Need a nature fix? These local parks offer the perfect escape.
Maybe you don’t want to improve your health, creativity, and well-being, but I know what your soul craves… I know, because I am but a person whose words are being read right now by you. You picked out this review, and you’d only do that because of one thing: your soul longs for Mother Nature. You want Mother Nature to sweep you off your feet and take you to a magical, warm, and vibrant place.
One of those places is called Bird Hills. Bird Hills has faced many home development proposals, which would end in soil erosion and water issues if those proposals were accepted. Luckily the park’s community has consistently shut down these plans, holding rallies to support the park and maintain its status as a vital community asset. Knowing how loved this park is adds to the Bird Hills experience.
Michigan’s climate makes this park an ideal spot for hiking, running, birding, and simply just enjoying nature! Another great reason why you should go to Bird Hills is because of the changing foliage. The leaves change color from green to warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Bird Hills is scattered with all kinds of trees with leaves right now, beaming of warm colors.
Gallup Park: Home to natural beauty and fun. Gallup Park is the perfect place to sit and do nothing. I say that because Gallup Park is just a beauty to stare at. It could be hours, days, weeks, years, or decades, and I wouldn’t notice the time going by because Gallup Park is mesmerizing. There are two playgrounds at Gallup. One of them is centered towards tweens and teens, and the other is mainly for little kids, based on the size of the playground equipment being quite small. Now maybe you’re not a big fan of playgrounds, luckily the park can be used for many other purposes, such as picnicking, strolling, sports, and barbeque. This park has been a generational attraction, providing memories since the 50s. The thrill of playing hide and seek with your sibling, the sound of birds singing, the wide-eyed wonder as you and your dad watched a strange light streak across the night sky. Those memories will all become stories, passed down through generations, and it’s really all thanks to Gallup Park. The perfect place to make memories.
Nichols Arboretum: Home to all things fall foliage. Imagine this: As you sit on the riverfront, you close your eyes and listen to the stream of the flowing river, the songbirds letting out melodious toons, the rustling leaves blowing through the trees, and the crisp air surrounding you all blended into a luring melody. You think, if moments like these could last forever, I could listen to this fall symphony at Nichols Arboretum forever.
Nichols Arboretum provides an experience often taken for granted. Some people would love to see the warm colors of the vibrant trees, the streams of the flowing river so free, and hear the squirrels and rabbits scavenging for food. And so you’re reading this now, aren’t you? Well then get off your couch and start experiencing the joys of nature in the presence of fall, or really in the presence of any season at all. And think of this: a lot of beautiful things are free in life, yet often, people let that gift slip through their fingers.
