Usually I head to the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum in early May to catch the spring migration of birds, before the trees leaf out.
Or I visit the arboretum in late May/early June when the herbaceous peonies in the internationally known Peony Garden are in bloom.
But somehow I’ve missed hiking through the arboretum to catch the trees as they’re blooming/leafing out and the early to mid-spring flowers in bloom.
Time for a Hike!
After a long week of planning and finally hosting the Global Accessibility Awareness Day Detroit event on May 19, I decided it was time to enjoy an evening hike through the arboretum (known as the Arb) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
And to make sure I focused on the flowers, and not the birds or my phone, I only took my Canon camera.
Yes, I was without a connection to the Internet (no tweeting!) for almost two hours.
Some people might question my safety, hiking through the back trails, with no phone.
And if you know the Arb, there is limited signage to tell you where the trail is leading.
At one point I was on a trail heading east along the river when I looked up and saw the Lurie Tower on North Campus and turned around.
But no fear, there were a lot of people in the arboretum: families picnicking, couples getting prom pictures taken, runners jogging through Magnolia Glen as the Shakespeare group rehearsed.
Along the hike, I saw a group of students playing with a dog in the valley. A trio of musicians made their way through the trails, stopping to play a song, before moving on.
It wasn’t a solitary hike; there was always someone I could spot nearby on the trail or boardwalks through the arboretum.
A lovely respite after a lot of planning and client project work last week.
