MLive says: “If you've visited Ann Arbor, hopefully you made a stop at Nichols Arboretum. Everybody should see the Arb! There are lovely trails, access to the Huron River and you might even see students getting a lesson in the fresh air at the outdoor classroom. But, let's be real, it's all about the peonies, baby. When in full bloom, from May through mid-June, the garden holds 800 peonies, including varieties that are no longer commercially available. The Arb, run by the University of Michigan, is free and open to the public every day. If you have time, you should also check out U of M's Matthaei Botanical Gardens.”
July 25, 2021
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 had just left Morgan’s bridal shower in Ann Arbor, and decided I could use a walk before driving the 2+ hours back to Grand Rapids at the end of an adventurous weekend. I parked myself right by the Arb and headed in to the peony garden, to find absolutely no peonies in bloom (not surprising, the ones that grow at my house had tuckered themselves out quite a few weeks prior). The peony garden is a good entrance point to the rest of the Arb though, and I found myself quickly in the woods adjacent to the Huron River.
The trails were pretty buggy, but I was committed to exploring for a while, even in my bridal party garb (a white knee length dress, not my most practical clothing choice). I found some really beautiful woodland wildflowers on my walk, and appreciated the diversity of the Arb (the magnolia trees were magnificent!).
I ended up getting kind of lost - there is a main trail loop that’s marked relatively well, but then there are about 17,000 little trails that shoot off into a bunch of different directions. I found myself in a giant field at one point, climbing A LOT of stairs up a hill, and overlooking the River. I didn’t mean to end up in any of those places, but leave it to me to get lost in a regular-sized park in an urban environment!
I eventually found my way back to a trail marker, and got back on track for the rest of my walk. I’d accumulated about a dozen bug bites, so the rest of my route was dedicated to getting back to my car.
I managed to find my way back, and lo and behold the U of M Police tagged my car with a parking ticket! What university enforces parking lots in the summer? I parked in a gravel parking lot that had very little signage, but apparently I still deserved a $75 parking ticket…which I will never ever pay. That’s just pretentious, let’s be honest.
After having a short rage session about my undeserved ticket, I loaded myself and my camera back into my car for the long drive home.
Unfortunately, on my way back from Ann Arbor, I had a really terrible experience. I was sexually assaulted WHILE DRIVING on I-96 westbound by a muscly man in a tiny sports car. I can’t emphasize enough how disturbing and gross it was, and also how freaking important it is to report that stuff if it happens to you. The three dispatch folks I talked to were all really receptive to me calling it in, even though I didn’t have every piece of information that they would have needed to take more immediate action. By the time I got home that late afternoon, I was exhausted and mentally checked out. My attempt at rounding out a long weekend with a relaxing walk was shat upon by a gross dude and spending a lot of time on the phone with police officers. Luckily, I got to spend the next three days in Saugatuck hanging out with a group of awesome ladies at Morgan’s bachelorette party, which definitely helped. What a roller coaster of a week/weekend!