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A Few of Our Favorite Things (4) LbNA #58785

Owner:pjynx
Plant date:Jul 14, 2011
Location: Grand Traverse Commons
City:Traverse City
County:Grand Traverse
State:Michigan
Boxes:4
Found by: BumblinB (4)
Last found:Jan 7, 2024
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Jul 23, 2021
Clues updated 7/18/21.

We spend a lot of our vacation time in Northern Michigan, in and around the Traverse City area. It seemed very fitting to plant a series of stamps that represent some of the things we like to do while we are on vacation.

The old State Mental Hospital (Northern Michigan Asylum) has been closed for many years. In the past few years, developers have begun restoring the old buildings and have created the Village at Grand Traverse Commons....an assortment of businesses that have taken up residence there. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, wineries, shopping are all available for browsing and shopping. Behind one of the old buildings on the west side of the complex is a water tower. The clues begin at the trailhead near this water tower. The get there: from US-31/M-37, go west on 11th St. Take that to Silver Drive (slight left) and then to Cottage View Dr (right). Left onto Gray. Go straight until the road ends **(see note) The trailhead is at the end of the road. There is no longer a "trailhead" and map at this location, but there is an information sign about the nature found there.

**Note - there has been a lot of development construction on Gray Dr the last couple of years. If you are unable to drive down Gray to park near the trailhead, you will need to park in the public parking area for the shops/restaurants on Cottage View Dr and then walk down Gray (despite the contruction signs, you ARE allowed to walk through there). The trailhead is near 1371 Gray Dr where the road makes a hairpin turn.

Clues:
Start on the Trail that goes straight ahead beyond several large rocks. At choice, go right. Remember this spot because you will come back to it after finding the 1st box. Across the wooden bridge. After bridge, watch where you walk...don't trip. Roots in the middle of the trail. Take the trail to the right that goes up. Careful, there are many fallen trees over the trail. Watch on the left side of the trail where triplets with many toes used to stand. Now the middle triplet has disappeared. A & J were here and so was TBF in '17. Beyond those, into the woods, lies a fallen centipede. You will find a CAMPFIRE at the base of a standing one, near where the 2 fallen ones cross.

Back across the bridge and return to the spot I told you to remember. Upon arriving there, go right. Continue walking a bit. Do not go up. At choice, down the steps, past the fence and across the bridge. Shortly after the beginning of boardwalk, you'll notice an octopus on the right, and another slightly past it further off the trail. Stand on the boardwalk even with the first, looking toward the 2nd. Between those 2, you'll see a V-tree in the distance. Make your way to the V-tree. To the right of the V-tree, past fallen ones, find a 4-trunker. KAYAK is on the back side of that. If you are unsure which tree is correct, there is also a tree nearby wearing a faded heart.

Back to the boardwalk and follow it to it's end. Up the steps, ignore any social trails, left at fork. Continue left at (slight) choice and up hill, passing small fence on right. Continue walking until you reach a fence at the top of a hill. You want the trail on the other side. Go around the fence and continue following the trail, heading down, then slightly back up. Go right. Careful, it's steep going down as you approach the creek. Cross the bridge and go right. Down the hill, along the creek. When a fence blocks your path and you see building beyond it, go up. At the top of the hill, turn left where the trail continues upward. Walk along with a fence to your left. About 1/2 way through the length of the fence, the trail splits at a blue-tipped post. Take the split away from the fence. 30 steps past the post, on the left, you'll see a tipped over one with toes in the air. You will find BOOKS in the V where others have fallen against it.

Back to the trail and continue to the T and another blue-tipped post. Turn away from the building. Just before the trail heads downhill, you'll see a 6-trunker on the right. Measure 315 degrees and see a white fallen one 50 steps in. 5-10 degrees from the white one is another fallen one with toes in the air. You will find CAMPER on the left side where the trunk lies on the ground near it's toes.

Now you have found a few of my favorite things. Go back toward the colorful round building. Go around either side of the building. Take the split that leads away from building (but not the one that goes down a steep hill). Continue on this trail until you find the steps that lead you back down to the trailhead.

Please take boxes away from their hiding places to do your stamping so passers-by don't see anything. When re-hiding, make sure all boxes closed at all 4 corners and is tucked in well so it's not visible from any direction. If books are getting full, please email me so I can make a trip up north to replace them. Thanks!