The Reason for This Adventure

There were several reasons for taking the road trip we are on this week. The health issues of this past winter and the surgery happening next month had some influence. We had planned to attend a 'big' geocaching gathering in Lincoln NE on the way home in April, but didn't, so this BIG event later this week was to make up for missing the earlier one. We know other geocachers attending this one and look forward to seeing our geo-friends. But the biggest reason was what happened today.

I (and sometimes, Hubby) have goals in this game of geocaching. One of our goals for 2018 was to find double digit (10 or more) geocaches on each day of the calendar year. We completed that goal in April. Now all 366 days have 10 or more logged geocaches. In 2017, one of my goals was to find a geocache in each of the 15 counties of AZ. We had done that for SD and because we spend almost half a year in AZ, I wanted to complete the AZ map. We did. Having goals helps keep the fun of the game alive. My goal for 2018 was to find a geocache placed/hidden in each month since geocaching was created.

See that blank month? August 2000? There are only 3 geocaches in the United States left that had been placed in August 2000. One is in Utah. Another in Georgia. The third in Michigan. Finding that Michigan geocache was the priority for today.

And there it is! A large plastic jar covered in camo duct tape, placed under some sticks. Nothing very special. It was a 300' or so walk from a non-maintained country road, easily accessible with the truck.

trees with itty bitty white flowers

patches of pretty white flowers

This is similar to the area we walked to get to that much needed geocache, except it was not flat ground! And you noticed the walking stick we used to reach that hidden geocache.

don't know what they are called

other than dandelions, this is the only flower we saw today

Since we were driving through Michigan from north to south, we were also looking to find and sign a geocache in each county we encountered. As soon as we saw a sign along the road indicating a county change, I grabbed my phone and looked for a nearby geocache. Sometimes we really lucked out!

This cache talked about a training area for the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam Era and the fact some soldiers went AWOL. So we pulled off the freeway, parked the truck and took a short walk in the nearby woods. This is what we saw.

ammo can hidden under the tarp

VERY creative geocache hider

We also stopped at a sculpture memorial honoring the Michigan DOT workers who have been killed in senseless traffic accidents. A very cool sculpture at a welcome center and a good reminder as we travel the roads.

two more counties to get tomorrow

the green counties show where we have traveled

the green one in the lower left was a county we visited

in 2014 or so when we stopped to visit friends

On to Cincinnati and GeoWoodstock...

WI to MI of our Geo Road Trip

Today was an awesome travel day as most of it was along the shoreline of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, all new territory for us.

What I though was Lake Michigan was Green Bay, according to the map. It was a big body of water, but parts of Wisconsin could be seen to the east. I know. Weird! We were driving in Michigan, but Wisconsin was to the east. (Look at a map.)

One of the exciting stops today was at a light house, a working light house. I have seen them before, but not quite this close and personal. The walk was a half mile out and then back again. The walk started on a board walk, went to sand, then boulder climbing, before getting to the cement causeway/walkway/pier. (A chilly 51º along Lake Michigan.)

this guy was at the top of the light house waiting for 

our arrival

the final walk

we needed a photo on the steps of the

light house for a geocache

This 34 foot tower was established in 1915 and automated in 1969.

mileage signs at the parking lot

What we first thought from a distance was smoke was actually swarms of insects. More about that later.

first view of Mackinac Bridge

The bridge opened in 1957, connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. It is the world's 19th longest suspension bridge at 26,372 feet long or almost 5 miles long. We traveled north to south, from the UP to the Lower P.

The width of the bridge measures 54  feet. It rises 200 feet above the water level. Approximately 11,600 cars cross it every day. (It wasn't that crowded today. With construction, some of the four lanes were down to 2 lanes.) The bridge cost over $99 million to construct.

