Jellystone 2020, Pt. 3

(contd.)

Saturday morning, it was once again time for a Hough/Johnson collaboration.  Kris and Courtney handled frying up pancakes on a pair of griddles (that consequently kept tripping our campsite breaker, but whatever), while Erik grilled breakfast sausages and Yours Truly cooked about four dozen eggs.  It was definitely a process, but cooking for forty-eight people isn't something you can just pull out of your ass.

Lonnie helped us clean up as we cooked - having a couple extra hands on deck was definitely helpful.

Part of the spread - we still had several plates of pancakes and sausages to add to this.

The barbarians descend on breakfast.

After breakfast and showers, we loaded up our seven vehicles - Abby hitched a ride with the Larson family - and set off for the first stop on our day's itinerary (unlike the previous day, today we had a couple local attractions we wanted to check out as a group.)

Hartwick Pines.  A series of trails through one of the only untouched pine forests in all of Michigan.

Assembling forces in the parking lot.

These stairs lead up to the main visitor center at the beginning of the trails, and as we began to walk up them, someone suggested it'd be cool to get a group picture of everyone.  This, as you can imagine, was a HUGE pain in the ass. . .

This took forever.  We tried to get everyone on one side of the stairs so that other patrons could still access the trails.

And now one with parents.

The walkway, headed in to the visitor center.

Stopping to check out the dedication plaque real quick.

Some map we didn't stop to check out.

Behold.  The Beaver.

Major Hartwick's Spanish American War uniform and saber.

Staring at some stuffed, dead animals and other such curiosities in the visitor center.  The usual stuff could be found here - information placards, educational exhibits, tons of brochures, a gift shop, bathrooms, etc.

The kids wanted to walk around and scope some of this stuff out. . . but of course they just ran through it and didn't take the time to stop and read anything. 

I hate squirrels.

Moms in masks.

I had Kris take a picture of me standing next to this stuffed  wolf, which is the animal sigil of my 'House' (think Harry Potter) at my school, Ausdauer.

After the kids had tore through the visitor center, waiting for everyone else to vacate the building so we could start the trail.  Teagan, Elise, Abby, Ella, and Sophie.

Setting off for a long stroll through the woods. . .

Stopping to check out an informational sign (these were spread out randomly along the trail.)

The trees were pretty impressive through here - gigantic pines, for sure.

This one you could see - and hear - swaying.  Only a matter of time before this one collapsed.

Kris and her selfies. . .

Drew and Jackson, carrying Myles and LJ (the little ones wear themselves out pretty fast.)

Mees, havin' a good time.

Check it out.  It's a rock.

Danielle, taking a turn carrying LJ.

Morgan's a beast - his kid is nearly as tall as me.

This was kinda random - an old log chapel, tucked away in the middle of the woods.

A museum, you say?  Don't mind if I do. . . .

Most of our party just kept walking on past this.  I felt it was my duty as a photo-happy dad to fully capture this thing.

Inside was pretty simple:   this front display, with four small benches serves as pews on either side of a central aisle.

Sophie, Abby, and Ella pick up some more knowledge along their hike.

In a clearing, towards the end of the path, we came across a clearing that housed the Logging Museum. . .

This building, so I gathered, is a replica of the kind of all-purpose camp building you'd find in a logging camp, housing offices, stores, bunkhouses, kitchens, etc all under one roof.

The General Store

Some ol' timey bookkeeping, folks.

Mess Hall (well, a long-ass table, at any rate.)

The Boss Man's office (foreman, whatever you wanna call him.)

Kitchens.

Bunks (there were, like, four rows of these. . . but you get the idea.)

Lonnie and Erik educate themselves.

Courtney and some replica stored goods.

Markings on a tree that was recovered from this site.  I forget what they're supposed to mean.

. . . ummm, lumberjacking tools?

Appreciate the mustache game, brah.

The blacksmith's workshop.

Tools of the trade.

Sophie, Abby and Ella, sorta-patiently waiting outside for everyone to be done with the Logging Museum.

Abby, wearing her mask appropriately.

There was a statue nearby of a lumberjack, and the kids kept cracking themselves up by putting their face masks over the statue's face.

What the hell is this?

The jokes never stop. . .

Getting a family picture with some frickin' logs.  When in Rome.

Sun's out, guns out.

Preparing to head back to the visitor center and parking lot (I didn't take any pictures on the way back, we were just double-backing anyway.)

Danielle and Courtney, outside the visitor center waiting for kids to run in and use the restroom before we loaded up back in the cars.

Heading out, at long last.

The second stop on our day's outing was the Grayling Fish Hatchery (which Erik had been to before and vouched for its coolness.)

In the parking lot, waiting for the rest of our caravan to arrive, Abby, Ella, and Sophie check out the fishery through the fence.

You used to be able to rent fishing poles and catch fish in the river behind the fishery, but due to Covid bullshit, that feature was closed.

Our group consisted of 28 people, and we weren't the only people there today.  Oh well.

See?  I'm not making shit up here, folks.

Here.  Educate yourself.

BP, checking out some fish.

Ella, totally wearing her mask the right way.

(I think that's a trout.)

There was no admission to this place, but they asked for donations for bags of fish food.  I gave a couple bucks and got my kids a few bags to burn through.

Erik shows the girls how it's done.

Fish were going ape-shit for whatever was in those bags. . .

