Michigan, Day 28... Kalamazoo in Bloom

 Wednesday, June 28, 2023

     With plenty of time for the day, I considered the Gerald Ford Museum here in town.  But, it didn't open until 10A and I really didn't feel like hanging out for another two hours.  Instead, I went in search of the Cascade Peace Park.  It was only ten minutes east of the motel and an easy drive.  

     No real surprise, road construction had closed the road.  But, there was a park adjacent, so I stopped there.  It wasn't the park I was looking for, but they did have a really nice paved loop trail.  I did the loop three times and it took a little under an hour.  Not a bad way to start the day.

     Eventually, I did find the park I was originally looking for.  

     There are a bunch of trails zigzagging their way through the park.  I chose the main loop trail, with enough side loops to make two and a half miles.  Not too bad.  The whole park looked like this.  

     Every junction had a map and there are plenty of numbered markers alongside the trail, so it's difficult to get too far turned around.  

      The back way into the park had more road construction.  There was also a guy with one of those slow/stop signs.  I pulled up and rolled down the window.  The far side of the road had been repaved and was sitting about an inch higher than the left.  I asked if I could go out this way.  He said, "Sure, just stay on the high side."  It felt weird driving on the left side of the road.

      From here it's a little over an hour drive to Kalamazoo, the final stop on my tour of Michigan.  Crazy how the smoke just seemed to thicken as I approached the city.

     I tried parking in a lot in downtown.  It was a dollar an hour, cash only.  I didn't have anything smaller than a $5 bill.  Then I found meters with a thirty minute limit.  Two blocks up parking was free with a ninety minute limit.  I rarely parallel park and was trying to squeeze into a tight spot.  Suddenly the guy parked in front of my spot shows up, waves and pulls out, leaving me plenty of room.

     I had passed Branson Park and it was in bloom.  A perfect first stop.  

     The city has a program called Kalamazoo in Bloom.   You can either sign up as a volunteer, or sponsor a flower bed that you're then responsible for.  Or, you can simply donate $350 and get your name on one of these.

     These are the size of the fingernail on your little finger.

      There was one place downtown I had to stop, the old Kalamazoo Pedestrian Mall.  In 1957, the city hired architect Victor Gruen to revitalize downtown.  Businesses were closing as suburban malls opened and were taking customers away.  Gruen's plan was to close off a stretch of downtown to cars.  The philosophy being, you could ditch your car and get everything you need by walking up and down the mall.  

      The plan had limited success.  In the first year, retail sales were up 25%.  Cities across the country started adding their own pedestrian malls.  Over time, as more people and businesses moved to the suburbs, stores on the mall closed.  Today, the old mall is only two blocks.  

     By now it was mid afternoon and I was definitely thinking food.  I get a weird pizza craving while on the road.  Most places here don't do pizza by the slice.  So, when I walked by Benny's Pizza and saw "by the slice" I had to stop in. 

 

 Their large pies fit this box.  If you can finish one in a half hour, you win $280, $100 if you're a professional eater.  Only three people have done it.  A slice was fine. Based on the box, they're oversized anyway. Pretty good, too.  Nathan Klein, a professional eater, tried it.  You can see his attempt here:  

    A few doors up is the Saugatuck Brewing Company.  Pizza and a pint.  Can't beat it. 

  

     The biggest brewery in town is Bell's.  On Wednesday's they do free concerts they call Beats on Bells.   Unfortunately, tonight's show was cancelled due to the smoke.  Tonight's show was supposed to have been Sam Luna and Grace Theisen.   You know me, I'm always up for live music, so I was kinda disappointed.  But, I understand.  

     My home for the night was the Michigan Avenue Comfort Inn.  Pretty generic place, but perfectly fine and the best wifi I've had in a while.  

     It was still too early to call it a day.  Looking at the city map, Branson Park was perhaps a quarter mile away.  It seemed the perfect place to start the evening walk. 

     Each of these is the size of a large pin head.  

      This guy was trying to record her jumping off the stage on a scooter.  It's even harder to catch from the side...

I walked past this Channel 8 set and couldn't resist.                                                        

      It's a Jersey thing...