The Events of Thursday, August 12, 2010

          This early morning, we were awoken hurriedly. We rushed through breakfast and we were still dressing and packing up for the day when we started driving. We packed backpacks with lunches, water, sweatshirts, and rain jackets into our backpacks, for the traveling Taylors were off for an adventure to Isle Royale National Park. The only way to get to the park is by boat, so we drove to the dock where our boat was waiting for us. We boarded the boat at 8:30am and then set sail for the 2-3 hour ride to the island. For a while, we sat outside and let the wind blow in our faces. Mom put on her anti-seasick watch and grossed me (Lindsey) out by explaining all of the details on how it worked. The boat stopped above the shipwreck America. Looking out over the bow of the boat, you could actually see the ship beneath the water. All of the tourists crowded around taking photos and commenting to each other. The next place that the boat stopped was by an island. There, the tourist crowd swarmed to the right side of the boat where you could see a cedar tree growing straight out of a rock. The captain of the ship explained to us that the roots went over 80 feet below the rock into the water.

          During the duration of the ride there, we looked at the brochures about Isle Royale and amused ourselves with books, strings, and Rubrics Cubes. By the time we reached the shore of Isle Royale, we were fully educated on the significance of Isle Royale. We had found first of all, that there is another island on a lake on Isle Royale that is the biggest island on the biggest lake that is on the biggest island that is on the biggest lake in the world. So … Isle Royale is located on Lake Superior, which is the largest body of fresh water in the world; and on this lake is Isle Royale, which is the largest island to exist on a lake. On Isle Royale is Siskiwit Lake, which is the largest lake to exist on this large island. Now, on Siskiwit Lake, there is an island called Ryan Island. Ryan Island is the biggest island that is on the biggest lake that is on the biggest island that is on the biggest lake in the world. And that isn’t the only reason the Isle Royale is special. Another is that Isle Royale contains over 1,000 moose. There are about 15 wolves on the island and numerous species of bats. So, when we got there, we were given an introductory speech by Ranger Lucas. He told us all the details that you would possibly need to know about Isle Royale. We went into the visitor’s center and checked out the exhibits, the berry board, and asked for the Junior Ranger program. Obviously, they didn’t receive too many visitors, because Abby and Ben thought that the Ranger program was kind of sad. We were later told that they receive the number of visitors in an entire year that Yellowstone National Park gets in a day.

           We started a short hike which quickly started a theme. Every few yards, we would stop by a berry bush and eat away. With the knowledge of the aforesaid berry board, we kept sharp eyes out for the good berries that you can eat. We sampled our first ever thimbleberries and relished the sweet tang of raspberries as we walked along. While walking, we decided that we wanted to go on the ranger led walk that had been previously announced, so we turned back.

          We started out with only us, the ranger, and two other people. While we walked, he informed us all he knew about moose and their reign on the island. He would stop and show us a sign that a moose had traveled through a part that we were walking through, a baby tree with the top half bitten off or an area where all the leaves were gone at a certain level were completely gone. He had a ton off information and told it all. (Once while he was talking, observant Abby noticed a wild blueberry bush. After checking with the ranger that these were indeed blueberries and safe to eat (the other berries that were blue and on a single stock would make you sick) Mom harvested the bush and passed round the blue berries. YUMMY!) By the time our walk had finished, we were a sight to see, berry stain mouthed and drenched in sweat. So, we separated from the group and found our way down to Lake Superior where we waded and cooled off.

          We walked back to the picnic pavilion and listened to a ranger talk about bats. After she had finished, there came a loud noise from the dock. The blast made us jump 3 feet into the air. In answer to the foghorn, a crowd formed on the dock and people began to board the boat. Caitlin, Ben, Abby, and I stayed on the dock where we received our Junior Ranger certificates. We were thoroughly embarrassed and then boarded and the ship started ff. The boat ride home felt a lot longer than the ride there. It was definitely colder and windier, and it even rained on us for a while. We past the Rock of Ages Lighthouse and once again the crowds of tourists came. But, we eventually got back and were in high spirits for we had been promised a swim and showers! We went to the indoor pool located in the Casino’s Lodge and swam for a while, then, we refreshed ourselves with showers and headed back to the RV. There Mom cooked up some BBQ chicken, rice, corn, and apple sauce. Then, we cleaned up dinner. Then, we sat down and watched My Fair Lady, while we watched, we munched on some brownies. We were all really tired, so we stopped the movie at intermission and hit the sack after another exhausting and yet fun filled day.