Turtle Pond Nature Trail in New Buffalo

What are you doing this fine Labor Day? New buffalo has built boardwalks through their two acre marshy wildlife preserve and made an interesting Turtle Pond Nature Trail. We zipped through it on mountain bikes and enjoyed the scenery and natural settings. It sidles along the railroad tracks and bridges a little pond.  It's dedicated to the property owner, Elizabeth McNeil, and is pretty serene with plenty of shade and wildflowers.

Chikaming Township Park and Preserve

There are more than 250 beauiful acres to roam in the Chikaming Park and Preserve and a lovely pavilion with picnic tables tucked way back in the woods. The hiking trails are mowed paths with wildflowers and wildlife to enjoy every where you look. We had the park all to ourselves at 10am and let the dog off his leash to run to his delight. Click on the photo and see if you can spot him.

Stewart Farm on Harsens Island

Today our excursion desires led us to Harsens Island to explore Stewart Farm, a Michigan Historical Site. Dating back to 1815, it is the oldest operating farm on the island owing its name to the original owner, New Yorker Harvey Stewart. He married the granddaughter of Jacob Harsen, who had settled on the island in the 1700's. Owner Bob Williams invited the public today to walk the mowed paths in his 53 acre woodlands and meadow paradise to view the birds, wildlife and the gorgeous array of wildflowers.

GM Plaza and Promenade on Detroit's Riverwalk

The headquarters for General Motors is in the Renaissance Towers on Jefferson downtown adjacent to the Detroit River. The beautiful GM Plaza and Promenade are part of Detroit's Riverwalk and were donated by GM. The fountains are cool and refreshing and irresistible for children on a day like today! There is a free walking tour of the Riverfront sponsored by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and meets every Monday at 1pm at the GM Plaza. You will learn about the buildings, architecture and public art as well as Detroit's History and how Cadillac landed here in 1701.

Roaring Brook Nature Preserve

Hiking boardwalk paths exist like this in Michigan for the enjoyment of all thanks to the foresight of nature lovers and conservancy groups. The Roaring Brook Nature Preserve in Harbor Springs is maintained by the Little Traverse Conservancy. It radiates beauty in every season, but this spring it's lush greenery is almost intoxicating.  LTC has a smart phone app that allows you to discover all their little hiking gems. Look for LTC Explorer.

West Bloomfield Rail Trail

We had an opportunity to hike the West Bloomfield Rail Trail earlier this afternoon and were very pleased with the serene natural beauty. It is about 7 miles long paralleling Pontiac Trail. There is a wee parking lot on Haggarty Road adjacent to the crushed limestone path and a well constructed boardwalk that traverses the low-lying marshy areas. At the opposite end is the Sylvan Manor Park. This is part of a network of hiking paths that extend across our state called the Michigan Airline Trail. Dogs are most welcome on leashes and they provide disposal bags for picking up after them.

Hiking Grand Haven's Rosy Mound

There is a beautiful hiking trail through the dunes in Grand Haven called Rosy Mound. The 3/4 mile (one way) trail leading to Lake Michigan includes lots of stairs but the woodsy, sandy scenery is gorgeous no matter what time of year. We like reading the educational signs and learning about our environment. There is no charge between Labor Day and Memorial Weekend and even in the summertime, this secret beach is not too crowded.

Lakeport State Park in the Thumb

Michigan is resplendent in its colors this month! We took a stroll today through Lakeport State Park just north of Port Huron in Lakeport. You can camp right next to glorious Lake Huron and enjoy the sunrise side of the state. With 250 sites, there is no need for reservations until next June. However, there is one cabin available which sleeps six people for those who have no camping equipment. Every site has a picnic table and a fire ring.

Independence Oaks in Clarkston

Michigan's sunny 60 degree weather is perfect for hiking and checking out our beautiful fall colors that are beginning to peak.  The 1000+ acres at Independence Oaks in Clarkston are gorgeous for bikers and fishermen and picnickers as well. With its 68 acre lake all kinds of animal life abound. They have 10 miles of lovely trails, some paved and some left natural. The nature center will give you a map and a list of birds in the are for you to mark off. In the wintertime, this is a great park for cross county skiing.

Harbor Springs' Thorne Swift Nature Preserve

Fall in Michigan--it just doesn't get any better than this! The Thorne Swift Nature Preserve up in Harbor Springs is a 30-acre peaceful oasis located on Lake Michigan that has some delightful boardwalk trails that show off sand dunes, cedar swamps, hardwood forests and a beautiful beach.

Polly Ann Trail in Orion Township

What are you doing for Labor Day? Before we head out for a picnic we got our exercise in on the Polly Ann Trail in Oakland County this morning. It's such a glorious day and we should take advantage of the wonderful opportunities around us. Used by joggers, bikers and hikers, the Polly Ann Trail is 14 miles long connecting Leonard, Oxford, Addison and Orion Townships. Originally it was the P,O and N Railroad line, standing for Pontiac, Oxford and Northern --which ran up through the thumb to Caseville. The State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources was able to purchase it in 1993 and work continues on the trail to complete it and connect to others in the area. We parked at Orion Township Library on Joslyn Road which provides access to the trail.

