Brocation 2024, Pt. III

(And now, for the thrilling conclusion. . . )

The next morning, folks got around and started to prepare for our last, full day of Brocaiton '24, which would see us doing some adventuring outside of Ludington along Michigan's West Coast.

Before setting out, we had to juggle around some luggage in order to fit everyone in a single vehicle. We had to move all the golf clubs out of the Expedition and into Collier's SUV (which would remain at the rental while we were out and about.)

Erik rode with Omkar in Omkar's car, since he would only be hanging out with us for a few hours before heading back down south to Indiana. While we followed close behind them on the way to our first stop of the day - Silverlake - we noticed that Erik's phone was still connected to the Expedition's Bluetooth, and that due to our close proximity to his phone (in Omkar's vehicle, directly in front of us), he was still connected. So Mitch - being Mitch - decided to mess with him, repeatedly making calls from his phone to various people, playing notifications, you name it. Erik was super weirded out and thought his phone was on the fritz. When all's said and done, every man in his mid-40s is a middle school aged boy at heart.

The famous Mac Wood's Dune Rides.

Most of the guys had done this before, having done so during our ill-fated Jellystone camping trip with all of our families five or so years ago, when severe flooding during a momentous thunderstorm destroyed a bunch of my family's belongings. Kris and the girls had gone along with everyone else and enjoyed the dunes, but Yours Truly had been too pissed at the time to muster up the will to go.

The Colonel and The Indian Assassin.

We had gotten there kinda early, so we had to wait about twenty minutes for our ride to be ready. Gave us time to check out the gift shop and rest our butts for a bit.

Tom, Morgan, Erik and I rode in the far back row of our vehicle.

Heading out to the Dunes. Omkar, Ryan, Lonnie and Mitch rode up in the second-to-last row.

The temperature was great this morning, but it was pretty overcast.

After cresting each dune, the following plummet downwards always got my gut flipping. The guys thought this was pretty hilarious.

A collection of hats, sandals, and other personal items that blew off on previous dune rides. Our guide/driver told us to hold on to our belongings tightly, because anything lost over the side would be left on the dunes - there would be no stopping to retrieve personal items (as this bizarre totem can attest to.)

Our guide/driver would stop once and awhile to talk about the dunes around us, which were pretty cool to drive through.

Erik with Lake Michigan in the background

The guide/driver stopped by the lake so folks could get out, check out the lake, take some pics, and enjoy the scenery for 10-ish minutes.

The Kings of the Hill

Morgan offered to take a selfie of our group - he's the default guy to do so, seeing how as the tallest he has the longest arms - but he had it set on Portrait Mode, so, you know, it blurred out everyone in the picture buy him. Still - thought that counts.

Our G.I. Joe vehicle for the day.

Umm. . .

I feel like I could use a Throne in my life. . .

Lake Michigan

We mounted back up into the Desert Fox after our short break and continued on through the dunes. . .

The town of Silverlake in the distance.

Not that I'm aware of, no.

Back at the Visitor's Center, some of us poked around the exhibits while others used the much-needed restrooms. This company has been doing dune rides for like 70-80s years, so they have lots of old vehicles and memorabilia from past decades. Kinda cool to check out.

There was a photo op. We were basically required to pose for this.

After loading back up into the Expedition, we headed into town for lunch, but the place we wanted to hit up wasn't serving beer just yet. So, in order to kill some time, we popped into a couple souvenir stores along the main drag.

The previous evening, over general conversation at one of the bars, it came up who would win in a fight between Mitch and I. Opinions were split, but I informed the others - repeatedly - that if swords were involved, I would easily best any of the men assembled around the table. So today, in order to prove my point, I grabbed a wooden sword at this souvenir store and went off to slay Mitch once and for all. Alas, the coward backed off, so my swordsmanship still remains in question.

