September Trip to Midland

In mid-September, we took a weekend trip to Midland. It's only about two hours away, but I'd never had occasion to visit before. Nick was attending the annual conference of the Michigan Arboricultural Society, so Maya and I tagged along. We took our bikes, which was a great way to get around. Maya and I spent a good part of the first day exploring Dow Gardens. I took so many pictures, and liked so many of them, that I thought I'd share them here!

Maya in the morning sun, with marigolds.

Graceful red bridges spanned many of the waterways.

Leafy green views greeted us around every corner.

We braved the maze made from yew bushes.

The Clinker Bridge made a nice portrait stop.

And then we found the Children's Garden, which was full of fun things to do.

Popcorn Cassia. Running our hands over these flowers and their leaves made our hands smell like buttered popcorn.

 

There was even a friendly pig. Maya thought he would like a nice cool scrub with a broom from the nearby sweeping station.

 

Here are a few more garden views on our way out, before biking back to the hotel for naptime.

We met up with Nick later in the afternoon. We walked over the Tridge, a triple wooden footbridge that spans the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa Rivers, right downtown and not far from where we stayed.

And then the next day, when Nick was done with his volunteer job at the Tree-Climbing Competition, we headed back to Dow Gardens to show him some of the highlights.

We paused for another portrait session on the Clinker Bridge.

 

Then we biked back downtown to get some dinner before the drive home, our eyes filled up with botanical beauty.