Muskegon and Barry Counties

This is a continuation of the last post and is day three of that trip. I had already completed Eaton, Kent and Ottawa Counties. The story continues:

Up early and off to Muskegon County. I had read about yet another rail to trail that goes from Montague in Muskegon County to Hart in Oceana County. So we hit the trail up 31 to Montague, totally bypassing Muskegon since I just didn't have the time to sightsee. The plan was to finish 5 miles on the Hart-Montague trail and then pick up Barry County on the way home.

Montague is a pretty little town in a watery setting on the shores of White Lake. The downtown is a couple of streets with antique stores and galleries. The people seem really friendly!!! Here is the antique store we went to:You would think that the rails to trails I walk along would be kind of boring since it's basically a walk through the woods or along fields. But that is so not true. In this case I was getting up into the part of the state where the hardwood forest of the southern part of the lower peninsula is getting mixed a little with pines as you can see in the picture above. This walk also had some fields along it with the farmers getting their tractors going. Very pretty and I made it back to Montague with my 5 miles done in Muskegon County. We visited an antique store and then headed out of town towards home.

After finishing up there we hit the road and stopped in Grand Rapids again for lunch before my next 5 miles in Barry County. We ended up at a Grand Traverse Pie Company restaurant and I had a delectable banana nut muffin. The sugar had caramelized and it was all crunchy and yummy. Then I ate lunch. I love dessert first.

I had never been to Barry County. It is very beautiful with many recreational opportunities and lakes and rivers. I was going to go to Yankee Springs Recreation area since I was intrigued reading about a trail where you could see a "glacially carved kettle formation". It was also the former hunting grounds of the Algonquin Indians and Chief Noonday. I like to walk and imagine how it would be back in the days of the Indians. But I opted for another trail instead since they are quick and easy.

I didn't anticipate how special this walk was going to be. Most of the 2.5 miles out had water on both sides. The Thornapple River, which is a tributary of the Grand River, flowed along one side and there were wetlands on the other side. At one point I could see about 10 pairs of nesting swans, I think I saw a scarlet tanager, a cedar waxwing and I almost forgot about the snake. I jumped about 3 feet off the ground when I saw that!! It wasn't hard to finish up that 5 miles because it was just so lovely and green and there were also lily pads and trillium. Gorgeous!!!




Then we wandered around Barry County for a while and made it back to 96 and headed out of the sunshine and back to rainy southeast Michigan. Tomorrow I get to have a day with my daughter and will probably head up to either Shiawasee and Clinton counties or Lapeer and Genesee. We'll see how it goes. I'm praying for sunshine!!!