Atop Signal Mountain

Staying at Signal Mountain Lodge, we felt like we really should visit the top of Signal Mountain. Since we were traveling with an octogenarian, we decided it would be better to drive up the mountain rather than hike. We visited on a cloudy evening, but the view was still lovely. At least until the snow squall hit. We took a quick selfie and headed back to the car.

On my walk back I noticed this little metallic marker in the blacktop. After a little research I discovered it's a geological survey marker and there are over 200 of them in Grand Teton National Park. These metal disks are used to mark key points on the Earth's surface, and maintain a coordinate system to keep track of latitude, longitude, and elevation of specific places. After noticing this one, I tried to keep my eyes open for them as we traveled through the park.

Scary

Mackinac Island has a very active LGBTQ+ advocacy group, aptly named Straits Pride. This group, in addition to providing activities for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, provides support to queer identifying folks in the Straits of Mackinac region of Michigan. Straits Pride is made up of good people who volunteer their time for a cause they believe in. 

On Saturday they hosted a Drag Bingo event at the Mackinac Island Community Hall. (Unfamiliar with Drag Bingo? It's simple: it's bingo called by a drag queen  for entertainment.) Our Bingo-Calling-Queen, Ester Flonaze, is a sassy Italian grandma, and she's a hoot.  Anyway... 

Straits Pride was hosting a bingo at the Mackinac Island Community Hall, until the building (and several blocks in each direction) had to evacuate due to a bomb threat. Yeah, you read that right - a bomb threat on Mackinac Island. Someone decided that the best way to share their feelings about drag, Straits Pride, LGBTQ+ people, or bingo, was to threaten to blow up the building. (And to be honest, I'm making an assumption here. I don't know how the threat came in, how it was worded, etc. Perhaps it was against the City of Mackinac Island, but I doubt it - it would have to be one hell of a coincidence that a drag bingo just happened to be going on at that time.)

When the person made the threat did they think about what would happen?  Sure, it disrupted bingo,  but it also impacted numerous vacations, and inconvenienced quite a few island employees who couldn't go home to eat dinner or sleep. Some of those people are just fine; others were traumatized. He, and again I'm making an assumption here, hurt a whole lot more people than the queer folks playing bingo. 

You may disagree with the word "traumatized," because it wasn't a credible threat, but during the evacuation,  we didn't know that. The police couldn't just say, "Oh yeah, it was probably just some whack-job out to get the gays. No worries; everyone go back to your hotel rooms, it'll be fine." They had to take it seriously until the bomb-sniffing dog could be brought over from the mainland and conform the building was safe to reenter. And, taking it seriously meant that all of Mackinac's first responders were called in to work. All of them. 

I left bingo and walked home in a fog. A bomb threat? On Mackinac? Really? 

On Sunday I couldn't concentrate. I flitted about from one thing to another, not finishing anything and feeling generally "off." I couldn't focus long enough to sew, or read, or watch TV, or clean; and anyone who knows me knows that is very out of character. Monday morning it finally dawned on me that I was really upset and struggling to process what had happened. I'm fine now, but it took a couple of days. (This experience has given me a new-found respect for people who go through significant traumatic events in their life.)

I'm still left to wonder what was this person's end goal? Because if they think Straits Pride will shrink into the background, they're sadly mistaken. This was SP's response:

I hope they catch the guy who did this; which, let's be honest, they probably won't. I wonder how he would feel if a threat was sent in against an event his wife or children we involved with. Too bad we just all can't follow Matthew 7:12 - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." 

It sounds so simple...

Exploring Jenny Lake

Exploring Jenny Lake was something Allen's mom really wanted to do. Allen did a ton of research and knew if we wanted to get a parking spot, we'd better get an early start. (And he was right - when we left later in the day, the parking lot was full and people had parked up to 1/4 mile away along the sides of he highway.) 

We decided to begin with a boat ride across the lake. We could have hiked the 2 1/2 miles to the trailhead, but the ride was inexpensive and fun.

Jenny Lake isn't very big (compared to the lakes I'm use to) but like the lakes I'm use to, it's beautiful.

Once we reached the other side, we followed the signs for the hike up to Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon.

