Aug 17, 2010 - Wilderness State Park

Today we took a ride into town to check out some of the other parks in the area, pick up a few staples, and just have a look around. It’s really too cold and windy to sit by the water anyway. Hey, check it out! Next time we come up this way we’re going ziplining!  When we left there was a tiny popup tent in the site next to us, but when we returned later that afternoon, there was a ginormous travel trailer cleverly wedged in that tiny spot, along with a Chevy HHR (obviously not the tow vehicle), several bicycles, a grill, picnic table, cooler, lawn chairs, etc., with just enough room left for the missing tow vehicle. Nobody around. As if the whole mess just fell from the sky and landed there.

Engadine Dolomite. Everybody knows that.

We walked a few of the many hiking trails they have here at the park, then took our bikes out past the camp store with the intention of checking out the four rustic cabins they have for rent right on the water, a 7 mile round trip. Unfortunately, it looked like they were all occupied, so we didn’t get a close look. Afterward, we took a 3 mile round trip back the other way to some sort of giant rock with a big sign beside it.  Every time we pass this thing there’s somebody either sitting on it or having their picture taken in front of it, so we just gotta see what it’s all about.  Turns out it’s a boulder made of engadine dolomite (I THOUGHT it looked familiar) that was pushed there by a glacier from St. Ignace about 10,000 years ago. Huh. Geology. Don’t understand it that well. Must have rocks in my head! Sorry …

Returned to the camp for dinner. It was windy and pretty cool outside, so we dined indoors in Chez Pod. Afterward, Beth told me, “Baby, get out there and light my fire!” She’s a big Doors fan. So, figuring the time to hesitate was through, I hustled out there and started burning stuff. About dusk the neighbors returned, but all we could see was their feet underneath their trailer. Two little kids got out and ran into the RV, followed by three adults. We could hear the two little ones thumping up and down the length of their trailer, giggling hysterically. It didn’t last long, so either they fell asleep or knocked themselves out on something. A simply splendid night for a fire, with lots of coals, and so, lots of marshmallow roasting. Our friend’s father would call this fire a “good potato fire.”