Nomad Life - Day 312

Despite the noisy neighbor, I still got a good night's sleep (fortunately).  After waking up (0615), I started teleworking.  Like the previous days at the Euclid Motel, I skipped breakfast at the Standish Motel (Standish) because no food was provided.  At 1115, I ate lunch (leftovers from the evening before). Beyond that, I kept working online until 1600.  Immediately after my telework day was completed, I made reservations for the coming weekend; for the first time since I started my Nomad Life, I reserved a campsite!  Using Google AI, I also prepared an elaborate "birding route" route that would take me to the most interesting observation sites when I started my drive north to Mackinaw City.  At 1615, I finally left the hotel and went off in search of a hiking area I'd seen on the map.  As I made my way via US-23 and some back roads, I saw lots of signs that described my location as being in the "North Bay" region.  By 1630, I'd arrived at the Standish Trailhead, which was located in the Saginaw Bay Coastal Wildlands.  The weather was great (77 F, sunny)!  After parking near the corner of Bordeau & LaClair, I started exploring the woods and areas near the "beach" zone for Standish.  Unlike other areas I'd seen along Lake Huron, I was unable to easily get to the water's edge because the ground was marshy and filled with tall grasses/reeds.  As a result, I settled for sticking to the trails in the wildlife area.  At one point, though, I did some bushwhacking because I thought I could access a nearby gravel road (I'd seen it on my map app).  In the end, though, I gave up and returned to the beaten trail.  Along the way, I saw my first Least Bittern and several Monarch Butterflies (there seem to be a lot them in the area).  By the end of the hike, I realized I'd logged about one mile on the trails.  In my car again, I drove a short distance to nearby White’s Beach (arrived at 1720).  There were lots of gulls there and I really liked the quite little beach at the end of the rural road.  Next, I visited the Saganing Eagles Landing Casino (operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe).  The building was packed with lots of slot machines and nearly every one was occupied.  I'd been told that the food was good but I was deterred by the prices...  For about 30 minutes, I walked around inside the building and in the parking lot - I logged another mile in the process.  At 1800, I drove back to Standish and joined in on the dedication of a brand new bike trail.  Even though I had no "dog in the fight", I enjoyed watching the results of a local project (paid for with grant money) that appeared to be well received and had the potential to greatly improve the lives of the residents.  This was apparently mostly true for the children, who were the beneficiaries of the construction of a sledding hill on the property.  After the red ribbon was cut and the official ceremony was complete, I joined all the locals in walking the paved trails in the new "Standish Nature Trail & Walking Park".  During the course of about 45 minutes, I logged two more miles and touched on every inch of the system.  Very cool!  By 1900, I reached my car and found I was the only person who'd stayed that long.  On the way back to my hotel, I decided to stop for a drink (and some food) at The Half Barrel Bar.  I really liked the vibe of the place and talked to the staff and other guests while enjoying good drinks and food.  Finished with my late dinner (2000), I returned to the Standish Motel and spent the rest of the evening watching movies.  Bed time was at 2230.  Very glad that I explored more of Standish and got to know the locals!