Sleeping Bear Dunes and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Michigan

Sunday, August 1, 2010

This morning I got cleaned up in the restroom of the Traverse City Wal-Mart, picked up provisions, got gas, and explored nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, "established primarily because of its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena.  The most prominent features, and those for which the park is named, are the 65 miles of IMMENSE sand dunes perched 400 feet above Lake Michigan, overlooking at the Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs."

Afterward I drove a few hours south into Grand Rapids, for an afternoon at the amazing Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, currently celebrating Chihuly, displaying his works throughout the grounds.

As I started walking toward the entrance I couldn't believe how massive the conservatories were! But they soon proved small in comparison to the sprawling sculpture grounds! "Internationally renowned, the Sculpture Program at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park features more than 160 works in the permanent collection sited both indoors and outdoors on the 132-acre property. Three temporary exhibitions are also developed annually, some created specifically by and for Meijer Gardens. These special exhibitions are shown within the large indoor galleries and associated indoor and outdoor spaces. Walk the outdoor nature trails and boardwalk, study world-class sculpture within the outdoor Sculpture Park, enjoy endless hours of fun with the kids in the Children's Garden. Visit the indoor areas including special sculpture exhibitions in the lovely indoor galleries, see the largest tropical conservatory in the state of Michigan and gaze at exquisite arid and carnivorous plants in the Arid Garden and Carnivorous Plant House. And don't miss Michigan's Farm Garden."

After the gardens I headed to Detroit, where I got the real Detroit experience, lol; I ended up just passing through after landing in a sketchy neighborhood. Detroit isn't usually known as the safest place or travel destination by any means, lol. So I went to the Main St Starbucks in Royal Oak, a city just North of Detroit. I spent the night in a hotel parking lot (Comfort Inn?) in the neighboring city of Warren.

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PHOTO ALBUMS

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

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