I’m visiting each of Michigan’s 83 counties
I have missed the peonies three full years in a row, but luckily I saw them ONCE my first year of college, completely on accident. One day, maybe I’ll see them for now! On this visit to the Arb, though, I just went for a walk in the woods to wind down.
I grew up hanging out on Belle Isle: the original zoo & aquarium were popular spots for us while we were kids. My mom took us to the island often, and in middle school I’d go to the Gold Cup Hydroplane Boat Races with Chloe’s family and watch from the Belle Isle Yacht Club. As an adult, it was a regular spot to hang out when I visited home. Needless to say: I know this island (isle) like the back of my hand. Even so, it was still wonderful to be back.
I was up early on Saturday morning at my AirBnb in the Island View neighborhood of Detroit, eating scones and sipping juice while waiting for today’s guest: none other than Jon Boy! My older brother would be accompanying me on my hike of Sterling State Park this weekend.
Macomb is my home county: where I was born and spent the first seventeen years of my life. It felt weird to be back in my hometown of St. Clair Shores. That being said, I had never been to the Ford House, so this was a very new experience for me, even being back in my original stomping grounds.
I’ve been to Old Mission Peninsula a few times, and was ecstatic to have a reason to go back. On Friday morning, Bill and I loaded Bela into my car and headed out for a day of sight-seeing and wine-tasting, complete with a surprise visit from a local celeb!
Finding the High Rollways Observation Deck was not particularly easy. The road to get there was a bumpy, sandy, winding mess; I somehow missed the real trailhead and ended up at the place where the road terminated (thanks Google Maps). But when I finally found it, the views were impeccable.
I’d wanted to visit Idlewild for a long time, and I was delighted to finally make it there this summer. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly content with the quiet town and beautifully clear lake. Due to the pandemic, some of the facilities (like the historical museum) weren’t open - luckily there were plenty of maps and signage throughout the town to help me navigate the amazing history and present appreciation of this area.
I took off after work on Wednesday and headed an hour north to Newaygo State Park to kick off a five-day holiday camping trip, where I’d be meeting up with Bill. I’d hiked at Newaygo State Park before, on a random fall day back in 2019 - I was excited to head back to camp!
I called ahead to talk to park staff about the possibility of kayak camping at this particular stay - you see, Island Lake Recreation Area has two paddle-in campsites along the Huron River. They’re usually used by through-paddlers, but I was curious to try out paddle-in kayak camping for the first time. I was in luck, as the smaller of the two sites was available this particular weekend. I was eager as could be to get out on the water.
This particular county has fallen off my radar dozens of times; I feel like I could list every county in Michigan by heart after this project, but Lenawee just doesn’t stick! I also have no idea how to say it. After packing up camp in Branch County, I headed East to check out Hidden Lake Gardens as suggested by the article. As I approached, rain clouds gathered up and let loose on the southern part of Michigan.
I called ahead and scheduled a private tour for myself at the Wing House Museum, since I was coming in on the third Friday (as opposed to the third Saturday, as the open hours are stated to be). They kindly honored my request and suggested a modest $5 donation for the one-on-one experience. When I arrived in Coldwater with my kayak strapped to the roof of my car, in hiking shorts, and masked up, I could tell I wasn’t what the elderly volunteers at the museum were expecting.
The theme for this weekend’s visit was definitely local parks - and as so, I pulled up to McCourtie Park after walking about Cascade Park in Jackson County. After a brief break to inhale a delicious pasta salad for lunch (homemade, of course), I set out in search of the unique bridges described above - they weren’t hard to find.
I’ve been really into 3-day weekends this summer, so I took yet another Friday off of work for another round of county visits. Pulling into Cascades Park was not unlike visiting most large city parks: tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, a splash pad…and oh yeah, a GIANT musical fountain.
After a night to myself in a hotel in Midland (complete with a private swimming pool and room service), my next stop was right in town, within walking distance. I was also due for some company, given it was the day before Mother’s Day…enter: Momma Mico!
As I drove into Gratiot County, the early afternoon rain was clearing and the sun was making an appearance. Ithaca was a small town, and rather sleepy for a Friday afternoon. It had the regular symptoms of most small towns across Michigan: a whole strip of chain restaurants and gas stations heading into town, a one-to-two block “downtown,” and a decent amount of empty storefronts where local businesses used to reside.
After departing Lansing, I headed northeast to Shiawassee County and DeVries Nature Conservancy. Some rainclouds had rolled in, and by the time I arrived it was raining quite hard. I pulled into the parking lot just outside of Owosso (a rather cute and artsy small town), and waited it out with some snacks in the car. When the rain slowed, I headed outside, umbrella and camera in hand.
