Michigan's strange and unusual curiosities

Geocaching: a treasure hunt for the whole family

The July sky brings summer's first meteor shower...

By Scott Anttila

Camping is a wonderful opportunity to acquaint children to the stars and planets visible under the clear northern Michigan skies. This series will appear monthly in The Northern Camper.

July brings late nights and early mornings to Northern Michigan. On July 1st there are only three hours and twenty-five minutes of true darkness. By the end of July this time grows to 5 hours. This is due to the sun setting at a shallow angle compared to the horizon, resulting in long twilights. Long twilights can be fun if you want to sit around a campfire, but for observing the night sky we end up looking only at bright objects.

Fortunately, Venus is strikingly bright early in July, clearly visible in the western sky at sunset. After sunset Venus will appear to move quickly across the sky. It appears to move so quickly that many times it has been mistaken for an aircraft or even UFO. This is an illusion. It is moving at the same speed at the rest of the stars in the sky. It just looks to be moving faster because we see it close to familiar objects and can easily notice its movement.

Venus will remain on the western horizon at sunset for the entire month of July. On July 1st we will also find a bright “star” close to Venus. This is planet Saturn. Venus and Saturn will remain in conjunction for the first week of July. On the 16th of July we will be treated to a conjunction of Venus, Saturn, Regulus and a sliver of the new moon.

Looking west at sunset the moon and Venus will be readily visible at or before sunset, followed by both the star Regulus and Saturn popping out of the darkness shortly after the sun sets below the horizon. So look west at sunset and you will find bright planets hanging on the horizon all month long.

In late July the Delta Aquarids return. These are July's meteorites. The Delta Aquarids are a “strong” meteorite shower producing up to 60 meteorites per hour in a good year. This meteorite shower peaks on the morning of July 28th, but there will be activity particularly in the early morning hours starting mid-month. The Delta Aquarids originate from the southern portion of the Constellation Aquarius. This constellation can be found rising in the south-eastern sky at sunset. As with all meteorite showers, it is best to observe in the early morning hours before sunrise. Look between the south east horizon and directly overhead.

Look for the full moon on the 29th of July. The full moon is the best time to observer the moon Mare or “seas.” It was once thought these dark areas on the moon may be seas of water. In reality, these dark areas were once pools of lava caused by meteors impacting the moon when it still had a molten mantel.

These pools of lava formed large basins on the moon's surface that were flat and less micro-meteorite beaten then the surrounding areas. These basins reflect less light, and as a result they look darker then the rest of the moon's surface. Many people claim they can see a face on the moon when looking at these dark areas. If you are out during a full moon take a look at it and see if you can find “The Man In The Moon.”

Cars pulled backward, cows with tombstones, you're seeing...Michigan 's strange and unusual curiosities

By Colleen Burcar

You know you're in Michigan when the RV is filled with enough rations to get the entire family through the next millennium and someone calls out, “Are we there yet? I'm hungry.” Yup, Michiganians hunger for adventure that extends far beyond the 97 State Parks and 6 state forests, searching for that out-of-the-ordinary, (“oh, wow, isn't that cool?”) spot that most likely won't be found in a typical travel guide.

Years of traversing both peninsulas have produced solid and often humorously practical advice for the family who wants to make the most of their Michigan vacation. There's no hesitation when asked for my favorite “curiosity.” It'll intrigue everyone, no matter the age, and it won't cost a dime. Well, with the price of gas nowadays, it'll cost at least a few dimes worth of fuel to get there.

THE MYSTERY HILL

Known to locals as the Putney Corners phenomenon, it's a desolate country road in northern Michigan that has all the trappings for becoming another Blair County prodigy, already endowed with its own cult following. People from all over the state drive to Putney Road in Benzonia for an experience some call mystical, and others simply refer to as baffling.

Amazingly, it's a small section of the road, bordered by cornfields, that seemingly zaps your car backward uphill without any effort on your part at all. Shaking your head in disbelief, like everyone else, you'll try not once but several times over, certain each subsequent attempt will unlock the mystery. It doesn't.

Common sense says the whole thing is an optical illusion, or perhaps some magnetic force. Folklore says the power comes from Blaine Christian Church at the top of the hill, pulling all the sinners back into its fold. Makes sense. No one has left the area without “feeling” the tug.

