Michigan State Parks GeoTour 2: Dipping Our Toes into State Park Caches

I've lived in a number of states as a former military wife, but, ah! Michigan! What a gorgeous state! And the Michigan State Park GeoTour really highlights some of the best areas!

I will do my best to share our state park beauty without posting anything that's truly a spoiler. I will not share any photos of the actual code words. 

MSPGT2-SL: Lexington State Harbor GCAPW4Y

Today is the first day of the All Michigan Quilt Shop Hop, and TaGeez & I went to Imlay City. We had a lovely time exploring the shops and grabbing puzzle caches. But I was in need of seeing some beautiful, blue water.

We decided to turn to Lexington. Not only an area we love but the MSPGT2 geocache that we sponsored!

Nearby is a cute downtown with restaurants and shops, but one street over is the boat launch on the "sugar-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters". Perfect day to drive across Michigan's thumb for this drive.

We turned up with high hopes, and we found the cache immediately. Oh fun! We quickly had the solve at hand, but there was a problem… we couldn’t get the second lock to open.

What did we do wrong? We tried the puzzle again, tried the lock again, tried the puzzle again, went to lunch, came back, tried again, and left unsuccessfully.

Now, this cache is nowhere near home, so we turned around and headed back one last time. Someone else had just opened it today so it must work!

This time TaGeez entered in the code and snap! Unlocked! Looking confused, TaGeez kindly told me my answer was correct, but I wasn’t pulling g hard enough on the lock! DOH!

Lake Huron is cold, but it is beautiful. We enjoyed our beach-views at the cache, and then we decided to drove down the coast through Port Huron and Marine City.

MSPGT2-SL: Island Lake RA GCAPW4R

Several days later found us at Island Lake Rec for the MSPGT2 - Southern Lower Edition Kickoff GCB78ZM. Again, we were blessed with good weather. We hang out with friends, snapped pics of the Sandhill Cranes, and then group cached the nearby State Park cache. 

After a work-filled winter, it felt great getting out into the parks again!

Sun On My Toes

Oh! I thought it was called "Robins NEST"!

Robin's Rest Stop GC7E3FX

That was the beginning of our adventure last weekend to Lake Huron. TaGeez and I had started the day intending to visit a quilt shop in Ann Arbor. Instead, with the need for the road under our wheels, we turned towards Port Huron and the fabulous Sew Elegant Quilt Shop. 

Really, though, it was just an excuse to continue north for a much-needed mini-adventure. I told TaGeez as we set off that I wanted water, people watching, sunlight, geocaches and a lighthouse.  He nailed it on all accounts!

100x5 Icon Challenge GC235MP

Have you cached along lower Lake Huron? It's about 30 miles between Port Huron and Port Sanilac. That's 30 miles of the bluest lake, cabins with funny names, and scenic pull-offs. Our main goal is Lexington, named for the famous Revolutionary War town in Massachusetts and once a Great Lake lumber port. Now its full of free festivals and quirky shops. 

And did I mention beaches? This was our view from Windjammers restaurant at the intersection of Main Street and Lake Huron. TaGeez and I enjoyed Alaskan cod and the best damnedest clam chowder. Poor TaGeez turned his back once and his chowder just disappeared!

After lunch (and listening to the Kentucky Derby on the bar TV), we moseyed over to the public docks and breakfront. 77 degrees, sunny with a light breeze. It sounds corny but you could feel the mantle of Winter left in a bag back in the car and the sun warming our very white toes. Too bad nobody informed Mother Nature - that water was 43 degrees and frigid! Holy frigid witch!

This sweet beauty is the mate of the one we spied from Windjammers. You may think this creature is the epitome of nature's grace, but, after we took this photo, it preceded to continually moon us. Asshole.

Windjammers on the right

Back up the hill and to the shops of Lexington. There are only 4 caches in and about town, and we just found the one outside the theater. We were surprised this little tourist town are headlining country stars like Lorrie Morgan and Kenny Chesney this summer.  I can't imagine where everyone will park.

Speaking of 4 caches... WE FOUND A LONELY CACHE! A multi/puzzle Spirit Quest in Lexington Cemetery unfound for TWO YEARS!  We were about to give up after fighting thorns, vines, standing water, and bugs, but we noticed a gold glint amongst the dead leaves. And this cemetery had a 'DEAD END' sign out front.

SQ - Lexington GC2RK6K

Back in the car and heading towards Port Sanilac, we pulled off at a number of scenic stops. Each conveniently had a scenic view and a geocache! Pure Michigan!

Secret Huron View GC5A8P1....

... and the view.

Port Sanilac is known for "a rich history with attractions such as the lighthouse built in 1886, the oldest continuously operating hardware store in Michigan, the Sanilac County Historical Village and Museum ... " 

Port Sanilac Lighthouse

We spied all three as we navigated to the beach for a little more caching. We happened upon geocache #1 of the Shore to Shore series and then one of Rattrak's Earth caches.

Shore to Shore #1 GC6W8T9

Admittedly, I don't seek out Earth Caches. Too many of them are cut-and-paste creations from Wikipedia, but we've come across some amazing ones in Ohio (Artesian wells, Berea sandstone castles), Iowa (limestone kilns, bedrock refrigeration), Massachusetts (dinosaur footprints), Washington DC (Smithsonian Natural History Museum). 

Great Lakes - Lake Huron Earth Cache GC127DA

So, when it presented itself, we acquired a clear bottle from a random trash bin, scooped some frigid water, and then stared at it on our washing machine for three days to see if it performed a trick. It did.

I think the coolest cache stop we've experienced this year is this SQ in Lakeport. Very cool bridge. It had a grated walkway with vines and ivy growing in. Luckily TaGeez was on his game for this one!

SQ - Lakeport South GC71EYR

After a long, glorious day it was time for a cold refreshment to counter the saltiness on our upper lips and the sand stowing away in my pant cuffs. We met a few new friends including an A&W Papa Burger statue and...

And Greg E. Normous Muffler Man! Yes, a Muffler Man SO close to home!

This trip was exactly the tonic we needed to take the edge off our cabin fever and stoke the road trip fires! One adventure down and two more to go this month!