Michigan Springtime

Traveling in Michigan in the springtime is truly amazing. The weather has been sunny, mid 60's and blue skies dotted with gorgeous white clouds. 

Being able to get outside and enjoy recreation with the family has been a gift. 

The flowers are rising from their long slumber in places like Kensington Metro Park, Maybury State Park, and the Environmental Interpretive Center at the University of Michigan Dearborn. 

A touch of green-oh so welcome this spring in Michigan!

We had a delightful weekend  getting outside to ride at Kensington Metro Park. The air was cool in the shade and a bit windy, but we had a great time, seeing the sun reflecting off of Kent Lake, glimpsing a swan nesting just off the shore line. 

The weekend before we spent time at Greenfield Village and saw many more glimpses of spring, including lambs just a few hours old. Taking the time to see the sights in southeastern Michigan this time of year even for a long weekend or a day trip is truly family travel time at its most memorable. 

What do you love about springtime in Michigan?

Kensington Metro Park

One of the great joys of living in Southeastern Michigan is the Huron-Clinton Metro Park system. This is a regional park system with 13 different parks in several counties. 

Any nature fan who has a few hours to spare in the Northwest Suburbs, then do yourself a favor and check out Kensington Metro Park. It is located in Milford and has easy access to the I-96 expressway. 

If one is just looking for a place to picnic and let the children stretch their legs in the fresh air, then a stop here to sit at one of the picnic tables nestled along Kent Lake or near the Farm would be ideal. There is playground equipment spread throughout the park, mostly simply swings and monkey bars, but for a child who has been travelling it will be a welcome diversion. 

Families also might enjoy the farm. The farm is very small and very accessible, featuring paved paths for strollers, etc. You can see chickens, goats, cows, sheep and majestic draft horses. At certain days on the weekend, you can also enjoy a brief, wagon ride here also. The information area inside the barn lets children explore some hands-on activities and learn about life on a farm and the history of this area. 

For those who enjoy a walk through the woods, you will enjoy the Nature Center and trail system. There are several well-marked, well-groomed wood-chip and dirt trails through the woods and meadows. Trails range in length from 1/2 mile to two miles, with the possibility of connecting trails to lengthen the walk. This might be more difficult for certain strollers.  There are brief markers throughout explaining a certain natural feature which early readers seem to really enjoy. There is nothing quite like standing in the early morning on a spring Saturday, with the sun streaming through the maple trees and imagining the farmers who used to own the property standing off in the distance tending the fields. It really helps develop a connection to this land.

The trails tend to get crowded on the weekends, especially during spring and summer so you might want to come early if you seek solitude. There is a gun range a few miles away which you can here mid-day and you never really get away from the road-noise of the expressway several miles away, so a deep nature experience this is not. For us, it quickly seems to recede to background noise as we chat about the trees, wildflowers and birds that surround us.

Fans of the water might like to fish from the shore or rent a canoe or rowboat to fish for pan-fish in Kent Lake. Be sure to be properly licensed! If fishing isn't your sport then you might enjoy renting a kayak or canoe and just exploring the lake. Again, get there early as there can sometimes be almost a 2 hour wait for a boat on busy weekends. 

This park also features the Island Queen, a 25 passenger pontoon boat that gets you out on the water, but is more sedate than the canoes or kayaks. It is a pleasant one hour ride that gives a great tour of the lake. 

Bikers, walkers, rollerbladers and runners will enjoy the 8 mile paved path that circles the lake. It also connects to the nearby Island Lake State Park to the south and to a paved trail system to the north, so ambitious bikers and runners can get far more than an 8 mile experience. 

The daily park fee is currently $10 per car and some of the activities noted above, like the boat ride and the watercraft rentals require an extra fee, which seems to be reasonable to spend time at a well-maintained park creating many cherished memories. 

Enjoy!

Lunch at Lue Thai Cafe-Dearborn

For a traveler looking for fresh Thai food in a clean, modern setting, look no farther than Lue Thai Cafe on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. 