It's not easy to find, but definitely worth the trip. For guaranteed success, take these directions and a good compass….From northbound M31 in the southern portion of Benzie County, go to Joyfield Road. Turn left onto Joyfield and continue to Putney Road. When you see the church, that's Putney Corners…Make a left turn, heading south and drive down to the bottom of the first hill, a few hundred feet, until you can spot the STOP AHEAD sign in your rearview mirror. Drop your vehicle into neutral, and you'll all be motoring skyward in reverse. Two important reminders: Be sure you're on the south side of Putney, off Joyfield, and that there's not another vehicle behind you. If you do get lost, try reaching the Benzie County Chamber of Commerce at (231) 882-5801 or (800) 882-5801.

SMOOCH A MOOSE

Speaking of driving, it may come as a surprise that people in Michigan drive from hours away to kiss a ninety-year-old-moose. But they do. And they've been doing it for years, although no one can remember when this smooching tradition first began.

Sleder's Family Tavern in Traverse City, believed to be Michigan's oldest continuously operating tavern, opened its doors in 1882. Where once only men sat and drank, today men, women, and children come to enjoy good food and fun.

Part of that fun includes smacking lips with Randolph , a 1,500 pound moose hung on the wall in a traditional kissing mount. Why kiss a huge animal head? Some hypothesize that puckering up started out as a soccer team initiation. Others say the moose was so big, hunters used to kiss him for good luck on their own pursuit. One bartender suggested, “It has to be good luck. Either that or they get the flu.”

The famous smooch with the moose is so romantic, you will most certainly hear bells. (The bartenders make sure of that.)

Catch the fun (or a cold) 7 days a week at Sleder's Family Tavern, located at 717 Randolph Street (231) 947-9213 or visit their website www.sleders.com.

THE COW AND THE TOMBSTONE

Randolph isn't the only celebrated animal in Traverse City. There's Traverse Colantha Walker, quite possibly the world's only cow to have her own tombstone. A bountiful bovine born on April 29, 1916, she contributed more than her fair share to the farming operations at the former Traverse City State Hospital, earning the title of “World's Champion Cow”, the greatest lactating cow ever known.

Throughout her years, Colantha Walker really put out….200,114.9 pounds of milk and 7.525.8 pounds of butterfat. Her monumental tombstone, expressing all her vital statistics, sits at the side of the road, near the barns where she left her mark. A huge banquet was held to commemorate her passing on January 8, 1932 , where it's been said she was eulogized by guests feasting on royal portions of prime rib.

A local developer has plans for a portion of the architecturally splendid buildings, but most of the complex remains. Located on the west side of Traverse City, west of U.S. Highway 31 (Division Street), north of the Meijer's store. Turn west on 11 th Street, (watch for the stone pyramid) and continue straight. The noted grave site is on the dirt road (Red Drive) opposite Building 217. For more historical details, consult www.savebuilding50.org.

THIS TROUT COULD CATCH YOU

Now, are you ready for a whopper of a fish tale? This one is 17 feet long, 12 feet high, and it took more than 320 hours to reel in.. No, it's not fiction. The fact is those are the statistics of the National Trout Monument, our cover model for this month's Northern Camper.

Constructed in 1966, this work of art commemorates the passage a year earlier of a bill declaring the book trout as Michigan's official state fish. It was local grocer, Leo Nelson, who wound up being the one selected to turn out the finished product. Like many artists, he chose to work with his model au naturel: an actual frozen trout.

The fisherman's shrine showcases Nelson's masterpiece emerging from a fountain of colored lights. With mouth wide open, the fidgety fish appears to be leaping for the fly—that is, if the fly's still there. Through the years youngsters have had a good time zipping up the trout and nimbly tackling that fly.

You can catch this striking tribute to the trout right in the middle of town on Cedar Street, aka U.S. Highway 131, aka M72, aka M66. Other questions can be answered by the Kalkaska Chamber of Commerce at (231) 258-9103.

THE SHOE TREE

Everyone gets a kick of the sight on the east side of U.S. Highway 131, M66, just north of Kalkaska. What at first appears to be a cluster of brightly colored birds in a wide-spreading tree turns out to be none other than hundreds of pairs of shoes embodying the souls of the branches in a nest of high-heeled spikes, sneakers and boots. Each twosome appears to be gently strung as if they were Christmas ornaments.

Yet it's not a special occasion that causes these heels to kick up the bark: It's an everyday occurrence that commenced with first sighting in January 2001. This tree's not a loafer, (I know that's a groaner) and continues to surreptitiously spurt new growth while the old growth occasionally walks away.

Since the shoe tree appears to be nothing more than harmless fun, state police say they won't tie themselves into knots trying to horn in on the shoe sower's territory.

