Hawthorn Natural Pond Area and Farview Nature Park and Horse Trail

2011 11 01 Back to Hawthorn Pond Natural Area, a 40 acre site, south of Adams Street on Black River Court in Holland Township.  It contains a five-acre freshwater pond that is ringed with a path, also has lookout sites, a kayak launch ramp and fishing stations.  
We were here on August 22 of this year, then there were machines working to make this place into a park.  Things are still scarred from the machines but next spring it will look better. 

We walked counterclockwise part way around the pond until we came to a bit of a trail heading over to the Macatawa River.  I have to say I'm not overly impressed by this river, the water is brown and cloudy. 

Of course we came to a deer trail and continued on it along the river, heading south then west towards highway
US 196 also known as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, near exit 52.  Along the way we found some great trees, sycamores, paw paws, maples, oaks.

We walked north toward the pond and went through some very wet woods.  We even found smartweed blooming.

We came across this old car, Marie did some research and found out it is probably a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain.
Here are some maps, first map Hawthorn Pond is at the number 1.

The red line is where we walked, sort of, about 1 mile total.
Next we drove down the road southwest 13.5 miles to Farview Nature Park and Horse Trail (6257 138th Avenue Allegan County Michigan).  We were here last on August 23, 2010.

               Horse trail sign.

                More signage.

Historic Wait-Station for Electric Interurban Railroad.

Entrance to Farview Park

Bench at the pond.

Through the woods...

to the lake, Farview Lake.  The shrub with red berries is Winterberry (or Michigan Holly).  We found Nodding Ladies' Tresses but the petals were brown, far past their prime.

A few wildflowers still blooming!  Queen Anne's Lace, goldenrod,  and Spotted Knapweed  were blooming yet, along with this aster.

At the "top" of the lake we rested in a sunny, sandy spot.  Did some research in the tree books, Marie had a red dragonfly land right on the open book.  Nice.

Walking around the lake, we saw a Common Buckeye butterfly, a pintail duck, a yellow butterfly, Bayberry bushes, Blue Jays, and sunfish.

Top is the first Common Buckeye we saw, then 20 minutes later down the trail, another one.

Back to the car at 2:12, it was 62 degrees beautiful day for this late in the fall.

Home in the meadow and bits of Riverside Park, Ottawa County, Michigan



Riverside Park in Ottawa County, Michigan

 

 Cardinal Flower

 

Helleborine

                                  

 Frogfruit

 Obedient Plant

 Max Lake at Bass River Recreation Area and Riverside Park

 

 Obedient Plant near the Grand River where I live.

Moth Mullein

 Button Bush

 Button Bush

 Swamp Milkweed

 

 

Meadow

Just some random photos from August 2013.

Silver Creek Pathway, Arboretum Trail, Flea Roast and Ox Market, Cabin Fun, Loda Lake, Spirit of the Woods Music Festival and More

June 2013
In June Mike and I, made a couple trips to the cabin in Manistee County, Michigan.  Mid June we hiked part of the Manistee River trail starting at Slagle Creek Bridge and heading north 90 minutes then back to Slagle Creek.  Wonderful walk as always.
Manistee River Trail...

Slagle Creek 

 Slagle Creek Bridge

Manistee River

Buttercup (noticed the shine on the leaf) that tells me it's a buttercup.

 

 Fungus with bark growing through it.

After a three hour hike we enjoyed the Spirit of the Woods Music Association and Folk Festival, in Brethren, Michigan.

                         No that's not us  :)

 



While in Brethren we walked to Lake Eleanor.


On this trip we stopped in at Gale's Pond an Oceana County Park.  It is located on Fillmore Road in Elbridge Township and is just under 19 acres in size. The park has a 2500 foot handicap-accessible boardwalk that extends across the pond and links up with nature trails along the back portion of the park.

I found Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium viirginianum).
Rattlesnake fern gets its name from the fertile section of frond, which is reminiscent of a rattlesnake's rattle. The fertile section is bright yellow when the spores are mature; it is green in the photo above.

Next along the trail, I looked close because I've seen liverwort here before and there it was!



On one of our trips over to the Dublin General Store http://www.dublinstore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc in Dublin, Michigan where they have yummy jerky, we past the Arboretum Trail (I've been here before) we decided to take a walk around the trail.

"This Arboretum was planted in the Manistee National Forest in the 1930's to compare how various species of trees from throughout the world would grow in the local climate. Some of them have survived and thrived. Others are hard to find. The interpretive signs have been removed which is a shame, because they were written by someone with a cute sense of humor. This is a wonderful treasure that is practically unknown, but the Forest Service is abandoning it, and will no longer be maintaining the trail."
From Get off the Couch http://www.getoffthecouch.info/

A few years ago we turned east on Stronach Dam Road off Snyder Road near Wellston, Michigan and found a place to walk to the Pine River, it is Manistee National Forest Property.  It's a fun little spot to stop.  We stopped there yesterday.

 

 

 
We had to pop into Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary on one of our trips.

 In Irons this past weekend we attended
the Flea Roast and  Ox Market.

 Bands played, fleas were roasted, horses pulled too much weight (7,000 + pounds), we listen to bands play, (the Silverado Band played Friday, we had heard them play the Saturday before at Grand Pines assisted living where my mother-in-law lives), there were carnival rides, raffles, and an ox (flea) market.  I'm sure this is great fun for some but just give me a quiet trail through the woods, thanks.

Off to the cabin for the night.  It is so quiet and peaceful here.  At night we heard the call of the Barred Owl.

So just yesterday we left the cabin and made our way to the Silver Creek Pathway in Lake County, Michigan.  We have hiked this trail several times and enjoy the variety of areas it offers. 

 

 

 

"Silver Creek Pathway has been a gradual work in progress, an evolving trail that is now considered well worth the wait by visitors to this corner of Lake County. What began as a short path for campers in the 1970s is now a 4-mile loop that extends between two state forest campgrounds and follows both sides of the scenic Pine River. The key to the trail’s development was the installation of a pair of bridges that allow hikers and others to cross the river and return to the trailhead."
From http://michigantrailmaps.com/Lake/SilverCreek/SilverCreekPathway.html

There were some interesting clouds on the way home, it was good to be home. 

 

 

 Almost home.