Have you heard? Michigan Waterways Adventure Labs

 The adventure is afoot, again! 

The Michigan DNR and the Michigan Geocaching Organization (MiGO) are at it again! 

As part of the 75th anniversary of the Michigan State Waterways Commission, the DNR has partnered with MiGO and Jay’s Sporting Goods to help you explore Michigan's waterways and maritime heritage. There are seven adventure labs located throughout the state. Each Adventure Lab has 10 locations for you to visit. [link]

Complete the designated Adventure Labs in each of the 4 regions to be awarded path tags - collect all 4 path tags to earn a commemorative Waterways 75th Celebration Geocoin. 

ShelleyJean, TaGeez and I started the series Sunday - touring from the Ohio border, up along the coast and around the thumb, landing in Bay City!

Wayne-Monroe Waterways

Each lab visits 10 sites and 10 code words for the tour passport. This first one ran from Bolles Harbor near Monroe, through Detroit, and into St. Clair Shores. Not sure what to expect, we are excited that these stops differ from the centennial tour, and included many birding habitats such as the spectacular Detroit River IWR - Strong Unit!

Detroit had four stops, including the Mariner's Church, Outdoor Adventure Center, and Milliken State Park. 

ShelleyJean, Scrapcat and TaGeez

Milliken State Park

Unfortunately, we couldn't finish this lab as the Grand Prix blocked the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. We would've been "first to log" 😞

Bay-Huron Waterway

Realizing what a lovely day for a car ride, we decided to continue onto Bay-Huron, starting with Harbor Beach (and a new Virtual). From there we headed West, where we visited two of my favorite locations on the tour: a lighthouse...

Point Aux Barques Lighthouse

and an ice cream shop! Yum for Stroh's ice cream! 

While we were stuffing our faces, SJ was becoming fast friends with an American Redstart - swoop! We added several new feathered friends to our "life lists" including the Orchard Oriole and the Black-crowned Night-Heron!

Photo credits: ShelleyJean and/or her camera 💗

We've heard criticism of this tour as it's just a bunch of remote boat access launches - this is not like the geocaching heavy centennial tour. Yes, in the 19 we completed, there were a few underwhelming locations, but most were in or next to previously-unknown-to-us nature preserves and [heavenly] Michigan waters! So looking forward to seeing where the remaining 5 bring us!

Tawas City Adventure

You know adventure is afoot when TaGeez shows up with an armload of donuts! It was the first of many instances where TaGeez didn't behave (can we say Cheese Haus, Sweetie?)

TaGeez and I decided to escape Saturday to the Pinconning/Tawas City area for a quilt shop. Lo! With the beautiful blue skies and fresh breeze, that task was completed quickly, and we found the road beneath out wheels. 

Seems like a good today to visit a few Virtuals in upper lower, don'tcha think? 

Whisky Springs Virtual GC98D2

If you are not familiar with the area you might enjoy knowing that in the logging days, the loggers would chill their whiskey jugs in this stream. Each man had his own jug. And trouble would start if it was touched by another. 

Whisky Springs GC98D2

This one cracked me up, when you look closely. Is this actually an Artesian well, with an interesting spout? It was quite the drive to this remote little spot.

Look what crossed our paths? Saw this lovely Sandhill Crane family moseying along as we trekked from one Virtual to the next.

Visit the Critters in the Jackpines Virtual GCH5YF

Also in the area is this Virtual - the last we needed to check off this quadrant. Admittedly I have mixed feelings about this roadside zoo. There were only a handful of animals and the cages seemed well-maintained, but..... 

We continued down M-65 which took us to this stunning view of the Canoer's Memorial (where we spied our first Indigo Bunting).... 

... and onto Lumberman's Monument.

This brings back such memories! My family vacationed here every year so I wanted to stop and see how last year's fire affected it. Luckily. it only took the woods across the street and not this stunning view. Relieved, we merrily left after visiting the exhibits and the shop. Unfortunately, we neglected to check the Adventure Lab app to see there was one there. TaGeez said this is just another excuse to trek back there!

We consoled ourselves with Tony's Tacos and a First-to-Find about a mile up the coast!

