| Troop visits Tahquamenon Falls for adventure trip The sky was blue and temperature warm as 16 Scouts and 6 leaders pack into cars, vans and trucks heading to Northern Michigan for our annual 4-day adventure. First stop was Jay's Sporting Goods in Claire. What an awesome place. Makes Gander Mountain look like a small convenience store on the corner. Scouts really enjoyed wishlist shopping at Jay's. Next stop was Big Mac. No golden arches here. Big Mac the bridge! We spent some time and took pictures at the south end of the bridge before crossing to the UP. We arrived at Tahquamenon State Park late afternoon. Our campsite was located on the riverbank near the mouth of the Tahquamenon River. Very scenic location. We figured it was not a good sign when the rangers were in full body suits of mosquito netting. The Mosquito Festival was in full swing by the time we visited Tahquamenon. The daily rain showers were actually welcome because there were no mosquitoes then. We learned some good lessons about wet weather camping and how to stay dry! Friday morning we spent time at the lower and upper falls before enjoying traditional Upper Peninsula Pasties for lunch. Everyone tried and most complete their pasty meal. We visited the Shipwreck Museum at White Fish Point on Friday afternoon. Several buildings including a lighthouse, theatre and museum with artifacts from the Edmond Fitzgerald were on display. Since it started raining when we arrived at the museum it was a good way to spend the afternoon. Our original plan was to break camp on Saturday morning and travel to the Hiawatha National Forest for a night. With the wet and mud, we decided to remain at Tahquamenon as our base site and commute. Saturday morning we had some personal gear to dry and the rain continued so we drove to Seney National Wildlife Refuge. After a tailgate lunch we spent time in their interpretive center drove the car tour through the refuge. Great activity for a rainy day. We saw many Trumpeter Swans, Loons, Geese and other ducks but the highlight of the afternoon was spotting 2 Bald Eagles! One was a young eagle and the other a very majestic adult. We watched and took pictures of the eagles for quite a while before they flew away. Back at our soggy camp we made dinner and attempted to stay dry for the evening. Sunday morning we ha breakfast, worship service, time for reflection, broke camp a journeyed home. Even with the rain and mosquitoes, we enjoyed the adventure, the opportunity to experience nature and the great outdoors! Return to Outing Page |