Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Lake Michigan Caching

One of my favorite places to go is the beach on Lake Michigan.  We live close enough to hit several different areas within about half an hour's drive.  The water temperature in July usually averages around 70 degrees.  Personally I prefer warmer water, so I don't swim there too often.  But I do like to visit the lake at different times of the year.  Here are some pictures taken last winter.



We have some beautiful lighthouses dotting the lakefront.


Last summer we went caching at a wonderful park down on the lakefront.  It's called Millard Park and it's in Evanston, IL.  The park is built on land that once belonged to the Robert Schaffner Estate.  This was also the location of a multi-stage geocache and had us hiking all over this vast estate.  On the property were beautiful gardens, a gazebo, an old abandoned building, ravines and gorgeous lakefront beaches.  We had to visit 5 separate areas and find clues to tell us where the final cache was hidden.  The geocaches have been hidden by permission of the park.


The gazebo...


Here we are at the abandoned building.  I could just imagine how beautiful this building once was, with its floor to ceiling windows.  I think they must have held parties out here.  What a fantastic view of the lake!



Hiking to the gardens, where they often hold wedding ceremonies.  There was a clue written on the bottom of this rubber snake, which we found in the garden.



3 hardy souls in our group stripped down to shorts and tee shirts and braved the cold water to swim to the end of this breakwater wall.  I was not one of them.  A clue was attached to a metal wire on the end of the wall.


After 4 stages we had collected 4 clue cards.  We had to figure out how to line them up properly in order to figure out the co-ordinates for the final stage.



It took us about 3 hours, but we finished it and it was a lot of fun.  Here's a photo of part of the happy group!

We ventured further down the beach afterwards.  Lake Michigan is lined with huge boulders.  We had a lot of fun climbing all over them.

I even found some beautiful sea glass and a geode on the beach.


All in all, Lake Michigan is a wonderful place to spend the day.  The next time you're near the lake, be sure to take the time to stop and explore.

8 comments:

  1. What wonderful finds on the beach. I would so love to have beaches to go to...I love finding treasures. The caching looks like a lot of fun, I just don't think I am in good enough shape for those kinds of hikes. Maybe if we start slow...

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  2. Gayle: One of my favorite things to do is to walk along a beach, ANY beach. I can always find something wonderful to take home - shells, driftwood, turtle shells, geodes, sea glass. One time I found an arrowhead.

    And the caching IS fun, and there are easier ones to do. Sometimes even in a park or a parking lot. You'd be surprised!

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  3. I'm just loving the direction you've taken your blog! Every post is so interesting and I love the places you've taken us!

    One of the things on my Sand Pail List is to go to a beach that has snow. That is something I've never seen firsthand, I want to throw snowballs on the beach!!!!

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  4. Come on up! Lake Michigan in winter is really pretty - especially when the shoreline has frozen over.

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  5. Hi Kim! I am coming over from Shellbelles and your blog is lovely!! I live in Holland, Michigan and we are about two miles from the lake. I love Lake Michigan and am so lucky to live so close. I love all the sea glass you found, we do not have that much by us but I look everytime! :) I am excited to take some walks soon to see if I can find some great driftwood. :) So nice to meet you. :)

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  6. I love that snowy no lifeguard sign! Is anyone crazy enough to get in the water at that time of the year? Even the 70ยบ in summer sounds too cold to me! :p

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  7. Hi Michelle - thanks for stopping by! I discovered one secluded little beach where I found all that sea glass. I am planning on going back again soon. It's a really neat little area.

    Cris: Yes, some people do a "Polar Plunge" in the dead of winter. I am NOT one of them. I prefer my water more around bath temperatures.

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  8. those sound like crazier people than me! I've gotten in icy waters, but with neoprene covering my whole body! :p

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