THE SINGING TREES

For a different take on trees, head over to Cadillac where teacher Frank Youngman uses logs to fill the area with the sound of music. A self-described musical activist, one night he was dropping wood on the fire when he heard tunes popping from the pulp and the light bulb went off. Why not create a garden of sound using nature's own as the instruments?

A stepladder of various-sized branches became a xylophone. Other twigs, hung clothesline-style, play the musical scale. Brake drums add dulcet tones unmatched by earthly creations.

Anyone can make their own music at the award-wining Sound Garden project which sits in the downtown area of Cadillac at the Clam River Greenway off Chestnut Street . For more info, contact the Cadillac Area's Visitors Bureau, 222 Lake Street, (231) 77-0657 or (800) 22Lakes, or access their website at www.cadillacmichigan.com/soundgarden .

MICHIGAN'S BEST SPEED TRAP

Throughout your travels keep in mind that the most prominent speed trap in the state is along I-75 near West Branch. Roscommon runs a close second. A typical day for Ogemaw County State Trooper Keith McCauley, now retired, consisted of issuing twenty-five to thirty speeding tickets. Currently troopers say on a daily basis they hand out much less, generally around three or four each, but that number can go as high as fifteen on weekends when they say “it's like shooting fish in a barrel.”

Local farm market produce could make you a campfire gourmet

When summertime is in full swing, the forests and farms are green, the corn is well above knee-high and the farmer's markets bloom across Michigan.

While camping is about a lot of different things to a lot of different families, some things remain the same for everybody. Whether you like to swim, hike, fish or just sit around a campfire, everybody eventually ends up eating. It's the one constant that ties all campers together.

Evenings can be a delight at a campground, just watching the other campers prepare meals. The smells can be wonderful. Even the lowly hotdog takes center stage at camp.

To make the most of these lazy days, we urge you to get out at some point and find your local farm market or roadside stand.

First of all, you'll get wonderful local produce, the kind you'll never find in a large supermarket because local produce isn't grown in quantities large enough for supermarket chains. (Some of the smaller independent local grocers, however, do buy local produce. Spartan Stores are pretty good for this, but be sure to ask the grocer if the produce is Michigan grown.) That's why their produce is from the “factory” farm states. Most of it is very pretty, to be sure, but if you've ever had Michigan strawberries or sweetcorn, you'll never be satisfied with the taste of anything else.

There can be other delights as well, including brown eggs, local homemade fruit preserves, local pure honey and more!

This is one reason the number of farm markets has grown. According to the USDA, the number of farm markets in the U.S. has grown by 30 percent in the last few years.

Geocaching: a treasure hunt for the whole family

If George Lucas invented a high-tech treasure hunt, he might have come up with Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing).

Armed with a GPS (global positioning system), the longitude and latitude coordinates of a “cache,” a few tools and a sense of adventure, you're ready for the hunt. Geocachers search hill and dale through forest and under fern across the planet for hidden treasure planted by other members~and treasures are everywhere!

Ed and Emily DeBoer of Cadillac have been on 147 cache quests since they began Geocaching almost a year ago and have plans to hunt for 200 cache sites this year.

“When Ed said that he was going hunting for hidden treasure with his GPS systems I thought he was nuts. I went along to humor him and then I got hooked,” Emily says.

Along with their two small sons, Ethan and Evan, the couple heads out almost every weekend to search for hidden caches and have traveled as far as the Au Sable River Valley in the Huron National Park.

“When you can take a 10-month old infant out Geocaching you know this is not exactly rock climbing. We love it because it's a great way for the whole family to get together and explore Michigan. We've been places within 50 miles of Cadillac we didn't even know existed,” Ed says.

Cache areas are called “waypoints.” Coordinates for “waypoints” are usually found on one of the several international geocaching websites or they are offered on local geocaching websites (see list at end). Small cache boxes are identified with “Cache” labels and may contain trinkets, a toy jeep (complete with an official Geocaching Tag, see photo), money, log books to enter finders' names and even bags to clean up the area. The geocachers are an environmentally friendly lot and take pride in their efforts to leave areas a little cleaner when they leave. Regional geocaching groups like Northern Michigan Geocachers plan special clean-up events for their members and friends to attend.

Each cache treasure is replaced with another of equal value, and the original cache treasure may be hidden again. Many items find their way around the world.

“The toy Jeep started in Michigan, found its way to the UK and came back to Michigan. We plan to send it on it's way again. Logbooks, entries into the geocaching websites along with recording of Geocaching serial numbers on certain objects trace their voyage.

While it sounds relatively easy—and sometimes it is—it can be daunting to actually find the hidden treasure. Geocachers are a wily bunch and they take pride in hiding their treasures in a fashion that can often leave you scratching your head. Sometimes clues are even provided, but beware, they're often coded or abstract enough to keep you guessing…or even return empty handed.