Morgan, enjoying himself immensely.

This old guy was hand-carving fishing lures that we had to convince the girls not to buy as souvenirs.

Look, more learning to be had.

This old building - which 100% is haunted as f*** - is no longer in use, but used to house fish cleaning, offices, and all sorts of processing and storage.

In case you were wondering, yes, I totally went up and looked in the windows.  Totally looks like a haunted house inside - barren rooms, furniture draped in cloth, debris everywhere.  Didn't see any ghosts, though.

Feeding trout.

Morgan and Sophie

These 'gates' in the river control the amount of water flow, so I'm told.  Something to do with the fish.  I don't know.

The river, as it continues on past the hatchery.

I guess to keep out boats. . . ?

I wasn't trying to take a picture of Sophie, here, but rather the Walmart crowd behind her.  This was probably the most white-trash family I've ever seen (outside a Walmart, that is.)

A dead fish, inexplicably lying in the middle of the walkway.  I'm guessing the previously-mentioned white-trash family had something to do with that, a couple of them had fishing poles.

Look, more information.

Getting ready to leave the hatchery after an hour or so of fish-observing.

A short drive later, we were back once again at Jellystone. . .

Everyone was famished.  We had left the campground in the late morning, and it was now well into the afternoon.  We had pushed the kids without food or water all day, and so it was necessary to get food and liquid in those kids as soon as possible.

Parents were chowing down as well.

They have these pedal-car thingies that you could rent by the hour (I think for $5 per kid.)  We splurged on this last day of our trip, as before we had told them it was a waste to get because they all brought their bikes up with them.  They finally wore us down.

Cannonball Run.

Abby and her ride.

The Three Musketeers

While the kids were off pedaling around the campground, us dads decided we might as well break into some drinks.  Morgan, Erik and I went straight to margaritas.

After they were done with their pedal cars, the kids - and some of the dads - decided to dip into the pool.

Ryan and Morgan (I opted not to get in today, since I had showered before leaving for Hartwick Pines and the Fish Hatchery - didn't want to shower after the pool, which is something you should always do.)

Abby runs around the edge of the pool, like you're always supposed to do.

Jumping into the middle of a horde of cro-magnons.

Erik, too, opted to stand on the other side of the pool fence, enjoying a margarita and people-watching.

Our kids, all hanging onto the rope separating the shallow end from the deep end.

(Pretty sure Ryan drowned.)

Danielle and I, trying to decipher the campground schedule of events (Ryan picked up my SLR and was walking around with it - he's a freelance wedding photographer, so he gets an itch once and awhile.)

Alivia, Drew, and Jackson

Goddammit, I'm handsome. . .

Selfies with an SLR.

Danielle, Myles, and Mees

Erik and his badass shirt

Still trying to figure things out

Lonnie Big Balls and Stephanie

Abby opted not to get a matching sweatshirt from the camp store.

. . . neither did Alayna.

It totally looks like Kris is chewing out Sam right here.  Who knows what they're clucking about.

Wet towels.  We're investing in micro-fiber towels the second we go home.

The Northern Wall:  our tent, Alayna's, Abby's, and the Johnsons. 

During a cornhole game in the early evening, Alayna watched in horror and a sandbag landed on a dragonfly, that was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time.   Being the avid animal lover that she is, she jumped in to rescue it.

It looked pretty bad, but Alayna was convinced it'd be fine.

She seriously walked around for awhile with this thing, and - I shit you not - it eventually straightened out its wings and flew off.  That's one lucky bug.

Kris gets back into the fray for a women's match.

As the women battled it out in cornhole, Matt and Ryan set about to grilling up dinner (it was the Collier/Butterfield meal.)  Burgers and brats, a camp staple.

The Cannonball hijacks some little kid's bike.

Kris, thoroughly enjoying herself.

BP and I, in for another game.  Aside from Morgan, most of us are mediocre players:  we either throw awesome, or play like garbage.  No one is consistent.   I did not do well this weekend.

The kids attempt to accost a teenager in a bear suit.

Courtney and Kris play twinsies (fortunately, neither of them bought these.)

There was to be a glow dance at sunset for the kids, up in the kid zone at the front of the campground, and the Larsons brought up a crap-load of those glow stick thingies for the kids.  Alayna fashioned hers into a pair of glasses, and insisted on wearing them around well before sunset.

Lonnie vs. Morgan

Lonnie's pretty good, I'll give him that, but he's not Morgan-good.  Morgan trounced him.

(Couldn't resist.)

Ryan lights a fire for the evening.

The 2020 dining hall

Alivia and the Cannonball

While us dads hung around and kept a close eye on the fire (and some drinks), the moms all took the kids down to the glow dance. . .

Ella, Sophie, and Abby

I can't tell anymore, it's too dark. . .

Just like a rave, just without all the drugs and poor decision-making.

Teagan, LJ, Myles, Sophie, Ella, Alivia, Abby and Alayna

The dance party continued once the kids and moms returned to the campsite.  Us dads were all really happy about that.

Alayna acquired a few more glow sticks throughout the course of the evening.

Total chaos. . .

The last fire of the weekend.  The next morning, after an abysmally short amount of sleep, we all broke camp, loaded up our vehicles, and headed back to Midland.  Having escaped the wrath of the Rain God this year, we Houghs are definitely looking forward to Jellystone 2021.

- Fin -

- Brian