cache you had to wade through waist-high grass. Ok, let's get this over with before it gets dark. 

Amish speeding by

93 caches completed - 6 weeks to complete 7 more!

Update on my state park journal - I've kept on this. I have seven pages for seven parks to go! 

Lake Michigan: A Last Summer Hurrah!

I've been trying to post this for weeks, but TaGeez and I have been pulling double shifts and double duty, which has left little time except for the daily cache.  Now that cold weather is setting in and the days are darker, earlier I'm enjoying reliving this post-Labor Day adventure.

What started as a family adventure turned into a couples-only weekend after PopLob took ill. So, hotel book and rental car at the ready, what to do? What to do? Well, geocache. Right? 

HEADING WEST

Our initial plan was to take PopLob for a weekend of cider mills, white fish dinners, and beach views from camp chairs. Now with no need to stay close to interstate restrooms, we decided to detour to some of the sites off the beaten path. First stop is Fort Customer National Cemetery.

Avenue of Flags GCGZRX

Did you know we had German POW's during World War II? Why did that take me by surprise? I guess I assumed we were too far from the action.  It was moving to see the row of German headstones so far from home. 

Our open itinerary means we could tick off some personal goals including caching in the last three lower Michigan counties we needed.  Chief Noonday is in the middle of farmland north of Richland.

Chief Noonday's Grave GCB030

Afterwards we headed south through Kalamazoo to enjoy the newest geocaching Virtuals, most of which were located in cemeteries. Unfortunately, to avoid the spoilers, I can't share too many pictures.

Look at these! Old marble protected by stainless steel caps! We're seeing more and more steel in cemeteries lately.

Typical Cemetery Cache GC495EP

Several more cemeteries, a Viking Muffler Man plus the Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival, we finally made it to South Haven in time for dinner.

SOUTH HAVEN

Hampton Inn in South Haven was affordable, very close to downtown, and made a fabulous recommendation for dinner....

Clementines!

South Haven is a quaint downtown is shops and restaurants and (thankfully) not many tourists the weekend after Labor day. So relaxing strolling hand-and-hand peering in shop windows and groping park benches for geocaches. 

Downtown South Haven GC34JQD

We had a relaxed, prolonged dinner people watching in Clementine's. Still a little restless, we decided to cruise down for a glimpse of the local lighthouse only to realize we happened upon Lake Michigan at sunset! I think the pictures speak for themselves.

GORGEOUS! We were back the next morning. 

South Pier Overlook GCJYR1

Happy as can be we packed up and started heading North - visiting cemeteries and lighthouses, geocaching and dipping our toes in the cool, blue water along the way. It couldn't have been more perfect. 

Ode to Eleanor GC73WJ5

BIG RED - HOLLAND

Holland is known for its windmill and annual tulip festival, but you can't neglect a visit to Big Red. Look at all that sand and so few people!

Big Red GCP7TK

GRAND HAVEN

Next found us in Grand Haven where we spied two lighthouses as well as several other geocaches.

Grand Haven is known as Coast Guard City and hosts an annual Coast Guard celebration. No surprise the Coast Guard station is the site of one of the new Virtuals.

Virtual Reward - Coast Guard City USA GC7B8J9

We turned into town for lunch at the Dee-Lite Bar & Grill. We were given a choice to wait for a table in the dining room or immediate seating in the bar. TaGeez ducked out to the men's room, and the couple at the next table openly laughed at me when I ordered a round of water. Little did we know when we were seated in the Theater Bar that they were famous for their Sunday morning Bloody Mary drink buffet. You can see the lady over TaGeez's left shoulder making up her next round!

The food was delicious and worth the trip back.

MUSKEGON

This stop in Muskegon was much different then the last. Sunny and blue, water as far as the eye can see. Plus we practically had the beach to ourselves.

Light House Park GC4BMNE

Confession time: I have a water video library. I have videotaped the sounds and sites of the surf from various Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean (North Carolina to Maine). I find it a great de-stresser at work. We added quite a bit of footage on this trip, but these contained lighthouses in the background!

Unfortunately, there wasn't much Roadside America or Atlas Obscura stops along this route. So close to the USS Silversides, we felt we had to stop. Well, that's all we have to say about that.

WHITEHALL

And final stop North is Whitehall. We enjoyed this stop earlier in the year with Shelley Jean, but this time the summer warmth was with us.

TAZ WTP S2S 2017 - 14 WHITE RIVER LIGHTHOUSE GC6X30M

Feeling blessed because we live in Pure Michigan!

Even TaGeez kicked off his shoes!

I LOVE TRAVELING WITH THIS MAN!

THE RIDE HOME

It's finally time to head home, and we have a few more stops in mind.

Caching Down in Germantown  GC7AA6N

If you ever make it to Grandville (southeast of Grand Rapids), you most definitely need to try the celebrated caches by hoekfam. One was guarded by a platoon of skeeters, the most favorited was MIA, but Updraft will definitely be my favorite of the trip. Want to see this amazing cache in action, check out my Facebook video!

Updraft GC5931G

We missed PopLob, but it was the tonic for a very trying year. Hopefully these memories will get us through the Winter ahead.