We only hiked up 400 or 500 feet, but it was a bit of a challenge for those of us use to living virtually right at sea level. (Mackinac Island is only between about 550 and 900 feet in elevation.)

The elevation (7,200 feet) didn't give any of us altitude sickness, but we did feel it. Much of Jenny Lake is visible from Inspiration Point; the blue skies, blue water, and mountains made the perfect backdrop for pictures. 

K wasn't sure the hike was worth it until she sat down for a snack. The next thing she knew, a very curious chipmunk decided they were best friends and he needed a snack, too. Those three minutes made the whole climb up a positive experience for her.

At that point we split up. One group continued hiking up to Cascade Canyon, while the other group headed down to fish and keep Grandma company (her knees and back weren't up for the hike like that.)

Once up in the canyon, those folks got to see a mama moose and her calf!

As we headed back down I was just in awe of the beauty of the Tetons. Wyoming is just so very different from Michigan. Our highest point is about 1,900 feet, which is nothing compared to Grand Teton at almost 14,000 feet.

Once again, I took hundreds of pictures. Literally. I'm not ready to relocate, but I now understand why people love the mountains.  They are beautiful in pictures, but there's just something about seeing them with your own eyes that's different. I know I keep using "breathtaking" to describe them, but other words don's seem to capture the scale and grandeur of the Tetons. 

This picture, of a Ranger cabin on the lake, is one of my favorites from the entire trip, even if there isn't much mountain in it. Lol.

As we were taking photos, a lovely man offered to take a picture of all eleven of us. It was so nice to get a picture of our entire group! 

Jenny Lake was the perfect way for us begin our adventure. If you find yourself near Jenny Lake, I highly recommend spending the day here. I suggest arriving early - before 9:00 am if you want to park in the parking lot. Pack your lunch since only snacks and ice cream are for sale in the shops here. You're also going to want to bring water with you as you hike. If you're fair, like me, a hat and sunscreen are a must. According to this article, for every 1,000 feet you go up in altitude, the sun's UV rays increase 8% - 10%. You'll notice I have on long sleeves in virtually every photo from this trip - even when it was warm. Those shirts are for sun protection!

Signal Mountain Lodge

Our first stop was Signal Mountain Lodge, located inside Grand Teton National Park. We didn't stay in the Lodge itself, instead we stayed in cabins on the shore of Jackson Lake.

Starting in the 1920s the lodge was a place to stay for wealthy "outdoorsmen." Now it hosts visitors from all over the world and it was a great place to stay! Each family had their own cabin with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the lake. The cabins were well appointed with two comfortable, queen-size beds, a pullout couch and a full kitchen. In fact, we only ate out, at the Lodge twice.

And when I say "gorgeous view," I mean it! We got to wake up to this view each morning - and enjoy it while we drank our coffee.

To be honest though, we didn't have coffee outside every morning - one morning we woke up to 35 degrees and snow! Which actually was great because it killed all the mosquitoes.

I think I took about 100 pictures of those mountains. They were breathtaking.

Allen and I went on an early morning walk one day and stumbled upon hundreds of these flowers. Apparently, silver lupines grow wild all over Grand Teton. They were lovely.

While we were there, we even got to meet Hollywood the Elk - one of this summer's most famous visitors Signal Mountain Lodge. One morning he almost trapped Allen's mom, Janet, in her cabin! Luckily, she had a back door and was able to get out. (The park staff warn visitors to stay away from the wildlife as they are not always friendly.)

We saw him several of the mornings we were there; just quietly munching on his breakfast.

Missing in Action

Several people have been wondering where I've been lately. Well...

We went on a family vacation. My husband's mom took us all on a trip, and I've just been so busy catching up since we got back, I haven't had time to post about it. 

Now that I am reasonably caught up, and I have a few days off work, I'm on it.

My husband's family lives in southern Indiana, so we only get to see them a few times a year. That makes trips like this, when all eleven of us can spend time together, even more special. This year we visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. 

I had never visited that part of the country before and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the mountains are. I mean, I'll always be a Michigan girl, and I can't begin to imagine not living near the Great Lakes, but Wyoming did not disappoint...

View

This is my view from work today. Life doesn't get much better than this.