Pretty amazing view from our picnic table - new pier! GC9TR0A

We turned to Tawas Point, one of my favorite spots in Michigan. Birders on the local birding sites have been posting amazing pictures along that .6 mile walk from the parking lot to the point. TaGeez was game, as we walked around with our binoculars and Merlin app, but we had very little luck. 

We did spy this beauty! Howdy, dear!

And can't forget this one! Our second First-to-Find today! 

Tawas Point GC9VGM0

All-in-all, an amazing adventure! It felt so good, on the road and on the hunt 💓 

Scrapcat and TaGeez

 We need to do more of this!

Seneca County GeoTrail: Happy Caching on the Backroads

 So, what'cha doing this weekend? 

Funny how those words seem to get me and ShellyJean into the most trouble, isn't it? It's been a LONG winter with a lot of commitments so it was time to get away over Memorial Weekend. We had many options to choose from, but I'm glad SJ picked the Seneca County Geotrail (SCGT)!

Located about 1.5 hours south of Detroit (below Toledo & Sandusky), the SCGT runs from Fostoria to Tiffin to Attica. Honestly, I'm embarrassed to admit, I had never heard of these places, but I was game to SJ's suggestion. Turns out to be a lovely part of the state, flush with history, birds, and geocaches!

ShelleyJean and I setout early Saturday morning, with a plan to stay at the Hampton Inn in Tiffin overnight. 

There are 20 caches along the trail.  To earn the official Seneca County Geo Trail coin, you will need to complete 15 out of the 20 caches.  To receive the coin AND a trackable tag, please complete ALL 20 caches! [SCGT]

First stop was Fostoria, OH - originally famous for its Fostoria Glass.

Fostoria is now a destination for train-buffs as almost 120 trains passing through daily. We experienced their enthusiasm at the Fostoria Iron Triangle Railpark, families gathering with binoculars to watch the trains go by. Pretty fun listening to them reel off engine numbers and stats as we were busily groping the B&O Caboose for the geocache!

In addition to several caches around the small downtown, SCGT #6 was an Adventure Lab: Strolling in Fostoria. Not to give too much away, here are a few highlights from our visit: 

After a successful trek, we next headed to the Steyer Nature Preserve. To celebrate our arrival, the birds posed for pictures for SJ including two new "life list" bird, the blue bird and the yellow warbler! 

SJ took many beautiful pictures of the blue bird, so I hope she forgives me for picking "Mr. Grumpy Pants" for this post because I can't look at it without cracking up!

Photo by ShelleyJean

After the finding the cache, we sat on the picnic tables listening to the bird songs. This was definitely one of my two favorite stops - the other, Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve, happened to be a bird haven, too. SJ photographed 2 more "life lists" birds there, the Eastern Wood-Pewee and the Eastern Phoebe. 

Tiffin, Ohio, was a complete surprise! I wasn't expecting it to be so... established? Two Universities (Tiffin University and Heidelberg University), the lovely downtown including the Ritz Theatre (Michael Bolton in December!), and beautiful historic homes & parks along the riverfront. 

Here we spent the afternoon and the following morning completing 5 adventure labs, more geotrail caches, and several high-favorited puzzles. No GC codes here - I don't want to spoil these. 

East of Tiffin is the Attica-area, where we found the Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve, the geotrail Earth Cache at Seneca Caverns plus an Underground Railroad site while exploring the backroads of Seneca County! This was exactly the type of getaway we needed.

Dinner at The Wall Street Grill and an adventure through our first drive-thru convenience store ended our first night in Tiffin, Ohio. Sunday we completed the remaining Adventure Labs before turning home to Michigan. We had birding on the brain so we stopped at several Michigan State and Metro parks including the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.  SJ taking more pictures, but I sat watching the REAL wildlife, park visitors on a holiday weekend!

The geotrail was a lovely adventure, and I feel so energized! We were so impresses with the responsiveness of the CO (Seneca County) to our (probably too-numerous) communications. One of the last, included a message that they are working on a new geotrail (with a Virtual Reward) and hoping we will come back. Oh, we definitely will! 💚