Split Rock State Park- A Series of Unfortunate Events

This is story taken from a napkin in my journal:

"So here’s the story.

I was supposed to be in Ireland two months ago, but my visa has not come through, so I am hanging at Aunt Susie’s house for the time being. Tony Joe is a missionary for NET Ireland and lives about 30 minutes away and we know each other moderately well from online zoom calls. Anyways, he said that we should hang again while we were both waiting. So we decided to go to Split Rock State Park which was 3 1/2 hours away. Yes, a seven-hour car ride with someone I barely know. Perfect time for team bonding.

Anyways, he picked me up, we went to mass, and then like a blink of an eye, we were at the state park. We hiked, had our group call, and drove to a new location. I left my wallet, my journal, and my Bible in the car so I wouldn’t have the extra weight and kept a granola bar and water with me in my backpack. We hiked again through windy trails and had a great time. I told him all about the Thimbleberry plants that we were passing and how they were native to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was so nostalgic and reminded me of being with my brothers.

We also jammed to a lot of music and had great conversations. We spontaneously decided to run into Lake Superior. Tony Joe emptied his pockets and I took off my jacket and we ran in.

The chafe was real being in wet jeans after. We continue to walk to the famous lookout to see the Split Rock Lighthouse. It was beautiful! Then we walked back to a nice paved trail. We got to the car around 4:30 and Tony Joe realized he didn’t have his car keys! Dun Dun DUN. We checked my bag and it was not there. Frick. Tony Joe emptied his pockets when we ran into Lake Superior and didn’t remember picking them back up, so they have to be there, right?

We hiked back to where we got in the water praying to Saint Anthony and saying the chaplet of Divine Mercy. We made it to the water spot. No keys. Shoot! We tried calling a locksmith and an Uber and got no luck. At this point my phone is at 2% and Tony Joe’s phone was getting terrible service and he is out of data, so he needed someone else’s phone. Tony Joe said we should go to the lighthouse to check for keys there and maybe we can borrow a phone with service. I could tell that Tony Joe wanted to hustle and I couldn’t walk too fast because the chafe was real. I told Tony Joe that he could run ahead and I will stay behind on the same trail behind him. He left and I quickly turned on my phone and wrote Aunt Susie’s number on a piece of paper so I could contact someone if my phone died. Then my phone died.

I walked and finally made it to the overlook of the Lighthouse and no Tony Joe. He’s supposed to be on the same trail. I was just following behind him at a pace my chafe could handle. Oh! What should I do? Maybe he found someone and was calling someone off of the trail and I just missed him. I needed a way to communicate with him. I was going to spell out rocks on the ground saying “TJ, I went to car” but I didn’t think that would work. Earlier on the hike, I was telling Tony Joe all about the Thimbleberry plants. So I decided to make a breadcrumb trail of the Thimbleberry leaves pointing in the direction of where I was going. I lined them in groups of three and placed them about every 100 yards and at the trailheads. I probably laid over 100 leaves on the way to the car.

As I got closer to the car, I was really hoping Tony Joe would be there. I never lost hope, got scared, or doubted. The whole way I kept singing “go tell it on the mountains” because it was stuck in my head. When I was getting near the car I looked over to the water and saw a couple on the beach watching three bald eagles soaring only yards away from them. Beautiful. And it was right at sunset. Thank you, God! I kept walking, leaving my trail, and got in the car. No Tony Joe. Oh, Lord. So now what? I decided to go ask a couple on the beach for a phone to borrow. I met them as they were walking back to the parking lot. They said that they didn’t have service, but had an iPhone charger in the car. Perfect. So I walked with them and charged up my phone in their car.

Across the parking lot, I saw a group of construction workers and asked to borrow one of their phones to see if they got service. I called aunt Sue and explained the story. It was 7 PM at this point, and I warned her that I might ask her to pick me up (7 hour trip) along with Tony Joe when I found him. A construction worker told me we are located at mile 43 on Highway 61. Aunt Susie told me to talk to Uncle Shawn because she was stressed. He told me not to go look for him alone in the woods as it was getting dark, but to leave a note on Tony Joe’s car saying I was going into the town to a Holiday gas station. Solid plan. That way I wasn’t a female alone, in the parking lot, at night, with wet clothes, in 54° weather. So I hung up and the construction worker offered me a ride to town. We looked up the address for the Holiday gas station and I wrote a note and put it on Tony Joe’s car.

