4B - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magazine - Thursday, April 2, 1998

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Beyond the Arb; 139 city parks
provide acres and acres of fun

The Michigan Daily We
Gardening brings natural beauty and enj

By Caryn Burtt
Daiy Arts Witer
As the schizophrenic Ann Arbor
weather suddenly turns warmer, stu-
dents and Ann Arbor residents alike
evacuate homes, apartments and school
buildings and take to lounging in the
parks of Ann Arbor. Nichols Arboretum
draws many of these tranquillity seek-
ers. But the beloved Arb is only one of
the more than 100 parks in the city that
deserve similar exploration.
The Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Department maintains 140 parks within
the city limits. Ranging from
Allmendinger Park to Wurster Park,
from .07 acres to almost 150 acres,
these parks contain recreational facili-
ties galore. Many of these, such as
Gallup Park, offer visitors walks and
trails, play areas for children, and nature
areas.
Gallup Park is located at 3000 Fuller
Rd. on Geddes Pond in the Huron River
and encompasses nearly 70 acres. The
park has been in its current state since
the 1970s when it was created along
with the new Dixboro Dam structure
and islands that now exist nearby.
"Gallup is the most popular for pas-
sive recreational endeavors," said Tom
Raines, Ann Arbor's manager of park
planning and development.
Gallup Park does not have sports
fields as some of the other parks in Ann
Arbor do, but the park provides a canoe
livery and paddle boat rentals for those
who seek more relaxing recreation.
Bicycles, picnic shelters and observa-
tion decks for fishing and the contem-
plation of nature also are available.
The highlight of Gallup Park is its*
trail system, which covers more than

three miles of land. The trail system
consists of an eight-foot-wide asphalt
trail that runs parallel to the Huron
River. The trail extends to the east to
Parker Mill Park and west to
Furstenberg Park, both of which have
sizable natural areas.
Gallup Park lends itself not only to
hiking and fishing pursuits, but also to
several annual events. The park hosts
the Huron River Day at the beginning of
July, an event
designed to acknowl-
edge the importance
of the river and the
role it plays in the so0many
community. The Yo r n
day's focus is illus-Y
trated in numerous Ifff

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NATHAN RUFFER/Daily
Many enjoy natural beauty at Gallup Park, one of the city's most popular parks.
A few Ann Arbor areas to see:
~ Gallup Park 3000 Fuller Rd.; encompasses approximately 70 acres.
Park has canoe and bicycle rentals, picnic shelters, trails, a butterfly and
hummingbird garden, a fishing pond, and a boat launch.
~ Furstenberg Park Nature Area Fuller Rd. west of Huron Pkwy.; encom.
passes 48 acres. Park offers the city's most diverse flora and includes
wetlands, prairie, woodland and marsh areas.
~ Bandemer Park Main access off Barton Dr. at Whitmore Lake Rd. Once
a stockyard, the river park is under continual restoration.
~ Dolph Park Nature Area Entry off Wagner Rd. and Jackson Plaza.;
encompasses 44 acres. Park has the city's only two naturally formed
lakes.

displays, contests EN XEUE
and events that stress
the importance of the Ann
river. The Ann Arbor
Blues and Jazz Festival also rocks
Gallup Park for two days in September.
Further north on the Huron River is
Furstenberg Park Nature Area, which
occupies approximately 48, acres. The
park's brochure boasts Furstenberg's
unique characteristic of having "the
most diverse flora of any park in Ann
Arbor." Furstenberg, like Gallup,
includes no sports areas. Instead, the
park is occupied completely by wild-
flowers and forests, a definite treat for
the nature lover.
The trail is decorated with 14 sites at
which different forms of vegetation
have grown. One of the most notable
points along the trail is the Tall Grass
Prairie. The site is covered with grass
and a few trees, as well as a lush display
of wildflowers. Other important points

