visit to Maryland & Ohio

Last weekend I was in Columbia, MD, & walked in a riverside park where Jack-in-the Pulpit & Indian strawberries were blooming. Saw an immense Copperhead snake sunning itself on a rock in the middle of the water. I was safely on a bridge overlooking the river, I'm glad to say.

On the way home, stopped at Magee Marsh about halfway between Sandusky & Toledo, where I saw many Great Egrets, a Black & White warbler, a Palm warbler, dozens of Martins, Tree & Barn swallows, & Killdeer. The northern edge of Ohio along the southern coast of Lake Erie is beautiful--well worth the longer driving time off the toll road.

Wildflowers in Barry County

Last Saturday a friend and I went for a wonderful wildflower walk (pre-registered) at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute for Environment Education. It's near Hastings in Barry County (http://www.cedarcreekinstitute.org/). It was in an area of their property they call "Little Grand Canyon." The moniker might be a tch extreme, but the trail did wind down through a fairly pristine ravine, with a gentle creek flowing through. An Albion college botanist, who said the area reminded him of his Kentucky homeland, and an Institute staffer guided the walk. We saw close to 20 species of wildflowers! The botanist said yellow lady's slippers would also be out soon in the same area. The Institute has a number of walking trails, a gift shop with some unusal and reasonably priced items ranging from burl bowls carved by a retired surgeon and baskets from Ghana, to a handmade bird and butterfly houses. Pierce Cedar Creek hosts a monthly chef-prepared brunch and during the summer, provides workshops for little ones like "bat night." It's a bit of a drive, but its a great place, and several people on the hike live "down there" and work in GR.

Hello

Hi Everyone!

I'm excited to be part of the group and I'm looking forward to sharing adventures in the great outdoors! I like camping, kayaking and hiking. Last year I was introduced to geocaching, and now I'm hooked! If you don't know what geocaching is, it is kind of like hiking with a treasure hunt thrown in (using a GPS) check out www.geocaching.com. Although I have a seasonal campsite at Turtle Lake (near Traverse City) which has lots of trails and rivers close for hiking and kayaking, I'd also be interested in finding new places to explore.

Anyone interested in planning a day of group kayaking? I'm not talking white water here so don't panic and if you don't have a kayak there are lots of places we could go that rent them.

Here's to a great summer!
Cheryl

Tuesday mornings at Hoffmaster S.P.

For anyone who is on the lakeshore, or wants to make a daytrip to beautiful Hoffmaster State Park near Muskegon, and/or has a Tuesday morning free, on 4/29, 5/13, 5/20 and, and 5/27, a small group of women do less-than-2-hour hikes, most of them not very strenuous. Best of all? These hikes are led by a woman named Lillian who will be turning 90--yes, 90--this October! She's been leading the hikes for about 15 years and volunteering for the park much longer. They meet in different areas of this large park each time. For more information, post a comment or email tamaral@gvsu.edu.

Hello

Since my children were young we have always looked to the outdoors for free and inexpensive ideas of things to do. Times are not as frequent now to do this but I am always looking for ideas to enjoy being outdoors.
I enjoy walks, biking, nature trails, scenic drives, lazy tubing on the water, camping, and various not-too-strenuous activities. Unfortunately after my last child, I have "extra" weight so I am not as active but am so excited to be a part of this and maybe make some new friends who will share my interests and spend some time enjoying the outdoors. I am more of a participant not avid outdoorsmen.
There are so many places in Michigan that I have found that are within an hour from GR that are beautiful and breathtaking.
Thank you for setting this up and I hope there are others like me who are "weight and time constrained" but love getting out once a week to enjoy.

Welcome

hello and welcome to the gvsunrise blog. this is the place to connect with like-minded gvsu women who want to find fun and adventure in the great outdoors in west michigan and beyond.

i’m excited about this project and can’t wait to meet other folks who like getting dirty and having fun in the wonderful natural settings that our region has to offer.

about myself: i like backpacking, car-camping, canoeing, kayaking, and (gentle) mountain bike riding. i’m not afraid to go by myself if i can’t find anyone to go with me, but i hope to be able to connect with some friends, old and new, to show them places i know and to find new places for outdoor adventure.

so, pull up a chair, introduce yourself, join the conversation and let’s make some plans. the warm weather looks like its here to stay so let’s not waste a minute. tell us about yourself, what you like to do, where you like to go or want to go.

kudos to biglakegirl for getting this group going and setting up this blog.

peace
loisann