First Day On The Zion Trip

Stardate-5/1/2025

We all arrived at the school, got into our cars and prepared for the first leg of the journey. The first stop was Culvers and for me and Jamil Five Below to get umbrellas and ponchos because it was raining heavily. The Culvers was good and I had chicken tenders and a chocolate mixer with brownie bites and cookie dough. Delicious.

After that we went to a park and watched some elks but because of the rain most people stayed in their cars, but not me and Jamil! We got out into the rain and stared those elks down to establish dominance.

Then, we went to a Historical town of Mackinaw in the late 1800's and or early 1900's. There were a lot of dead flies but that's just a second lunch! Me and Jamil went down to the beach near the site and we found a rock with fossils in it.

Finally we drove to Mackinaw, got settled into the hotel, swam with the gang, ate some pizza, and went to sleep after a great day of traveling and partying!

- Jamil and Callen

Mr. Schneck's note:

It was a pretty rainy trip up. We stopped in Gaylord for lunch and a chance to see the elk (wapiti - we found out it is pronounced wa-PEE-tee not WA-pu-tee) herd at the Elk Reserve. They looked almost as miserable as we did in the rain, but a couple got close to the fence for photo ops.

The next stop was the Mackinaw Heritage Village in Mackinaw City. It's an open air museum of early 1900s buildings. Docents Mrs. M and John gave us a fantastic presentation in the old chapel, even though it was cold and rainy and the stove wasn't lit. They opened before season just for us, and I believe it is the most dead flies ever seen in one place by any of us. (Kensie and Josie even swept up a few for them.) But Mrs. M gave a great presentation even though we couldn't walk around the grounds. It is right next to the Headlands Dark Sky Park, so we may go pack tomorrow evening to walk the trails before stargazing.

Next we drove down to McGulpin Lighthouse and then went to the shoreline to see McGulpin Rock . It was used as a water level measure and canoe route marker by the Native Americans and French fur traders. ("Michigan's Plymouth Rock"!) Yes, it was a big rock and a cold rainy beach. Callen found a five pound souvenir fossil and Mr. Grubb got some great footage with his drone.

Dinner was B.C.'s Pizza, then swimming and Uno No Mercy before turning in.

Tomorrow, Mackinac Island!