- WHEN: Saturday, April 25th, 2015 (although you are welcome to arrive on Friday, April 24th)
- WHERE: Mackinac Island/Grand Hotel
- TIME: 10:00 am until ??
- COST: $4:00 toll for the Mackinac Bridge each way. $25.00 round trip ferry ticket from St. Ignace (this is the current price, but we are working on negotiating a reduction in the fee). $8.00 charge to take your bike to the island. Dinner on your own. Lodging fees on your own (but we have negotiated a special rate from the Grand).
Come join us on beautiful Mackinac Island for a spring caching adventure! We will gather on the island in the morning at 10:00 am in the lower lobby of the Grand Hotel (Museum Room) for a brief get-together prior to venturing out to search for the island caches. Coffee and tea will be provided for attendees, along with a few other goodies to get your engines up and running! Please feel free to wear your sweatshirts and jeans, as there is no dress code in effect at this time of the year. There is also no admission charge into the hotel.
The Cyclops family has about 140 caches on the island, many of which have been placed in remote areas of the island where tourists would not normally go. It is advisable to bring your own bike, as the cache locations will take you traveling several miles around the perimeter and interior of the island. The ferry company charges $8.00 per bicycle to bring your bike over to the island. It is possible that there may be places on the island that offer bikes to rent, but I am unable to confirm this at this early date. Dinner will be on your own. There are several restaurants on the island which will be open at this time of the year.
At the time of this publishing, we do not know whether or not all three ferry lines will be up and running. In past years, all three ferry companies have been operating by the time of this event, but we cannot confirm that at this time. We do know, however, that there will be at least one ferry line operating at this time of the year, and that ferry will ONLY be departing from St. Ignace. You will need to cross the Mackinac Bridge, which costs $4.00 per crossing. The ferry lines will not be publishing their ferry schedules for the 2015 season until early-April, but there are usually about five ferries a day running at this time of the year. Please be aware that crossing the Straits in April can be a bone-chilling experience. Please wear appropriate clothing (layers are suggested).
Most island stores are closed at this time of year, but a few will be open. It is likely that some fudge shops will be open too (they have been every year in the past). There are a few restaurants on the island that are open year-round, and they will be open to serve lunch and dinner. Doud's grocery store (on Main Street) will also be open, and you may purchase drinks and snacks there.
Each attendee at this event will receive a raffle ticket for a free prize drawing, which will be held back at the Grand Hotel group room (Museum Room) at 7:00 pm. You will be given your ticket when you return to the hotel that evening. You must be present to win. As is our usual tradition, every one in attendance will get a prize. We will also be serving cake and cookies back at the hotel on Saturday night, so you can enjoy some munchies while we distribute prizes. We will also be holding another raffle for some larger prizes, and those tickets will be for sale at the event. The proceeds from the sale of the raffle tickets will be used to help offset the costs of the event. In addition, each team will also receive a special memento from the Cyclops family for attending this event.
Island maps will be available for those who want to travel around the interior of the island. It is highly recommended that you take a map with you if you are unfamiliar with the island. Some of the interior roads can be quite difficult to navigate, so be careful if you have small children with you. The perimeter road, which is 8.2 miles in length and is fairly flat, offers several caches for those who prefer a less strenuous adventure. For your convenience and planning, you can view or print the PDF file for the Mackinac Island Map. The one available at the information booth on the island is printed on a glossy paper, and holds up fairly well when repeatedly tucked in and out of a pocket or caching bag.
Also, for your convenience, I have created some non-geocache waypoints. These waypoints can be downloaded as a zipped GPX file here.
Click here for more information about this event. If you need specific details or information about this event, please feel free to e-mail me directly.