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City

on the south side of the Mackinac Bridge

now a historic site under renovation

the bridge looking north

from whence we came...Straits of Mackinac

separating Lake Michigan and Lake Huron

Remember those swarms of insects I mentioned? Well, there were so bad in Mackinaw City, we walked with our heads down, swatting everywhere.

that is not smoke coming from the chimney

that is swarming insects

a tug towing an equipment barge on Lake Huron

that is how bad the insects were

in your mouth, eyes, ears

they covered our clothes and got in the truck

when we got in the truck

ICK! YEW!

but we got the 3 needed geocaches!

The adventure continues tomorrow in Michigan as we head south towards our goal of Cincinnati.

Celebrating Birthdays

OFD's birthday was earlier this month, but because of our later than usual departure from AZ, we were unable to celebrate with her until this weekend. We had brunch together at one of our favorite places close to her home before we headed on down the road.

Hubby and I then continued on our birthday road trip to Cincinnati by way of...Wisconsin today. We did some geocaching which is the purpose of this road trip. We collected some new counties in WI and found a couple interesting caches. And missed an interesting one.

an easy army tank find

we really hoped to find the cache in Curtiss

but a birthday party at GZ cut short the hunt

(family will know the significance of this town!)

we were in horse & buggy country

tried to get a photo of the horse

but the iPhone didn't cooperate

but this phone geocache did

very clever

well-concealed

then it was birthday dinner in Wausau

spring strawberry salad & wine & yummy warm bread

Hubby's spaghetti dinner

my chicken & vegetables lasagne...yummy!

pie from a favorite place for dessert

can you guess which piece was chosen by Hubby?

birthday celebration started on Thursday with dinner

and flaming cupcakes~all with good friends

And another birthday is in the books!

The Geo-Road Trip continues tomorrow

New places, New adventures...

Traveling Through Southeast CO

We traveled through a part of Colorado on the way home this time, seeing an area we had not before and geocaching to break the monotony of travel. And as is very typical of geocaching, we encountered some interesting stops.

a house built of petrified wood

now part of a used car lot

the 'grout' used to hold the stones in place

built in 1933

We were driving through small towns, some without any businesses so finding a place for lunch was beginning to be a worry. We happened upon a little gas station/convenience store and took advantage of the restrooms as well as fuel. We had planned to purchase their Chester's Chicken when the staff recommended the homemade chicken pot pie which had just come from the oven. I took their recommendation. OMG! So good. Lots of chicken chunks and veggies and the crust was flaky, buttery and oh, so yummy! We also purchased the homemade lemon loaf for dessert. This little unassuming local business was the treat of the day.

The next unexpected surprise was a geocache at a Japanese Relocation Camp from WWII.

Camp Amache hosted 7300 American Japanese

from August 1942 to October 1945

(more than 10,000 residents in those 3 years)

some 560 buildings~2000 children attended school~9500 acres

the tenth largest community in CO at the time

The site was brought to the attention of the public in 1976 when some of the interred residents and their families came back to visit. All of the buildings were gone, but they began to tell the stories of their time in Colorado at the camp. Today the community of Granada and its high school students maintain the site, collecting oral histories and the upkeep of the site and cemetery.

Another unexpected stop was the location of a prairie fire April 10, 1948 burned 50,000 acres.
 

Four men, ages 21-37 lost their lives plowing a fireguard to save lives and property. A small memorial along  the highway.

There was a variety of scenery and land formations along that route, everything from high plains desert to rich farmland and oil wells. An interesting drive with some interesting history...thanks to geocaching!

Spring Soccer

We got to SD on Friday afternoon to greet the g'kids when they got home from school! So good to see them and their parents! Saturday afternoon was spent watching soccer. 50º, damp and a wind out of the north...spring in SD!

Miss W and g'pa playing a little soccer

until she left for the playground

diving the yellow team into 2

Dad coaching M's group

finally shirt over the jacket

so much fun to watch

and see the improvement since last fall

notice all the adults with blankets!

G'pa and M trying to stay warm

By Sunday afternoon it warmed enough to have the doors open at the house and to be outside playing in the dirt. All those AZ tubs can wait for another day...