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on the trail are the Old River Bank, the
former bank of the Huron River that
was left when the river changed its
course, and the Wetlands, a marshlike
area that, because of its ability to purify
runoff water, serves as a crucial element
of the ecosystem.
For hard-core hikers, Bird Hills Park
Nature Area offers more than 160 acres
of land to explore - without the luxu-
ry of the water fountains and picnic
tables Furstenberg
offers. Raines said that
with its large acreage,
Bird Hills is the largest
nature reserve in Ann
, far Arbor. It is located
near Huron River
i " Drive and M-14. The
'a park is located at the
- Edward Diehl northern edge of the
Arbor resident Fort Wayne moraine, a
geological formation
that was a product of the advance of the
Wisconsin glacier about 14,00 years
ago.
The strange beginnings of the park
define the type of plants found there. As
a result of the glacier's movement,
material from the glacier was deposited
in ridges, known as moraines, along the
park. These circumstances have caused
the park to be mainly inhabited by non-
native plant species that compose the
park's woods, ridges and wetlands.
One of the special attractions of Bird
Hills is the Cherry Rock, which sits on
the ridge that was once the Fort Wayne
moraine and is named for the pink
quartz in the rock.
The larger parks in Ann Arbor are
indeed seductive. But with 140 parks, it
is easy to find what one desires in some
of the smaller parks, too.
Maryfield and Wildwood Park is a
four-and-a-half-acre neighborhood park
with a play area and small woodland.
"I like it because there are no softball
games or anything here," said Wendy
Devee, an Ann Arbor resident. "The
kids can play without the bigger kids
around. It's a nice little neighborhood
park."
Edward Diehl, ar Ann Arbor resi-
dent, is less particular about the parks
he decides to visit.
"I pretty much like all the parks,"
Diehl said. "I like all the woods."
Mara Neering, a Community High
School student, said she finds that parks
are good places to take the children she
babysits, though she does enjoy some
time for herself at local nature areas
such as Eberwhite Woods, a strictly
forested area located on West Liberty
Street.
"It has a walk through the woods, and
it's right near my house. I go by myself
about once a month,' Neering said.
The parks in Ann Arbor offer a myri-
ad of recreational opportunities, from
nature areas to swimming pools to ice
rinks to canoeing. So next time you
head out to visit the Arb, consider
Furstenberg or Gallup or any other of
the 140 parks in the city.
Perhaps Diehl said it best. "Ann
Arbor has so many parks. You're never
far from one."I

By Diana Grossman
For the Daily
When all of campus goes up in
bloom, students wanting to get in on the
action should just go home.
That's right. Go home, find some
worms and soil, and start a garden.
Now is the time for student gardeners
to start thinking about preparing for a
profitable growing season, though
Mark Hodesh, owner of Downtown
Home and Garden, cautioned against
getting too used to the recent warmth.
"We are still on the front edge of the
season. There is still some cool weather
moving in,' he said.
But as April begins, student garden-
ers should start thinking about getting
ready for another profitable growing
season.
Most flowers require at least some
consistent warmth and sunshine, so
choosing the right starting time is cru-
cial. Hodesh suggested making sure
you can "work the soil," as this is a test
most experienced gardeners perform to
make sure the soil is not too cold and
hardened to host plants and flowers.
In the meantime, would-be gardeners
should begin making appropriate plans
to make the most of the space set aside
for gardening. One of the best ways to
go about doing this is by speaking with
a professional horticulturist, who can
often be found at any garden store or
nursery.
Christopher Turner, owner ofTurner's
Greenhouses and Garden Center in
Dexter, suggested being prepared to
answer questions regarding the size of
the area you are going to garden and
whether it is sunny or shady. Turner also
said gardeners should be ready to hon-
estly answer the question, "How many

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Gardening can reap many rewards when beautiful blossoms such as this enhance the enjoyment of nature.