One notices quickly, the bright colored walls, the well lit room, and it's small space which make it distinct from other typical eating establishments. 

During a recent lunch, the restaurant was filled to capacity, but the quick, yet attentive staff kept the customers circulating. Still, we never felt rushed as we ate our delicious food. We were pleasantly surprised to be served vegetarian soup and shrimp chips prior to our meal. The soup was a simple cabbage soup with rice noodles, subtle and not too salty. I had one of my favorite Thai dishes-a Thai cabbage salad, Yum Ka Lum Pee. It was moderately portioned, and the flavors were delicately balanced. Jenny had Thai Peanut which was equally tasty. 

We loved the serving dishes-white squares, with rounded edges which made the presentation of the food even more compelling. 

It reminded me of a restaurant one might find in a neighborhood in a larger city, where the food is fresh and tasty, the decor creative, the service efficient and welcoming, but nothing pretentious or fussy about it. 

If your child does not like Thai Food, their kid's menu serves chicken strips or wings as well as other more authentic kid friendly Thai dishes. A teenager or travelling companion who does not like Thai might enjoy the Grilled Chicken Salad or Apple Salad to tide them over until you can get them to the burger place next door!

I found their lunch portions to be filling and satisfying, but as we split dishes, we did not have leftovers. So, if you are expecting humongous portions with leftovers to put in a cooler or hotel fridge for later, you might be let down. The restaurant is a bit small, so if you have young children who like to stretch their legs or have a stroller you might want to come right before or after the lunch/dinner rush. 

Enjoy!

Check their website or facebook page for hours and menu/prices, but I found the prices to be reasonable.

A Positive Sign!

A most hearty welcome!

These attractive green and gold signs are a bold welcome to travelers and residents alike. It features Henry Ford's early Quadricycle circa 1896. A Quadricycle is located in the collection at the museum of the Henry Ford and online through their digital collection. Dearborn was almost 100 years old by that time, starting as a farming village along the Rouge River. 

Today, there are not a lot of Quadricycles or farms, but there is still plenty for travelers to do, especially for those that love eating and history!

Besides the obvious destinations of The Henry Ford, The Automotive Hall of Fame,  or the Arab American National Museum one probably wouldn't choose Dearborn as a travel destination. But once there extending your visit for a day or two to check out the small Dearborn Historical Museum, shop at an independent store, walk through a historic neighborhood, play at a park or grab a great meal. 

There are many wonderful independent and franchised restaurants throughout the city. Some  popular family oriented eateries include Buddy's Pizza, La Pita, Panera Cares, Al-Ameer and Noah's Deli. There are so many more for all tastes and budgets, so it is worth checking one out!

Walking Maybury

On a delightfully sunny April morning in southeastern Michigan the best way to explore is on foot. The Metro Detroit region has an abundance of walking spots to suit many families needs and one of the finest is Maybury State Park located in suburban Northville, Michigan. 

It is 900 plus acres situated on a former TB Sanitorium. Remnants of its former purpose are subtly interwoven into the the landscape. There are informational signs that describe the past purpose of certain sections of pavement and open spaces, which the curious minded and history fans will find delightful. 

These are non-obtrusive and one might walk for quite a while and become lost in the beauty of the trees, hills and meadows. 

This is a multi-purpose area and has challenging mountain bike trails, horse trails, a paved walk/run trail and several miles of well-marked dirt paths. 

A simple out and back walk on the paved path leading from the comfort station off the Eight Mile Road entrance could take one 15-20 minutes. One could walk the entire unpaved path over the course of several hours and quite easily forget one is in the midst of a well-populated suburban locale, the distant road noise is usually quite diminished, especially towards the center of the park. Although, it is faintly audible during various points of the day, the road noise generally is quite unobtrusive. 

Many families with younger children enjoy the paved paths which are easier for strollers or smaller legs. There are a few simple playground structures within the park so children can play and parents can picnic and let the beauty of nature perform its healing wonders. 