The guys wanted to hit up the Chicken Shack, which is located in the same entertainment complex that used to sit right next to the old Jellystone Campground. We hit it up multiples times when we came here years ago - before the Great Flood - and remembered it was awesome. Sadly, no go kart'ing or zip-lining this time around. . .

Pimp Mobile

Some hungry dads right here.

Look familiar?

We didn't opt to do the swan-shaped paddle boats. Sorry, readers.

We were still a tad too early for bar service, so we had to wait around grumpy for like ten minutes. That was a loooooong ten minutes, folks.

At long last. . .

Following lunch, we mounted up back in the car and headed off to our next stop a little farther down the road. And, of course, Lonnie fell asleep again.

Next stop: Pentwater, MI.

The last time I was in Pentwater, it was 2006 and Kris and I were engaged and we were hanging out with Misty and Skyler and their extended families. Crazy how much things have changed in the time since then.

This was initially only supposed to be a quick bar-stop for us, but all of the bars on the main drag were full up and there were waits everywhere.

This downtown is basically a carbon-copy of every small, coastal Michigan town's downtown. Old bars, niche restaurants, gaudy souvenir shops, boutiques, etc.

No one bought anything.

The Antler Bar. This was the place that we wanted to drink at for a bit, but there was a half-hour wait, so we put down Mitch's name and decided to wander around downtown some more.

An old Masonic building on the main street. Always cool to see one of these.

Mitch and Erik on the prowl.

Mitch really wanted me to get this shirt. He even offered to buy it for me. I politely declined.

Lonnie, probably about to take another nap. . .

No one hit up Zoltar for a fortune. We wanted to spend time at a variety of bars today, and that shit wasn't about to happen if we all suddenly found ourselves back in our 13-year-old bodies.

Lonnie found a popcorn store where they sold varieties of gourmet - and over-priced popcorn. So of course he bought a couple bags.

Loitering on the main drag.

Erik scores some free samples outside the popcorn joint.

So Mote It Be.

Upon zooming in closer, I saw. . . this. What in the actual F***. 

Eventually, Mitch got a text that our table at The Antler Bar was ready, so we backpedaled down that way.

These guys had all eaten back at the Chicken Shack, but I had wanted to abstain from fried foods so early in the day, so I held off until now to order something quasi-healthier.

This wrap was awesome.

The place was packed for the lunch rush, but the atmosphere was still pretty cool, and it served its purpose as a refueling spot for a few beers and some food.

It was hot as holy hell out when we made it back to the car. While some of the guys ducked into a nearby store to check out some homemade art (you know, one of those kitschy tourist traps), we had to air the car out (and Ryan and Lonnie hid like a couple of babies in some nearby shade.) 

Erik recreates one of his famous poses from our 2022 Mackinaw Island adventure.

We stopped off at the rental for some folks to change out clothes and shoes before our next excursion, which gave folks ample time to have a mid-afternoon Bourbon.

Our next outing was way out in the middle of frickin' nowhere - The Manistee National Forest.

Checking out the map at the trailhead, right off the parking lot.

You were supposed to walk at least 50 feet off the trail if you had to urinate. Collier figured 8 feet was good enough.

Collier has this trail app on his phone that he uses whenever we go backpacking, so he was able to locate a trail map for the park we were hiking through this afternoon.

We didn't see any frickin' dunes on this trek. Flagrant false advertising.

I was the only one who opted to wear a pack today - wanted to try out my tactical backpack I got for Christmas from Dad and Cindy. Super comfortable, with lots of customization options (definitely going to be my new theme park day pack.)

These guys walk slow.

Tom and I, about 20 minutes in to the trail.

There were lots of mosquitoes in these woods, but - because God must hate me - I was the only one who was getting bothered by them. Luck's awesome like that.

Lonnie, Mitch and Erik, bringing up the rear.

We kept the Brocation '24 playlist blasting throughout our hike, courtesy of Collier's JBL speaker (I have the exact same model, it's awesome.)

Morale high.

You could easily hide a body out here.

