An Email from Michelin USA!

I’m so geeked right now!  (Amazing how many blog posts I start with that, but life is a hoot!)

Really, though.  I just received an email from Michelin USA asking to use two of my photos submitted in the #MichelinQuest contest for a video!  Mine (and probably several hundred others) will be part of a company video and possibly posted on their website and social media sites. 

Here are the ones they asked for:

Can’t wait to see it! That was a nice surprise!

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OOH!  Just found out my friend (zug) was picked, too!  I really like his POW photo!

A Capital Adventure!

Sitting here listening to the rain beating on the windows it’s hard to believe a week ago we enjoyed such amazing weather – perfect for our trip to the State Capital!  TaGeez and I had been planning this trip for awhile because one of our JASMER caches was sitting snug as a bug in the Woldumar Nature Center (plus we’re History geeks). In addition to this oldie are a series of Virtuals and Challenge caches waiting to be discovered!

I don’t want to give too much away (because there are Virtuals involved) so here’s a pictorial tour of our day.  Our first stop was the Woldumar Nature Preserve just West of Lansing.

First stop: Woldumar Nature Preserve GC2A8B - November 2001

Nice find!  And look at all that greenery at his feet!
Good thing he's immune!

2 Michelin Men and my Wimpy Kid stopped for a visit!

Who's watching you?

After leaving the Woldumar, we headed towards the MSU campus and the downtown Lansing area with its beautiful Virtuals.  One of our favorites was A Capitol Hike GCJ1N6 - it's a 5 stage 26 subpart tour of the downtown.

Lovely, isn't it?  Midway through our "Virtuals", we stopped into the Capital Building for a little shade and a lot of beauty. If you approach the reception desk, they give you a booklet and tell you to start on the 3rd floor.

The State of Michigan Capitol Building is famous for being the only U.S. Capital with a glass floor!

TaGeez and scrapcat on the famous glass floor!

It must be time to get out of the sun and get a cool coffee drink!  We're seeing red T-Rexes now!

Back to the last of the Virtuals and a few cemeteries before heading out into the sunset.

Eureka Cemetery - home of MLT Eureka GCC31D
had some unique Zinc stones onsite

Our totals for this trip: 

* Adding 300 miles to my car for 25 finds in 12 hours
* Those finds include 1 JASMER cache (Nov 2001), 12 Virtuals, 6 challenges, 2 SQ's and 1 MLT
* Along the way we spotted 3 deer, used 6 parking meters, walked on 1 glass floor, stared at a giant lugnut & a giant red T-Rex, and was attacked by 1 angry apple
* Sharing our adventure were 2 Michelin Men and 1 Wimpy Kid trackables

The Jasmer is Jumping!

Just updated my stats. Isn't it beautiful? I have my JASMER filled from 2001 to present with a trip to the Woldumar Nature Preserve in Lansing this past week!

Woldumar Cache GC2A8B from 11/28/01 - It was quite the crowd with myself, TaGeez, two Michelin Men and my Wimpy Kid TB's!  

If all things go well, we will fill at least one more 2000 cache before Winter.

Just Call Me "Mr. Bib"! - Michelin TB Giveaway

Let me introduce you to Mikey!  He arrived in our mailbox Saturday, one of 2,000 free Michelin Quest trackables sent to U.S. mailboxes this week! 

I have to admit – originally, he wasn’t mine.  The moment I saw the promotion and requested one for myself and one for TaGeez.  I then shot the link to my sister for a third one.  Kriket and TaGeez each received one, but my mailbox remained barren… dark… empty… unfilled with trackable goodness.  Good thing TaGeez loves me and isn’t really into the numbers thing.  He sweetly gave me his.  I’m hoping, though, I’ll be surprised one day this week with a small manila package in my mailbox so he can have one, too.

We started taking him on adventures, but, typical of our caching buddies, he was more interested in donuts that pirate ships.

We’ll send him out soon so he can complete his intended mission statement, with a chance of him crossing your paths for prizes:

This Michelin Man tire pressure gauge is part of Michelin’s Quest for Adventure Anniversary geocaching contest.  Sharing a photo of this trackable could win you a set of tires AND a grand prize trip for two! 

125 years ago, the Michelin brothers dreamed of giving people a better way to move and travel.  The Michelin Man was a manifestation of that dream and he came to live ten years later to help guide people on their adventures all over the world. 

Share a picture of this Michelin Man on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #MichelinQuest  from now until December 31, 2014.

What I found fascinating is the history of the “Michelin Man”.  Here’s some interesting trivia from the web:

• Did you know his real name is “Bidenbum” (shortened to “Mr. Bib”)?  Bidenbum is Latin for “drinking to be done”.  In one of the earliest campaigns, he was promoted as having the ability to “drink up” obstacles.

• The popular (and one of the oldest & most recognized) mascot was created by the Michelin brothers. During a visit to the 1894 International Fair in Lyon, they found themselves in front of a stack of tires. The shape of the stack reminded them of a man without arms, and thus the mascot was born.

• The first Michelin Man ad was finalized in 1898. Back then, tires weren't black; they were light gray or beige. Since Bibendum was designed to look like a man made of a stack of tires, he was light in color.

In 1894, the Michelin brothers primarily sold
bicycle tires hence the thinner-looking rings

• Mr. Bib has changed considerably over the years. In early Michelin Man ads he was characterized as well-to-do, often smoking a cigar and wearing opera glasses or a monacle. In other ads, the Michelin Man was portrayed as a kickboxer, a gladiator and even a ballroom dancer. Soon, Mr. Bib evolved into a driver's guardian angel, which is how he is depicted in Michelin Man ads today.

That’s fabulous.  And we have a particular fondness for the “tire guy” as we’re proudly from the Motor City.  I can’t wait to see the adventures ahead!

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UPDATE - SEPT 16TH: I got one, too! It arrived in the mail yesterday!  How wonderful!  I gave it to TaGeez, and we will take them both out on adventures before releasing them!