The cost of admission to any of Michigan's state parks is approximately less than a meal for two at a fast food restaurant and affords a family a year's worth of access. 

Please note there is no camping here and one likely would not travel to this area simply to see it. Still, it provides a wonderful respite to many locals and families seeking nature and exercise in the western suburbs of Detroit might find it quite pleasing. 

There is a small farm that is no longer affiliated with the state park that is located adjacent to the grounds off of the Eight Mile exit that some young children may enjoy. There is a separate fee for the farm. More information can be found at the Northville Community Foundation website at http://www.northvillecommunityfoundation.org/

For more information please see the Maybury State Park link at the Michigan DNR site, or the Friends of Maybury at http://www.friendsofmaybury.org/ 

Welcome!

The inspiration from this blog came from the Pure Michigan ad campaign. Several years ago I was driving to Florida with my family. We stopped at the Welcome Center where we struck up a conversation with a young couple from Georgia.

"Michigan," the man said, "you have a lot of mountains there don't you?" Even the large rolling hills known as the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula don't compare to the Appalachians that dip down into Georgia. Where could this impressionable young man have gotten the idea that Michigan was so mountainous?

Then the image of a kayaker paddling past the layered multi-colored cliffs and rock formations of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore came to mind. I had seen this image on a billboard many times while traveling north in Michigan-driving past industrial complexes, suburban centers and flat farm lands. Besides the nature loving kayaker in the ads, I also saw other amazing vistas that I did not know even existed in Michigan. I started to wonder, did everyone out of of state picture Michigan as  a mountainous, waterfall covered, mini Grand Canyon-like wonderland? 

Whenever my family enters Michigan from the south up I-75, I try to imagine that Georgia couple expecting to see mountains but finding flat swampy land against giant power lines and billboard after billboard crowding the roadsides. 

I also think of my own family looking for adventure out of state on the "road less travelled" and finding a dumpy hotel or tree-less campground in an area marketed for its beauty or for being culturally rich. 

No, not all of Michigan is mountainous, or a natural wonderland, but if you know where to look, there is natural beauty, quaint towns, city centers with interesting cultural experiences. With this blog I intend to give vacationers an honest account of what they will find in Michigan. From the well-known vacation hot spots to gems off the beaten path

To those, like the Georgia couple, entering Michigan on I-75 from Toledo, don't be deterred by the factories, run down farms with rusted tractors, or brand new subdivisions backing up to the interstate. Keep going! 

About three hours north the urban sprawl will give way to the pines, oaks, birch and poplars of the Huron National Forest and the natural beauty of Northern Michigan. Or head west on I-96 to Lake Michigan coast dotted with quaint tourist towns and gorgeous beaches. 

When you know where to go, Michigan is a beautiful state-honestly. 

Written by Jenny 

Countdown!

April 15th. Ugh, it seems so far away. Yet,  each year we look up on this event with great excitement and anticipation. Though I don't like to wish my days away, if this one day would just come a bit more quickly....

No, I am not talking about tax day. Those history fans in southeastern Michigan know the date circled on our families calendar refers to the opening of Greenfield Village! 

So, what can a budget conscious family do this Spring Break if you are looking for something quiet to do?

One thing we usually are looking forward to doing:

Going to the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) at University of Michigan-Dearborn. This nature study area has several short hiking trails through a nature area formerly part of the Henry Ford Estate.  The EIC has a few displays about the local wildlife and the Rouge River Watershed. The brief videos are also informative and interesting. It is free. It is suitable for all youth with supervision. You can see the entire EIC  in less than thirty minutes with an average time span. The displays are very simple and non-flashy, but educational. The staff and students are informative, but you usually have to ask questions. You might want to ask about maple syrup production or the bird migration project.

 The EIC has limited hours, so be sure to check before going to the center itself. 

Treat yourself and sit for a while in the bird observation room. Start by counting the number of birds, then the different species of birds, and then before you know it you will just be marvelling at how relaxed and quiet it is! 

The trails are open from dawn to dusk and there are several loops of no more than a mile in length.