Your Monthly Guide to What’s Great in the Great Outdoors
I usually try to keep it closer to home for this column, but I’m mentally in road trip mode, so I thought I’d send us on a little adventure. May is the perfect time, IMO, to visit Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan, because it is absolutely exploding with color and blooms. And, after a winter of drab hues and a spring of muddy shoes, it’s just what we need to extend our hope that summer is actually coming.
While it’s about a two-hour drive from northeast GR, it’s definitely worth hopping in the car with friends or the fam to visit this mid-Michigan destination. But, a word of caution: Think hard about who you’re going to go on a longish drive with. That’s all I’m gonna say!
When you first arrive, it’s hard not to immediately start snapping pics. Even the entry area is filled with seasonal flowers and it’s just a preview of what’s beyond. Once within the park, there are numerous paths to
take, with water features and eye-appealing bridges scattered throughout.
For my group, one of the coolest parts was the canopy walk located in the Whiting Forest portion of Dow Gardens. It’s 1,400 feet long and looms several dozen feet above the ground, providing exceptional views of the surroundings. It has three arms, and each has its own point of interest. Don’t miss the glass-floored overlook from the Orchard Arm!
Along the way, there is a rope bridge that leads to a wooden, treehouse-like pod. It’s a trick for the balance challenged, but there’s a sense of triumph in making it there (just remember you also have to go back and there’s only one way to do it!). If you’re an adult, you’ll be contending with kids as you try to scale the levels of the treehouse, but, as we’re all taught at a young age, “Sharing is Caring,” so modeling good behavior is recommended. :Wink:
All this trekking and climbing calls for a stop at the café, located at the base of this menagerie of trees and walkways and diversions. I got ice cream, because that’s what I do, but there are also other snacks and refreshments to refuel with.
Speaking of which… I have to admit that at least part of my motivation for making this trip was to stop at Egyptian Koshery for a “Taste of Cairo.” They’re currently located in Midland Mall’s food court. (For a brief time, there was a location here in downtown GR and it was so crave inducing that I had to seek them out after they closed to focus 100% on their main restaurant.) Definitely try the eponymous dish and you’ll understand my obsession.
Thinking a couple hours is too long to take in picturesque paths, when there could be something comparable nearby? West Michigan has plenty to offer, as well. Of course, there’s Frederik Meijer Gardens, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025. From the conservatory to the children’s garden to the sculpture collection to the summer concerts, there is always a variety of things to do and see.
Lesser known, and smaller in scale, is the Kent/MSU Extension Grand Ideas Garden (GIG) at 775 Ball Ave. NE. Talk about a hidden gem! This cool spot has paved paths, a pond with a waterfall, and lots of places to sit or have a picnic. It’s free and open year round.
There’s also the poppy field at Pleasant Hill Blueberry Farm in Fennville, technically in southwest Michigan, that has a very timing-specific draw that’s especially enchanting for flower lovers. This massive, four-acre tribute that the farm owners planted in memory of their son typically is at its peak around mid-June.
And, let’s not forget Windmill Island Gardens in Holland. Not only is there the famous Tulip Time, running May 2-11, 2025, but there are all kinds of things to explore at this 36-acre park, open through early October. They have themed gardens, sculptures, natural areas for walking, a working street organ and carousel, and the historic windmill “de Zwaan,” which visitors can tour.
