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Pause, Provision, and Press
Today was our first real pause on the #GreatLakesOdyssey, and let me tell you, it was exactly what we needed! No alarms, no agenda—just a day to be. We slept in (oh, what a treat!) and took our time with breakfast, sipping coffee, hot chocolate, and diet Dr. Pepper slowly. 🌞 The morning was all about resetting for the week ahead. We made a quick trip to the local laundromat to tackle the mountain of clothes we've collected along the way. There's something strangely satisfying about laundry day on a road trip, isn’t there? Clean clothes = fresh start. And Steve let me gather the quarters from the change dispenser because, well, that jingle makes my heart happy. 🎶 While the clothes were spinning, we took a moment to watch the birds overhead, catching the morning wind as they began their migration south. Meanwhile, Dave took a leisurely stroll to the local post office to mail a card. There's something so heartfelt about snail mail; it’s like sending a little piece of your adventure to someone you love. After our laundry was folded and tucked away, we set out to scout our filming location for the week ahead. It was good to take in the surroundings, to envision what stories we’ll capture, and to have that plan ready to go. Then, it was time for a grocery run to Pat's Foods. We stocked up on lunch provisions and, of course, snacks for the afternoon football game. 🍎🥪 Back in our room, Steve and Dave settled into their "football mode" on the couch while I made myself comfortable on the bed. Laptop open, fingers on the keys, writing away. What else would I be doing? 😉 Tonight, we’re heading out for dinner before our next adventure—Yooperlite hunting! (Yooperlites are fluorescent rocks that glow under ultraviolet light and are found in the Great Lakes region, especially in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.) Dave has his trusty UV light ready, and we’re excited to hit the beach and see what glowing treasures we can find in the dark. ✨ This day of rest was a gift—a pause to breathe, provision for the journey ahead, and a press of memories to carry us forward. Sometimes, it’s the little things that fill your heart the most. 💛 This week we will be working with Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Keweenaw National Historical Park. We are looking forward to amazing weather and meeting new people. #PauseProvisionPress #GreatLakesOdyssey
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Earlier today, we discussed the important topic of water safety with Mary Ann Best from the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium as well as Dr. Erin at Portage Lakefront Park. We learned that having a plan before visiting any body of water is crucial – the best plans are made before you go. We discussed preparation, safety equipment, water watchers, and the vital need to keep your eyes on the people you care about and are in your care. Thank you, Mary Ann, for sharing your expertise with us, and Dr. Erin, your questions and observations were spot on as always! We also loved that Charlotte from "Heroes of the Great Lakes Odyssey" could join us today! After our session, we hopped back into the Odyssey Van and are now heading to Munising, Michigan. We've got an exciting week ahead, including a wilderness adventure at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a boat trip to explore the caves, a LiveStream at Miners Castle, and then heading up to Houghton and Keweenaw National Historical Park! Buffalo Reef and the historic copper mines are on our list of places to film, and Ranger Karl may even help us make some rock candy. We’re still on the road with 4 hours to go, but so far, we’ve traveled 817 miles and have a few more weeks left on this journey. A special thanks to Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial and Indiana Dunes National Park! Goodbye, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie – up next, Lake Superior! #GreatLakesOdyssey #WaterSafety #LakeSuperiorBound Today was a blast! Teachers and students called it one of our best LiveStreams yet! We kicked off the morning with breakfast at our hotel, then headed to the Great Marsh Observation Overlook, greeted by Dr. Erin from the GLREC, two mute swans, and a group of egrets. Things were already off to a great start!
It took us a few hours to set up, and we were so grateful to have some of our STEAM in the PARK campers—Pacia, Justine, and Tracy—drive several hours to lend a hand. 🙌 A huge thanks to these rockstars! Our LiveStream was packed with amazing insights: ✅A warm welcome from Ranger Kip, a long-time supporter of Expeditions in Education and a true advocate for the park. ✅Dr. Dan Mason shared the history of the Great Marsh Restoration and the importance of restoring the marsh today. ✅Dr. Erin and Resource Management Crew Lead, Daniel, talked about the challenges of managing marsh restoration. ✅We heard from Crew Lead Billy, who showed us the HUGE invasives (seriously, those cattails and phragmites were massive!). ✅And team member Mary-Ann showcased the "tools of the trade," proving that hard work really does pay off! ✅We were blown away by the students' questions and their eagerness to help us make a difference in the world. 🌎 After the LiveStream, our team joined the resource management crew and a few volunteers to plant native plugs in another area of the marsh. Together, they planted 4 buckets of native plants to help with the restoration. 🌿💧 Following a well-deserved meal, we said goodbye to our awesome helpers and headed back to the hotel. It was an incredible day, and we're exhausted! Major shoutout to the Indiana Dunes National Park staff for putting on a fantastic show today. Tomorrow morning, we’re plunging into a water safety class on Lake Michigan. For now, it’s time to rest! #GreatLakesOdyssey #IndianaDunes #ExpeditionsinEducation Today, we spent an incredible morning at Indiana Dunes National Park with 75 fourth graders from Discovery School! 🎒🦋 The students took a journey through the Great Marsh, where they learned about its history, how it's treated for invasive species, went on a native plant treasure hunt, built their own wetlands in a bottle, and even created a beautiful dragonfly art piece! ✨
