July 2023 - Lake Michigan Adventure

Ever find yourself on a beautiful Saturday with no responsibilities, no commitments, but an urge to get out? It's rare, but TaGeez and I found ourselves in that boat. 

What to do? What to do? Grab a box of donuts and head west. Hey, want to go to Kalamazoo? That's the joy of geocaching - you can always make an adventure on a geotrail!

First stop was this sweet little campus of Western Michigan University.

Kalamazoo Sky Line Virtual GC9P6KV

Good thing he's not afraid of heights!

We had no plans. We visited Bricks & Minifigs. We visited a quilt ship. We visited an airport. What? I've seen this Virtual listed for years, but when would we fly out of the Gerald R Ford Airport? It was a little tricky reaching the Observation Deck, but we managed it.

We have seen this Virtual for years, but it’s always seemed a little off our path & too time consuming. Today was the day to do it.

First, a few instructions for future finders: Park in the short term parking ($2 for the first hour) and enter the terminal at Door 3. Walk forward and through the small hallway/tunnel area (past baggage claim & towards security). When you see the Gerald R. Ford Tribute Room ahead, look up. The Observation Deck is directly above it. You can take the stairs on the right to the second floor.

We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We sat and watched for planes (wish we could’ve got better pictures). We strolled sound the terminal and even had our pictures taken with a President! After completing the AL here, we drove over to the Viewing Area (SO packed with “birdwatchers”!) and completed the lab there, too.

I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this! ❤️ Fave point!

Bird Watching Virtual GC7B6CB

Did you see the "bird" in the background? We had fun exploring the airport and even visiting with the President himself!

In for a penny, in for a pound. Let's keep heading a little Northeast for another sweet virtual. 

Valley of Heroes Virtual - GC7B6VZ

After paying our respects and gathering the necessary information, we headed nearby to Cascade Roadhouse for a delightful lunch. This was a great interlude in our day!

Did you know that Grand Rapids has a Bricks & Minifigs, too? 

Well, now what? Hey, do you remember there's an oldie somewhere out here? A March 2001 traditional! Now, where is it? We need it for our double Jasmer. 

TaGeez and I are working on our double Jasmer, and, as others have mentioned, “March 2001” is rare. So, when we realized we would be in this area, we detoured here for the find.

First, we were stopped by the construction crew because the road 300 ft from the park entrance was closed for resurfacing. When we explained we were trying to get to the park, they let us pass.

After parking and lathering ourselves in bug spray, we headed off. Wow! There is not enough bug spray in the world for these bloodsuckers! Even TaGeez, who is normally immune, had to don his head net!

.7 mile further down this track, we found the cache and the mosquitoes cheered! There were tons of them! We signed the log, dropped my path tag, and scurried back out of there (out of the shade and into the baking sun).

Floodpain Folly GC4E8

Ok, out of the dark and sweaty. Let's go find water! Attached to a beach and a nearby lighthouse. Oh, the joys of Lake Michigan via Grand Haven and Holland. 

Summer is almost gone, and we almost missed it. So glad we detoured to feel sand between our toes. 

We wrapped our day by heading South to Holland for a picnic lunch in our favorite park. Have you seen Centennial Park and the Wizard of Oz exhibit? 

Isn't this the perfect ending to a gorgeous day? 

Thank you, Michigan, for another memorable summer day!