I grabbed my phone, now at 8% charge from the couple’s car. I got their names- Thomas and Asha. Good folk. They were an interesting couple though, as he was a blonde lumberjack and she was a Muslim fully clothed. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear hijabs.

Anyway, the construction worker took me to the Holiday gas station. He told me his name was Logan and as we drove I told him this mess of a story, and I started to notice how cute he was. Then I saw a wedding ring. Dang it. I charged up my phone in his car and uncle Shawn called saying the Rangers office is closed and we should wait a bit and try to get a hold of Tony Joe and if we can’t we should call the state police and report a ‘missing person’. Ahh! I told uncle Shawn that there was hope that Tony Joe would make it to the car because I left a trail of leaves all the way to the car. Uncle Shawn smirkingly laughed at me and told me that wouldn’t work. On the phone we decided that we were going to wait 15 minutes to decide what to do next.

When I was off the phone, Logan laughed at the idea that I left a trail of leaves…

I made it to the Holiday and thanked my hero, Logan. Too bad he had a ring, he could have been my prince charming, my knight in shining armor. I went inside the gas station and went straight to the bathroom to dry my clothes with the hand dryer.

Tony Joe called. God is good! I freaked to hear he was alive. He said he got my note and that he is having his dad come to pick me up and then get him. Great news, but I had to break bad news. My wallet is in Tony Joe‘s car and I fly out at 6 AM to go to Idaho. I would need my ID. Tony Joe said that he would try to think of a way for me to get my wallet, but the plan was to ditch the car and tow it the next day.

While I was in the bathroom on the phone, an employee came to clean the bathroom. She asked me if I was OK considering the phone call. I’ve vented the whole story to Melissa and she told me that she would buy me a coffee. Good woman. I could really use a hot beverage. I went to sit at the tables in the gas station and she explained to her manager that I will be hanging out until my ride comes in a couple of hours. The manager was shocked to see I was there and comes to me and says that a man named Logan called to make sure “the girl in the blue jacket with the backpack” was OK and to tell me that he dropped me off at the wrong Holiday gas Station and it didn’t match the address that I left for Tony Joe. The manager told Logan that there is no girl. Poor Logan, maybe he does love me and is now worried that I was kidnapped. I called Logan back on the gas station phone and I told him I was safe and I thanked him for letting me know so I could correct the address of the gas station.

My second call was to Tony Joe to tell him the new address of the Holiday gas station to give to his dad. Then Tony Joe said “by the way, did you leave a trail of leaves?” “YESSS HE GOT IT?!” Everyone doubted me!! I texted Logan saying “just to spare my sanity, he did find the leaf trail.”

My next call was to aunt Susie to update her that everything is alright and then I got a hold of Tony Joe and then I will get home tonight. I told her that I will probably miss my flight to Idaho considering I don’t have my ID. As I am on the phone I see a sheriff walk into the gas station. “oh a sheriff! Should I ask him to pick up Tony Joe?” “Yes!” “Okay, bye!” I quickly explained to Sheriff Derek Donald the situation asking if he could pick up Tony Joe at… Where was it? Think. Think! Oh yes, Highway 61 at mile 43. Sheriff Derek Donald took our names and phone numbers and said he would try to find him.

I tried to call Tony Joe to let him know to stay by his car and the sheriff and pick him up but he wasn’t answering. So I stayed in that gas station writing this narrative on this napkin. I got a call from Papa Tony Joe saying he’s about 15 minutes away! I write and write and I see in my peripherals that a man is lingering by my table. I look up and there he is in the flesh. Alive, Anthony Joseph Francis Ignatius Miller was standing before me. We hugged. Sheriff D Donald came in clutch. Five minutes later Papa Tony Joe showed up. I thanked Melissa and we started our 3 1⁄2 hour drive back home.

Tony Joe concluded that there is no way to open the car door to get my wallet. So in the car ride, I canceled my flight. Well, at least I can sleep in. :) THE END."