A huge thank you to Rangers Dan, Steve, Daniel, Evan, Chris, Mary-Ann, and Billy for making today unforgettable. 💚 Ranger Dan shared why this marsh was chosen for restoration, while Ranger Steve brought his interpretive skills to life in the marsh. The resource management team (Daniel, Evan, Chris, Mary-Ann, and Billy) showed us how they tackle the heavy lifting to keep this ecosystem thriving. 💪🌱 After the students left, we got hands-on with planting plugs in the marsh, learned how snowshoes are used to navigate the wetlands, saw how backpack sprayers help control invasive species, collected seeds from Sweet Joe-Pye-weeds, and even met "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha," the park's marsh master! 🌾🏞️ And this was all before 2 pm! 😅 The rest of our day will be filled with editing, creating content, and maybe a quick nap. 😴 Tomorrow, we’re LiveStreaming from the Great Marsh Observation Deck, hoping for a few more sandhill crane sightings! 🕊️ We spent a few hours today setting up everything for our LiveStream at Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, and we were absolutely overwhelmed by the help from park rangers, staff, and volunteers. Our setup is quite elaborate, and it definitely takes a team! Starting this Great Lakes Odyssey at Perry's Victory was thrilling! Rangers Jackie and Philip shared some fascinating history about the park, including a fun fact: if you tried to measure up to the tonnage of the memorial in cheeseburgers, you’d need a LOT! Ranger Jackie also introduced us to the topic of harmful algal blooms, sparking some great discussions. We were also joined by Allison, a local teacher and scientist extraordinaire, who shared incredible insights with us. Dr. Erin from the GLREC couldn’t have been happier to see this dream of sharing the science happening in the Great Lakes parks come to life. We were joined by 2,934 students from 14 states on today’s stream! During the session, we explored the aquatic food chain, starting with phytoplankton, those microscopic plants at the very bottom. The students imagined themselves as different parts of the food chain, from phytoplankton to zooplankton, to macroinvertebrates, fish, and finally, humans! This hands-on activity really emphasized the importance of water quality and how every link in the chain depends on a healthy ecosystem. One of the highlights was the water filtering activity led by Dr. Erin and our “Heroes of the Great Lakes Odyssey” character, Charlotte. Students were captivated as they learned how to build a water filter using natural materials to filter out harmful bacteria. I was eager to test the filtered water, but after seeing it still looked green after the first filtration, I was quickly talked out of it! It was a huge hit and a great way to show how small steps can help keep our lakes clean. As we wrapped up our LiveStream, we were treated to a surprise military flyover, which was the perfect way to end an exciting day! The day was filled with learning and fun as we delved into topics like harmful algal blooms, the Clean Water Act, and the importance of our actions in preserving water quality. We’ve now traveled 385 miles on this journey so far! Next up: Our adventure continues tomorrow at Indiana Dunes National Park! Register now to join us at expeditionsineducation.org #GreatLakesOdyssey #ExpeditionsInEducation #PerrysVictory What a day! We teamed up with two amazing high school teachers from Put-In-Bay High School who brought their students to demonstrate water quality testing as part of a national citizen science project focused on algal blooms. 🌱 From using a Secchi disk to measure turbidity to collecting water samples with plankton nets, the students impressed us with their knowledge and passion! We even got a chance to view the samples under a microscope—all while experiencing a downpour. 🌧️ But hey, a little rain couldn't stop us! Afterward, we toured the iconic Perry's Victory International Peace Memorial, the tallest open-air rotunda in the entire National Park Service. Walking the 37 steps and taking the elevator to the top was SO worth it for the incredible views and powerful history shared by the rangers. We learned all about the War of 1812, and their stories left us humbled. After a quick stop at Ranger Jackie's office (our fabulous host), we headed back to our NPS-provided apartment to dive into editing, content writing, and social media posting. Just as we were wrapping up, we were surprised by tornado warnings! We stayed cautious, keeping an eye on the weather to stay safe. Wrapping up the day, we enjoyed some more local flavor for dinner and put the final touches on tomorrow’s LiveStream. Big shoutout to Dave for being an essential part of this journey—it truly takes a village! 👏 Stay tuned for more from Perry's Victory tomorrow as we host our 1st LiveStream of the Odyssey! 📽️ #PerrysVictory #CitizenScience #AlgalBlooms #GreatLakesOdyssey Photos by Dacia, Dave, and Erin! We hit the road bright and early, leaving Chicago at 5:00 am CT to pick up Dave at the Amtrak station in St. Joseph, MI. He traveled in from Grand Rapids, and after some creative packing to fit his small bag (we might have overpacked), we were off again! Our trusty rental, the Pacifica—affectionately named Al Pacino—is our ride for the next few weeks. First stop? McDonald’s for breakfast (we promise to do better with healthy choices soon)! Then, after a quick Walmart run for some last-minute essentials, we made it to Miller’s Ferry and cruised across to Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. Once we got the keys from the park service, we settled into our VIP apartment and set up all the gear so Steve and Dave could strategize for tomorrow’s filming. We capped off the day with a great dinner, enjoying delicious pizza with Erin, and her daughter Charlotte —checking out some of the great flavors of Put-in-Bay. It’s been a long day, but the Odyssey is off to a strong start. Time to rest up for tomorrow’s adventures! 🌊🍕 #GreatLakesOdyssey #STEAMinthePARK #PerrysVictory #ExpeditionsInEducation #NationalParks |
AuthorDacia Jones is an author deeply passionate about nature, education, and storytelling. Drawing on her extensive experiences exploring national parks, leading educational programs, and inspiring students, she crafts narratives that blend adventure, environmental stewardship, and empathy. Her writing is infused with the heart of an educator and the soul of a lifelong learner, inviting readers to see the world through the lens of wonder and discovery. Through her stories, she aims to ignite a sense of curiosity and responsibility in young minds, encouraging them to become heroes in their communities. Her favorite moments in time are spent with family and friends and she considers her calling as a wife, mom, and Mimi a great honor. ArchivesCategories |
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