beers do you normally dump in your
bushes and lawns a day?" All of these
things effect the kind of things that will
be able to grow well in a garden.
OK, so the planning is done and you
are way too excited about starting your
garden to wait until May 14 when the
weather is traditionally more stable to
start planting your perennials. Don't
panic, you still have some options.
Vegetable gardens, for example, are a
perfect way to begin the season. Leaf
crops such as radishes, carrots, onion

sets and seed potatoes can be planted
just as soon as the soil is loose.
Richard Tuttle, owner of the Saguro
Rare Plant Nursery in White Lake, sug-
gested beginning a vegetable garden
with sweet peas. "Sweet peas can deal
with the cold, which makes this plant
the perfect one to begin the spring
with," he said.
For those who are still too nervous to
begin planting outside, Tuttle suggested
getting started with cell packs, which
can be purchased at any nursery or gar-

den supply store. TI
shaped containers let gar
plant without their seeds
a frosty fate. Later, wl
frost disappear, the grow
planted from the cell
appropriate place in the
Many students in apa
homes without yards fac
if they wish to start the
Turner suggested maki
dow boxes, which take c
are relatively inexpensiv
Do you see
a listing ofI
Villages to

-1

ROAD TRIPS
Continued from Page 148
Charlevoix has great breakfast and dinner, and
although there are many hotels, one notable location is
Nanny's. Nanny's is a bit off the beaten path, right on the
lake, and is half the price of the nicer hotels in town.
Again, as in Traverse City, there is a lot to do on the
waterfront. A nice sandbar is out on Lake Michigan, but
the water feels as though it is at freezing temps, even in

the summer.
For breakfast Julieret's is a must.
This place is amazing - it has cinna-
mon and banana French toast that blow
away any IHOP, not to mention the
hash browns and the omelets. Bring a
loaf of cinnamon bread back home -
parents will love it, if it's not gone by
the time the trip is over. The breads are
$5 per loaf, and the banana bread loaf
is smaller than the cinnamon bread,
but tastes like cake - simply wonder-
ful!
After breakfast it's time to think
about dinner. Reservations may be

Most will
camping
if it is po
makes th
experien
better.

ple to Mackinac Island. The ferry started up for the sea-
son yesterday and costs around $8. Viers said that
Mackinac Island is always a popular Michigan destina-
tion, because of its old-fashioned atmosphere. "And peo-
ple like to see the bridge," she said.
The Mackinac Bridge leads travelers to the Upper
Peninsula. Now is the time to decide whether or not
camping is an option. If not, find a hotel near the
Pictured Rocks. Ask the local tourist office how close the
hotel is to the inlet to the trail. The Pictured Rocks are
beautiful, with a small waterfall and
nice scenery. It's nice to spend some
Ssuggest time there; grab a book and sit and
listen to nature for awhile.
overnighIf that adventure bug still has not
passed, stop in Mt. Pleasant on the
ssibles It way home and visit the casinos at
the Native American reservations.
ie whole "I love going up to the casinos
with my husband, Hal. We drive up
;e even to Mt. Pleasant about four or five
times every year whenever we feel
down and out. Gambling always
seems to cheer us up. I like the way
the quarters clink into the tray when
I'm pulling at the slots. We don't go expecting big
money, but we do expect a lot of fun," said Ann Arbor
resident Beatrice Schneider.
By this point there are French fries between the seats
and CDs strewn across the car, and the driver is beat,
along with the rest of the crew. It's time to go home.
Throughout the course of the road trip, bonding between
the other travelers is inevitable. In fact, it is one of the
greatest parts of the trip. Road trips are amazing experi-
ences and a part of being young and in college - but the
best part is coming home.

Lower Per

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appropriate depending on how busy the town is. See how
long the line is at Julieret's around 10:30 a.m. - all the
tourists go to Julieret's for breakfast. If the wait is more
than half an hour, make reservations for dinner.
Northern Michigan is known for its fish - especially
whitefish. Two restaurants in town are particularly great
for fish and anything else on the menu. Terry's Place has
great whitefish and will probably be the most crowded
restaurant in town. The other option is The Weathervane
- same great food (especially potatoes) and less of a line.
North to Mackinac City we go. Here, a ferry takes peo-

For more
consult an
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