Middle Michigan

With all the miles I drive, I've encountered some unexpected sights ... a family of turkeys crossing the highway, as well as a family of ducks, a deer running alongside the highway keeping up with my coach, etc. but today was the best yet.  I was driving Highway 10 close to Midland and an eagle took flight from the left side of the highway, gaining altitude as it passed before my windshield.  I held my breath that it was flying faster than I was driving because it was so close I could not have stopped in time.  The coolest sight ...

I didn't think of Amish being in Michigan, so I was surprised by the horse/buggy warning signs.  As I was passing an Amish family, going very slow and as far to the left as possible, I was surprised at the cars behind me that didn't even slow down or move over. I read a book series written by Linda Castillo about an Amish town of Painters Mill. I only mention it because I just finished the newest story and there was much mention of how many fatal buggy accidents there are because of recklessness by "Englishers."

The drive to Holland State Park was bad.  Between construction, confusing detours, and flat-out bad roads and congestion, it was not a pleasant drive.  Ironically, the drive from Kalamazoo to Stockbridge was worse.  Highway 94 is under construction and, apparently, all the on and off-ramps are closed.  Everywhere I turned the road was closed.  It took me 40 minutes to find one, after driving around in circles, and then the ramps I needed to get off were all closed.  Stress....

Anyway, back to Holland State Park - as I mentioned, this was voted the best state park in Michigan.  I have no idea what criteria was used, but at first glance, I could not see the hype.  The campground is a parking lot, with the sites marked like a parking lot.  I asked the ranger why? but she didn't have an answer.  The camp host was more forthcoming; they volunteer there every year because they love it.  She said the access to the beach, the nice town, pick-your-own blueberries, you can kayak or boat, a beach boardwalk, all contribute to a great stay.

I was not "lucky" enough to snag one of the beach sites, but the other part of the park was a regular type of campground.

En route to the state park, I stopped at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.  I love sculpture, and gardens, so this was a natural stop for me. Thirty of the gardens, 125 acres, comprise an open-air museum showcasing the work of more than 25 renowned sculptures.  The impressive collection features work by Degas and Rodin, as well as more contemporary artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Henry Moore, intelligently and artfully integrated into the park's landscapes and garden displays.   Pictures never do it justice.

Among the park's sculptures is The American Horse.

The other horse sculpture that looks like it's made from driftwood ....was originally constructed with driftwood, disassembled and numbered piece by piece, and then made from metal made to look like driftwood.

And then in Kalamazoo, I stopped at the Nature Center.  Way too hot for any of the hikes, but I did take a walk through the Visitor's Center and the butterfly garden.  There was a butterfly on the sign .... I thought it was kinda cool.  The Nature Center includes an interpretive center, an arboretum and botanical garden, a farm, a period homestead, and nature trails.

They had this traveling exhibit call Treewhispers.  It is an international project where people contribute their experience with trees, written on handmade paper, and put them on display. 

Just remember, once you get into Kalamazoo, you can't get back out! 😒

Tomorrow I'm going to check out the Southeast section of the state and then I'll be heading to Port Huron and Ontario over the next week.  I definitely earned my state sticker!