Update 5/4/12:
The structure where the original cache container resided was permanently removed recently. I have placed a new cache container and log.
The Monument Like the name says, this small grassy triangle is the home of a significant Ann Arbor landmark called The Rock. It is a large boulder that was placed here in 1932 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. According to the City, the rock "is about 30,000 years old and features glacial grooves made when the glacier dragged it from the Georgian Bay. A dedication plaque made from collected scraps of copper exists underneath the layers of paint". But you will never see that plaque because students and locals paint this entire rock on average of once a day; some days see multiple paintings. Note the amount of paint on the ground that has created a slope around the base of the rock.
Check out this great short video explaining the 'story of the rock'... narrated by Al Gallup the son of Parks Superintendent Eli Gallup, who was responsible for placing it in 1932, explains where it came from and how it was moved; it contains really great original footage. https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDIXcKDT-Ec
I recall an article in The Michigan Daily when I was a student that was written when the rock was cleaned of all its paint at the time. I believe the paint was layered more than two inches thick, and the dedication plaque noted above seemed to have been newly "rediscovered" (i.e. nobody in city administraton knew that it was there since it had been covered for so long... I'm sure noone was still around from 1932, even though this occurred way back in the eighties).
The Cache
Given the tendency for this rock to be a social center, you will need to visit during a non-painting time. The triangle is relatively small so you will not be able to hunt unseen. The good news is that despite the heavy foot and vehicle traffic, nobody will likely give you a second look while you search.
