Thank you to all of the men and women who serve or have served in the United States Military. Living in Saginaw far from any large military base I don’t see a lot of active military personnel in my daily life, but I do know they are out there doing their job serving this country. I thank you all for your commitment and sacrifices so that I may pursue my happiness.
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One of my readers told me about Bundy Hill in Isabella county. It is the highest point in the county at 1270 feet and has been recently been turned into a nature preserve. Since I was in the area recently I stopped by to check it out. From the parking lot on West River Road near Lake Isabella are a few trails. One of the trails is a history trail with signs along the path describing the town that once stood in the area. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the town today.
At the end of the half-mile long history trail was a sign with an arrow and the word “summit.” I figured I was here I might as well go to the summit. It sounded nice but if you are unfamiliar with the word it means the top of a hill or mountain. It was a nice walk but uphill all the way. My middle-aged body is not accustomed to walking uphill for long distances. It was not too strenuous but more than I planned on doing for a quick trip. I got about half way and was thinking about heading back to the jeep but then I figured I went this far.
I got to the summit and encased in concrete is a U.S. geological survey benchmark. It was a pleasant surprise. I have been finding a lot of them lately and different landmarks around Michigan. After looking a the benchmark I made my trip back down the hill. If you know how gravity works it was a lot easier hiking down than it was up. I don’t have any plans on climbing Everest soon but Bundy Hill was a nice hike and one more place I can say I visited in Michigan.
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This old building stands along the main drag in Michigamme. The town is west of Marquette sits between US-41/M-28 and Lake Michigamme. I can only assume it was a general store at one time but sits empty now. The town of Michigamme was founded around a mine discovered by Jacob Houghton. Mining operations ended in the early 1900s and the population of the town dwindled. It is more of a resort town now being situated on the shores of Lake Michigamme. It is an interesting place with shops, restaurants, and a lot of history. It is easy to miss when you are traveling along US-41 but a nice town to stop and explore.
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In downtown Battle Creek standing along the river with the same name as the city is this fantastic old train depot. The railroad tracks are gone now and the last passenger train left the station in the 1980’s. I can imagine the in its heyday the passengers coming and going thru this station on their journey looking up at the clock tower to see if they are on time. Trains no longer use the station but it is still used as a restaurant. It also has a Michigan Historical Marker with a sign that reads:
The Michigan Central Railroad Depot opened on July 27, 1888. Rogers and McFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century. Thomas Edison as well as Presidents William Howard Taft and Gerald Ford visited here. The depot was acquired by the New York Central Railroad in 1918, Penn Central in 1968 and Amtrak in 1970. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
A much as I like driving around the state I have always wondered what it would be like to travel the state by train, I guess I was born a little late for that.
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his beautiful white chapel stands in a quiet part of the state east of Almont. A historical marker stands in front of it giving some history to this historic little church.
Scottish immigrants from Glascow settled in Berlin Township in 1841. Ten years later, twenty-four of them founded the Almont Society of the New Church. They followed the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772), a Swedish mathematician, philosopher and scientist whose Christian theological writings form the basis of the New Church. In 1875 members donated labor, materials, and money to build this chapel, designed by church member William Morton.
The chapel is now part of The Almont New Church Assembly and Retreat Center.
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This large tubular structure sits on a hill overlooking a valley near the Pigeon River. You can sit inside it and it pulls in the surrounding sounds. The Nature Megaphone was constructed in 2019 by students of Petoskey High School Building Trades from lumber donated by the Petoskey Home Depot. The megaphone is located in the Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve east of Indian River in the northern Lower Peninsula.
It is about a mile hike through the woods to get to the megaphone. It is not the easiest of hikes, and it was a little muddy in spots when I went, but it is worth the trip.
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I saw this log cabin standing in Milford’s Southside Park next to the fire station. It looks like an old log cabin but according to the plaque on the front, it was built in 1982 by volunteers to celebrate the town’s sesquicentennial.
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The Pigeon River winds its way through the northern Lower Peninsula and into Mullet Lake. I found this spot off a seasonal road east of Indian River years ago. The river makes a horseshoe bend next to the road. It reminds me of the Grand Canyon Horseshoe Bend. Albeit not as grand as the Grand Canyon but a beautiful spot to take in nature as water slowly passes on around the bend.
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The small town of Parhshallville sits in the lower mitten between Fenton and Howell. It is probably best known for the historic grist mill that is now a popular cider mill. The small town also has an interesting history. Isacc Parshall purchased land in 1834 and a few years later founded the community which was named after him. It was about a century later that the town got some new residents that were more than famous, they were “infamous” as the Three Amigos would say. West of the quiet little town the Purple Gang of Detroit purchased a farm and throughout the 20s and 30s, they would hang out at the farm and play poker away from the watchful eyes of the police.
Besides the Purple Gang, the little town had a famous resident. Mark Farner, the lead singer and lead guitar of Flint’s Grand Funk Railroad purchased a farm near Parshallville in the 1970s and built a recording studio at his rural home. The band recorded an album produced by Frank Zappa at Farner’s farm nicknamed the Swamp.
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I always enjoy the drive along the Lake Superior shoreline from Brimley to Paradise. One of my favorite stops is the historic Point Iroquois Lighthouse. It was built in 1870 and is now a museum in the summer months. The grounds are open all year and it is a beautiful place to stop and take a walk on the boardwalk and watch the ships heading to and from the Soo Locks.
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