MLive says: “Pretty much any outdoor activity you want to pursue can happen here. Ionia State Recreation Area is the perfect place for an active Michigander with areas for canoeing, mountain biking, horseback riding and much more. Explore the trails or sit and take in a view of Sessions Lake. It's also a great place for boaters, campers and dog lovers. And don't forget to bring your kayak and put in at the walk-up Grand River launch.”
September 30, 2019
It was a gorgeous, hot, humid Monday night; from what the forecast was telling me, the last warm night Michigan was going to see for a while. I capitalized on the weather and headed out to Ionia State Rec Area after work. I drove in and parked at the beach, and set out on my little adventure from there.
We’d been getting a lot of rain the last few days, so the beach was spotted with puddles, and the trails were mucky. Luckily, I wore my tried and true Chacos so the wetness didn’t bother me one bit - I rather enjoyed the cool mud on such a humid evening. There are three main trail systems at Ionia State Rec Area: a cross country trail, an equestrian trail, and a walking trail. All three of them wrap around Sessions Lake. My goal was to walk around the entire lake that night, but nature kept distracting me; instead, I settled in to a slow pace on the walking trail and stopped for lots of photos. My first subjects were New England Asters, Showy Goldenrod, Bumblebees, and Monarchs.
I managed to wander off the walking trail and onto the equestrian trail, where I found a gorgeous little stream to dip my feet in.
As I made my way back to the walking trail, I found a special little friend sun bathing in the middle of the grassy path - scared that they might get crushed, I moved them to a safer spot (on top of a rock on the side of the path) to bask.
After walking for a while, I found a nice spot to sit down by the lake. I snacked on an apple and a vegan sugar cookie and enjoyed a radiant sunset. People often seem to think you need one of the big lakes or the ocean for a dramatic soul-moving sunset, but that simply isn’t the case here in Michigan.
I didn’t get to watch very many sunsets this summer; a lot of the time I spent traveling and at the beach resulted in overcast skies and rainy evenings. Getting a warm, humid, saturated sunset before October brought us a full fall forecast was perfection.
I made my way back to the car once the sun had set, and was lucky to enjoy a bit more color peeking through the trees as I made my way back west, into the city. It was a gorgeous night spent admiring Mama Earth, enjoying Ionia’s lovely trails, and appreciating the slow way seasons change and the sun sets.
