Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

We had a fabulous afternoon at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park just north of Grand Rapids. The Meijer family owns a chain of supermarkets, gas stations and convenience stores. This park is 132 acres and an amazing place to visit. Walking from the parking lot we were greeted by a metal marching band which was whimsical and Jeff's favorite of the day. We decided to have lunch in their pleasant cafe and admire the ceiling full of Dale Chihuly flowers. No expense spared at this facility. Since we were on a limited schedule we took a tram tour around the gardens which focused on the sculpture. The 24 foot high "American Horse" was created from plans of Leonardo da Vinci, who was never able to cast his horse. You can see that Jeff is dwarfed by the behemoth. I am sitting with the Meijer's on a park bench sculpture and the waterfall was a real beauty. Wish we could have stayed all day, but a little visit is better than nothing. We drove all afternoon on a scenic route that took us near Traverse City. Lots of beautiful forests and rivers. It is a year round recreation area with skiing and water sports. We got to our next campground and headed to Traverse City for dinner. We found a casual fish and chips place serving local whitefish. The town is darling, but not much of anything actually on the water. We'll have to take another look tomorrow.