How It All Started

Recently, Lansing Parks and Recreation started having some fun on their Facebook, stirring up some conversation and mystery when they posted this:

We even featured an article about the situation (CLICK HERE) to try to get some help from the community...little did we know the "vandals" were right in front of us the whole time!

97.5 NOW FM logo
Get our free mobile app

Aliens In Lansing?

After the initial post, Lansing Parks and Recreation continued to play up the mystery of it all by posting pictures of more strange markings in a field and putting together some pretty hilarious "press conference" videos on the matter.

All of this was alluding to the fact aliens may be making themselves known to us here in the Capital City.

However, all this hype and mystery has turned out to be an elaborate prank and/or setup by Lansing Parks and Recreation in preparation for bringing something fun to the community.

Lansing's 7th Annual Scavenger Hunt

Yes, the department has announced that, no, it's not aliens but just all a ruse to get people excited for a city-wide scavenger hunt!

Parks and Recreation Director, Brett Kaschinski, told FOX 47 the "strange graffiti" was actually chalk drawings that are meant to be clues for the scavenger hunt that takes place as a way to bring awareness to parks and recreation month.

"July is Parks and Recreation Month,” Kaschinski said. “So, we want people to get out and explore all of the great things that we have here in Lansing."

While you explore the Lansing area's 111 parks, 16 miles of river trails and over 2,000 acres of park land, they hope the scavenger hunt gets people out and seeing something they may not have even known existed in the area.

As far as the specifics of the scavenger hunt, FOX 47 reports it goes for the entire month and you can register a team (with no cap on how many people you can have) for just $50 and you all can compete for the top prize of five tickets to Michigan Adventure.

And so here we are, our very own Parks and Recreation department has pulled something off that is very reminiscent of the comedy by the same name "Parks and Recreation" and it is amazing.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Michigan

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Michigan using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

 

More From 97.5 NOW FM