GPS systems vary in costs from about $100, all the way up to $1,000, depending on the sophistication. Some GPS systems will actually map out directions from your point to the coordinates of the hidden treasure. Others have built in electronic compasses and topographic date complete with voice read-outs (just in case you're searching in the dark!)

GPS systems are accurate to within 6-30ft. depending on the GPS quality and the weather affecting satellite broadcasts.

“Once we get close to the coordinates we've found on the website, it becomes a matter of intuition and experience. When you get to the area you have to wonder where you might hide a cache box, then go look,” Emily DeBoer says.

While geocaching is relatively new, it has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon complete with its own etiquette. Private property is strictly respected, commercialism of the sport is discouraged and geocaching has a spirit of inclusion. Everyone is welcomed into the geocaching community. One new aspect to the sport is its worldwide interest by disabled people. “Handicaching” offers a spiffy and easy to navigate website where caches are rated accurately for access. On other geocaching websites, a 1 star rating for access doesn't translate into the kind of access the disabled need to participate.

“I've never come a cross a friendlier, more social group than geocachers,” Ed says. “For $50 or $100 on eBay you can get a good little GPS system and take off from your camp site in search of a little fun.”

Camp Breakfasts Begin With Michigan Maple Syrup

You may think you like maple syrup, but chances are you've never really had any.

None of the major brands that grace American kitchens, Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima's, Mrs. Butterworth's are actually maple syrup. They're made from corn syrup with artificial flavoring. Read the labels.

Real maple syrup is one of the few agricultural products where demand always exceeds supply. As a result, it's relatively expensive and hard to find. The shortage of supply is the reason flavored corn syrup was introduced to meet the demand for something sweet to pour over pancakes and waffles.

So, while you're camping in northern Michigan be sure to pick up some REAL Michigan maple syrup.

Michigan's Sweetest Product

When people think of pure maple syrup they usually think of Vermont. That tiny state has more or less hung its reputation on maple syrup, maple sugar and maple candy. But, Michigan is also a major maple syrup producer, the sixth largest in the nation.

Maple syrup comes from a sap that flows through sugar maple trees in the spring each year.

Sugar maples used to cover most of the eastern United States and when settlers from Europe arrived in America they were introduced to maple syrup by the Native American's who had been making maple syrup for many years. The production of maple syrup was the first agricultural enterprise in the colonies.

When the syrup was shipped back to Europe, it became an immediate sensation although its significance was eclipsed by cane sugar from the warmer climates to the south.

Europeans, who for centuries had relied on honey as their only sweetener, were fascinated by the new tastes. However, since the domestic demand for maple syrup exceeded the supply, little maple syrup was exported to Europe. All that could be made was sold here and in Canada, which is also a major producer.

Making Syrup

Many people mistakenly believe that sugar maple sap is a thick, gooey tree sap that is some how rendered down into more fluid syrup, something like crude oil being made into gasoline.

Sugar maple sap, however, is actually a very watery substance that only flows through the trees when the spring nights are cold and the days are warm. When the nights warm above freezing, the sap stops flowing.

The sap is then boiled down to remove the water and what is left is maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

The process of making the syrup begins each spring in Northern Michigan, usually when there is still a trace of snow on the ground. Maple syrup makers go out to their tree stands and tap the trees, sometimes with old-fashioned galvanized steel taps, sometimes with newer plastic taps.

From there, the sap either drips into covered buckets or it is feed into the buckets from tubes leading from the trees. When the buckets are filled, they must be emptied and the sap collected and taken to a processing facility to be boiled down into syrup.

Maple syrup processing plants are known as “sugar bushes.”

Some of the pictures that accompany this article were taken at the small plant operated by Keith Dick of Falmouth. Dick's award winning maple syrup, known as “Grandpa Hank's Maple Syrup” is made the same old-fashioned way that Dick was taught by his Grandpa Hank.

Dick has modernized some of the process and improvised some of the equipment. His farm uses a converted fire department tanker truck as a collector for the syrup and his sap and syrup holding tanks are tanks converted from the dairy industry, which is a major business in this part of the state.

The Michigan Maple Syrup Association estimates there are 500 commercial maple syrup producers in Michigan and about another 2,000 hobby and home-use producers.

The syrup is boiled in large tanks at 219 degrees, or seven degrees above the boiling point of water. Sap has a sugar content of about 2.5 percent. After the sap is boiled, or evaporated, the sugar content of the syrup is about 66 percent.

