Are you ‘All Outside’?

In Gaylord, Michigan they really want you to get out there, to experience the nature trails, wildlife, putt putt, and roadside attractions. The city slogan is “All Outside,” after all!

Heading ‘Up North’ is something I remember from my childhood. Growing up in the Chicagoland area, we were prone to spending time in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and wilderness of Michigan. This was true when we weren’t at the family cabin in northern Indiana, where the beauty of knotty pine, and the warmth is creates, were always present in the summer cabin built by my grandfather.

Up north, however, that’s where I learned first-hand what a loon sounds like in the early morning mist. I experienced the taste of crisp apples in the fall, and the satisfaction of melting down freshly fallen snow, to drink when the pipes are frozen.

There’s something ourdoorsy about making your way outdoors to spend a long holiday weekend. There’s something refreshing about the refreshing, piney smell of pine needles. There’s something calming about the calm, still waters of a lake that city folk flock to. There’s something homey and remote about making the remote northern Midwest your “home” for the weekend, a week, or a season.

The elk in the area, featured so abundantly on postcards, keychains, coffee mugs, and T-shirts are relieved when cooler temperatures are the norm , as their thick warm coat, which will get them through the bitterly cold northern winter, starts to come in.

Elk, moose, deer, bear, coyote, and mink are just over there, in the trees, whether you see them or not. Some of these critters are oblivious to our presence, ignorant of our coming and going. Or they rely on their natural camouflage, overgrown vegetation, or places to burro. They become experts at hiding away, to remain unseen, They are aided by the fact that our tendency, as tourists, is to drive by too fast, in a hurry to get where we’re going.

But what if the beautiful elk were your destination? To help you catch a glimpse of the elk, the city of Gaylord, MI has brought a heard of elk to you – as a visitor or a local.

“The City of Gaylord maintains an elk herd and provides viewing areas for the public to stop and watch the impressive herd.  Under the city’s care the roughly 40 elk can be viewed from near the Elk’s Lodge off Grandview at Elk View Park.” (City of Gaylord website)

Of course the elk heard hangs out near the Elk’s Lodge! A small parking lot separates the two, with a dozen or so cars in the lot, and 2 – 3 times as many faces leaning in to watch the elk do elk things, the visitors joyfully taking in the scene. We’re told that there is a local man who comes to see them every day, bringing along a bag of apples.

An apple or two remains, on the visitor side of the fence, from his visit early in the day. I encourage two young boys, who barely reach my waist, to feed the animals. They look nervously at each other, then at their dad, shaking their heads in a definitive ‘No!’ They are less than 3 feet from the impressive beasts. I suppose that’s close enough.

So, I held out the apple and the appreciative Elk snacked away.

What a rewarding stop, and a way to be ‘All Outside’ in that moment. The city of Gaylord wants to see more visitors and locals enjoying the abundant natural world, including viewing the elk. As a gal who grew up regularly visiting (and then working at) the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo I’m a firm believer in (a) treating animals well and (b) educating the public about animals and their habitats.

This stop on a road trip further north was a treat – I encourage you to visit. Oh, there were other hoofed animals of all varieties there too! Enjoy observing and interacting with them!

“Nature abounds in the Northern Lower Peninsula. Elk are the largest and most impressive wildlife you’ll encounter in the Gaylord area and there is more than one way to view them. Discover the many ways you can witness these majestic creatures firsthand. For the full scoop on elk viewing, check out our blog.”

City of Gaylord website

Join me on my next adventure,

~ Kat

Related Links:

City of Gaylord: https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/

City Elk Park: https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/member/gaylords-city-elk-park/

Michigan’s elk Viewing Guide: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-forests/prc

Elk Viewing Fields at ‘The Pigeon’: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-forests/prc

Pigeon River County State Forest: https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/member/pigeon-river-country-state-forest/

Call of the Wild Museum: https://callofthewildgaylord.com/