Collier may have gotten us lost a few times, misreading the trail at multiple points that forced us to backtrack for about twenty or thirty minutes. That was fun. He had to walk around this clearing in order to find signal again.

Gettin' sweaty.

Had to walk along this steep ridge for awhile in order to reach this pond we were trying to reach. An accidental tumble down this thing would've sucked.

Arriving at this isolated pond in the middle of nowhere.

You can see a random tent or two off to the right in the background there - some folks had set up camp for a quiet evening. We were tempted to wander over and bother them, but ultimately decided to be nice.

Taking advantage of a much-needed breather. That hike was muggy as f***.

The Kings of the Hill (sweaty edition.)

Not that there was a whole hell of a lot to check out just standing by this frickin' pond, but we all needed a breather and a few minutes to dry off before turning around and heading back into the bug-ridden woods.

To prove to the others that I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes, I brought their attention to my bloody sock (remnants of a bug I had smacked while it was feasting on my dainty ankle.)

Yes, we brought beers on a sweaty hike through the woods. 'Cause we're men.

Starting our long trek back to the parking lot. This fallen tree over the pathway is straight out of The Lord of the Rings.

A trail so intense we nearly Nipissed our pants. Nyuck nyuck.

On the way back to Ludington, we found ourselves stuck behind Herbie the Love Bug. Which is, you know, to be expected.

After prepping back at the rental, we set off once again into downtown Ludington for food and drinks - the last hurrah of Brocation '24.

Collier and Morgan got distracted by the window display of this random photography studio on our way to the restaurant, so we all had to duck in to look at this photographer's crap.

Pretty impressive, but not to the point where I was about to pay $500 for a 24" x 24" canvas print of it.

After strong-arming the others out of that studio - folks were hungry and wanting some drinks - we continued down a side street away from the main drag. Along the way, we kept finding these old murals affixed to the sides of downtown buildings.

So glad women don't dress like that anymore, Jesus Christ. . . 

Hungry dudes, marching on.

I forget the name of this bar/restaurant that we went to this evening, but it was slammed. We were forced to sit outside behind the establishment while waiting for an inside table to open up. They had a really nice patio deck set up out back, which was great and everything (it even had its own service bar, shown here), but the sun was super intense this evening.

I mean just look at this shit, it's setting right smack in our frickin' faces. . .

Some handsome guy.

Collier and I tried out this blueberry shandy from some local brewery that was pretty good. Probably not something I would get again, but in 90 degree full sun I was all about it.

Still waiting for a table.

Reviewing a map of the two or three previous days of adventuring around West Michigan.

Ths sun starts to set (FINALLY.)

About an hour into our waiting for a table at this point. No longer enjoying our beers, just wanting food.

We doubted the integrity of this pagoda. Whoever built it clearly hadn't built one of these things before. . .

We were all past the point of being hungry and had entered 'hangry' territory by the time we were finally seated. We had started the evening off feeling pretty energetic and ready for a wild night, but sitting outside in the sun for over and hour while progressively feeling hungrier and hungrier had only brought everyone down.

A few of the guys hit 'the wall,' where additional beers only makes you feel more sluggish, full, and tired, instead of happy and energetic. That's a bad place to be on a Brocation.

Appetizers finally come out, after sitting and waiting for food for over a half an hour. Service absolutely sucked, despite barely anyone being in the restaurant.

I ordered a 'half plate' of nachos, just wanting something small to graze on, and they ended up bringing this huge-ass plate' of food for me. Thank God I didn't order the full-size plate. . .

Over an hour later, severely sobered up and disgruntled from our lack-luster dining experience, we decided to throw in the towel and head back to the rental.

When we got back, some folks went to bed, but a few of us stayed up for a couple more bourbons and some 2024 Olympics before calling it a night. I drank the shit out of my all-time favorite bourbon, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

And there you have it, gang - The Kings of the Hill and Brocation 2024. Until next year's thrilling adventure. . .

- fin -

- Brian