Once the maple trees begin to bud, the sap starts to taste bitter and it is no longer collected or made into syrup until the next year.

Shore Fishing

Many of Michigan's wonderful campgrounds are near, or on, bodies of water – rivers, streams, lakes, ponds or even one of the Great Lakes. And, sure enough, one morning when a camper wakes up or one evening as the sun sets over the lake, the thought will spring to mind – boy, wouldn't some nice pan fish make for a great dinner or breakfast?

But where can I get a boat?

Hold everything! You don't need a boat. It isn't necessary to spend thousands of dollars and endless hours of maintaining and hauling a boat around just to catch fish.

You can catch them from shore and there are many advantages to fishing that way. First of all, like we just said, it's a lot cheaper. Second, it's the original way to catch fish. In other words, there are centuries of shore fishing tips out there.

And, in Michigan, it's an especially good way to go since most of the popular species here, walleye, bass, bluegill, pike, and perch spend part or all of the year near the shore.

This is especially true in the spring when the fish are spawning.

Great for kids

Shore fishing is also a good way for children to learn to fish. It's generally safer than being in a small boat and less cumbersome. No bulky life preserver is needed and a child that suddenly gets excited by having a fish on the line doesn't have to worry about standing up in a small boat or canoe and tipping it over.

There's also plenty of room to put your stuff and plenty of room to walk around.

Remember that anyone in Michigan under the age of 17 can fish without a license. However, everyone is required to fish according to the state regulations in place. Most places that sell fishing licenses will be glad to give a child a copy of the fishing regulations. These booklets also describe various fish and give the size limits.

If you are an inexperienced adult with a child eager to fish, it's easy to get him or her started and not very expensive.

The Zebco fishing company has for years produced small kid's size fishing kits, complete with a rod, reel, fishing line, and usually a bobber and some hooks. That's about all you need to get started. These little sets are usually decorated with cartoon characters but they work just like the adult sets.

The kits are usually sold in the sporting goods department and only cost $10 or $15.

Learning how to cast the line is the hardest part, but kids can practice this near the campsite with a small weight on the line instead of a hook.

As for bait, if you're squeamish about worms, ask someone at the store to recommend an inexpensive artificial lure for small fish. There are thousand of them on the market.

Worms, however, really do work and you might even be able to find some under some leaves near a campground. If not, just about every gas station and convenience store in Michigan sells them.

A few tips

There are some general tips for shore fishing. The first is to be quiet as you approach the edge of the water. Some surprisingly large fish could be hiding just inches from the shoreline and you don't want to scare them off.

Be sure to be aware of your shadow!

Set your gear down on the ground before you get near the edge, bait your hook or attach your lure, cast a few feet off shore and slowly reel your line in. Try a few other directions and then cast out further.

If you're fishing a river or stream instead of a lake, let your bait float downstream along the shore. Small trout often hide along the banks and Michigan has a wonderful variety of trout.

You'll usually want to set your bait just off the bottom and use as small a bobber as you can to float your bait.

Early in the morning generally the best time to fish near the shore. Fish will have moved in to feed overnight when it is cooler.

If you see signs that other people have fished in certain spot, give it a try. There's usually a reason for that path through the weeds to the edge of the water.

Another thing to watch for are downed logs, overhanging branches and sometimes, lake weeds. These areas provide cover for both spawning and feeding.

Another good place to fish from shore is the boat docking area or a pier. Some lakes have piers built just for fishing. Fish will hide under the pier or around the pilings that hold the pier up.

Boat docks can be good because sometimes careless fishermen will drop bait there when entering or leaving the lake. It's usually ok to fish from a boat dock unless it's marked as private or its being used.

It's always a good idea to be mobile when fishing the shore of a lake. You'll often see people near the shore in their expensive boats trying to get near the water's edge where you're standing! They'll tend to move along the shore in their boats. You should move along, too, until you run into a hot spot where the fish are biting.

Remember that in a stream or river, the fish will usually sit on the bottom, facing upstream waiting for food to float by.

Also remember that as streams wind along their way they tend to scour out the bottom where they curve, leaving deep pools where fish will hide. These pools are always a good place to fish.

Large rocks in a river or stream can also provide cover for fish and change the turbulence of the water making it easier for the fish to stay in one spot.

Another place to fish along a stream or a river is under a bridge or near it. It's not a good idea to fish from a bridge, however, because of dangers from traffic and because it's hard to land a fish from there if you catch one.

Cooking fish at camp

Once you've got a nice fish or a number of small panfish, the next step is to clean them and cook them up.