Pointe Mouillee Wildlife Refuge

They call Pointe Mouillee a spit of a piece of land in Monroe County near Rockford.  It's a long skinny finger that juts out into Lake Erie that is great for birders, joggers, bikers and hikers. The French fur trappers named it, meaning Wet Point. The whole area consists of 4000 acres and the US Army Corps of engineers have built dikes to help preserve the wetlands for the huge migrations of fowl that use this area.  The 65th annual Waterfowl Festival takes place September 8-9 here where you'll find hip boot races, duck and goose calling contests as well as beautiful wildlife art displays and duck carvings.

Marine City's Algonac Park

Algonac State Park is a thing of beauty because you get up close with the majestic freighters going up and down the St Clair River all year long. The park in Marine City has 1500 acres and a half mile of river frontage along with 220 campsites, several hiking trails, archery and trap shooting. Every plot comes with a large ring for campfires. Ghost stories are optional.

St Clair County's Bridge to Bay Trail

St Clair County has been developing a beautiful hiking/biking trail called Bridge to Bay.  When finished it will stretch 54 miles from Lakeport State Park north of Port Huron down to New Baltimore. Some of it hugs the water and some parts of it are inland, but what a gem it is! It will potentially link us to Canada via ferry to the St Clair Parkway Trail in Lamberton, Ontario. How cool is that? No excuses now, get out and get some fresh Michigan air.

House on the Hill in Ellsworth

As far as Bed & Breakfasts go, we think House on the Hill in Ellsworth is topnotch. Their rooms are beautifully decorated and each is equipped with its own bathroom. They have a front porch with comfy chairs that afford a great view over St Clair Lake and if you are energetic enough you can take their kayaks out for a peaceful paddle. Hiking trails up and around their 50 acres beckon us to explore. We loved their giant checkers game out in the garden with king and queen adirondack chairs. A short walk to Rowe Inn will provide you with one of the best gourmet meals you can get in Michigan.

St Anthony's rock on Mackinac Island

St Anthony's Rock is located in a small park behind the row of businesses on the main street of Mackinac Island. Archeologists and geologists call it a sea stack of Mackinac breccia stone formed 350 years ago. Can you see the image of St Anthony in the rock formation? An old indian legend claims that this was a ceremonial rock that spoke of a maiden's love and her desire to leap to her death.

Bloomfield Hills' Cranbrook Institute of Science

The Cranbrook Campus, a National Historic Landmark, consists of 315 acres in Bloomfield Hills.  It began in the early 1900's, a creation of Ellen Scripps Booth and George Booth (of Detroit News) whose father was born in Cranbrook, England. The Institute of Science has Michigan's only fully reproduced T-Rex, an observatory, a planetarium and a live bat show. The Bat Zone is in a separate building containing 150 bats. The Eliel Saarinen designed museum building  is open every day except Monday. The beautiful grounds are frequently used by joggers, hikers and bikers.

Biking Mackinac Island

For many Michiganders, the first long bike ride we've ever taken is around Mackinac Island. The views are just superb.  It's a healthy 8, almost 9 miles around and for the inexperienced, you can get a little winded. However, there are lots of places to rest and enjoy the scenery. Some people bring their bikes on the boat, while others rent them on this carless island. For a friend's special birthday, we all gathered with her here to hike around the historic loop. It was a memory we will never forget.

Negwegon State Park near Black River

Like dummies, we ventured into Negwegon State Park near the town of Black River, without any background information. We found out afterwards that 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended.  Not too many visitors venture into this vast wilderness on Lake Huron.  We almost got stuck in the sandy road approaches and probably would have been marooned there for some time. But, hey, we love adventures and this natural, serene park is a gem just waiting to be explored! Not only are there eight miles of sandy beaches, four rustic campsites, 12 miles of foot trails (one of which is the old stagecoach path from Harrisville to Alpena) amidst its 3700 acres, but we hear tell there is an ancient 5,000 year old stone wall within the park and indian burial grounds.  Look for the endangered Pitcher's thistle while hiking here, as well as the Hines emerald dragonfly and it's a paradise for birders and kayakers. The park was named after the Chief of the Chippewa tribe who hunted and fished here. The boulder's plaque is in honor of C. Hazlett Kramer, humanitarian and conservationist.

Adrian's Riverview Trail

Adrian has a beautiful trail system that follows the river. The Kiwanis Trail was created using an old railroad corridor from Adrian almost all the way to Tecumseh. The area in Adrian that borders the river is called the Riverview Trail and it is lit up at night. Sometimes this seven mile paved stretch is called the River Raisin Greenway.  It's flat and has lots of shade and therefore used by parents pushing strollers, skaters, joggers, bikers and hikers.