BACK IN THE USA

July, 2018

As we said goodbye to Canada and hello to the USA, we headed to our first campground back in the States.  We stopped in Midland, Michigan, halfway to our destination of the Upper Peninsula.  The campground was tucked behind a Best Western Motel, in a more urban setting than we had been experiencing.  And while this was not one of the nicer places we have stayed we made the best of it.

Dow Chemical has been a driving force in Midland since 1897.  If you live in Midland, you and generations of your family have probably worked for Dow either at the Michigan operations or at the Dow Corning chemical manufacturing plant.  In 2016, Dow Michigan Operations and Dow Corning chemical manufacturing consolidated their facilities into one unified site, cementing in perpetuity the relationship between Dow and the people of Midland.

First on our list of places we wanted to see was The Riverwalk Pier in Bay City.  It was a little difficult to find initially, and in the sweltering heat of July 4th, we hoped parts of the walk would be shaded.  We were not disappointed.  The west side of the Riverwalk is bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  Bay City puts on one of the “Mitten’s” best July 4th fireworks displays.  We were lucky to have come early in the day as there would be a charge for watching the fireworks from The Riverwalk and the Island on which the path ended.  Here were young people on the boardwalk to greet us and to stamp our hands so that we could come and go as we pleased.  Our leisurely stroll took us past the nesting area of two white swans and a swampy area that attracts egrets and double-crested cormorants.  There were places to sit and enjoy the view of the bay, and to watch as a River Cruise Tour Boat and other small boats traversed the waters on their way to Lake Huron.  Some of the seating areas on the Riverwalk were already claimed with blankets, securing a perfect spot for watching the evening fireworks.

We were delighted to see signage supporting this bio-habitat in an urban setting, proving it is possible to create a multipurpose walkway that also supports nature and the environment.  The investment of the City planners in this lovely Riverwalk has not only stimulated the economy, culture, and ecology of this community, it has also helped reconnect people to the water.

One of the coolest places we visited in Midland was the Dow Gardens.  In 1899, Herbert Dow established the gardens to fulfill his desire to learn more about agriculture.  What began as an 8-acre sandy experimental plot of ground, has grown into 110 acres of cleverly landscaped and beautifully designed gardens.  We walked the more formal walkways, and we were intrigued to discover dirt paths that led us to some hidden gems. Dow Gardens was featuring the works of a local metal artist whose whimsical frog sculptures were thoughtfully placed throughout the grounds.

We also came upon the vestiges of a wedding that had taken place earlier in the day.  The joy of this garden is that you can’t see everything at once.  One sidewalk led us to a little pond with a small waterfall where kids were playing on the rocks; around the next corner we discovered an exquisite bridge overlooking a small river; over another walkway and down a hill we were greeted by a spectacular display of flowers.
Strategically placed throughout the gardens are benches: some are nestled in and among the trees and flowers; others are pleasantly situated in large open spaces that allowed us to sit and enjoy being part of this very special place.

When we finished our walk, we spent some time inside the Visitors Center reading about the history of the gardens and the generosity of the Dow family.

Summer would not be complete without a baseball game or two.  We were lucky to find the Great Lakes Loons in town.  The franchise is described as a “Low Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers.” So off we went to Dow Diamond for a 7:05 game.  Tickets were cheap and our seats were behind home plate (sorry Graham!).  The customary between-innings shenanigans designed for little kids was fun, and we were also entertained by a local group of country line dancers.  All-in-all, a perfect evening until the sun went down and we had to move to a warmer section of the park.  We only made it through the 6th inning before we had to retreat to the car. Who would have thought that mid-July in Michigan would be that cold?  Oh yeah – I forgot – this is the Midwest!  We laughed as we recalled wearing our winter hats, coats and gloves to Spring track events in Michigan City 15 years ago.

Onward to the UP!

Barbara and Brian