Saturday, June 4, 2011

A day trip north

2011 05 21  Mike and I went north stopping at Gale's Pond County Park NE of Shelby Michigan.  That's Oceana County.  Gales Pond County Park is located on Filmore Road in Elbridge Township and is just under 19 acres in size. The park has a 2500 foot  boardwalk that extends across the pond and links up with nature trails along the back portion of the park.

We found Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) blooming.



                                       Purple Avens

Wild Lily of the Valley

Gale's pond is a cool place with lots of Cedar trees.

We walked around Doolittle Park right there near Gale's Pond, many American Beech trees have been removed.

On to La Fiesta in Hart for lunch.  Then a quick stop at 6 mile bridge, there is a trail here that I would like to explore, next time. 

At 6 mile bridge

We popped in Garletts Corner Store (M-37 and M-55)  Wexford County.  And just north up M-37, oh about 2 miles on the west side of the road are woods filled with trillium, violets, and various spring wildflowers.  We stopped in there too.
One of those great little places you pull of the road onto a two-track and enjoy.  I think it is part of the Manistee National Forest.  We went to what I call Cool Place, because it doesn't have a name, it is along Warfield road about four miles north of M-55, more Manistee National Forest land.  Here we saw Fringed Polygala (Polygala paucifolia).
The rain started to come down so off we went home.  What a wonderful day.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 12, 2011 at 7:05 AM

    Everything looks so green! The Polygala - what a wonderful flower, doesn't its leaves remind you of Trailing Arbutus? The delicate lines on both violets. The two-track through the woods. Did we walk along the water's edge at 6 Mile Bridge once? Doolittle Memorial Park sign looks new. Wild Lily-of-the-valley, aka Canada Mayflower is a Lily, right? Why doesn't it look like a lily? Purple Avens, wow, you saw a lot of cool plants. Foamflower looks like it belongs in the Saxifrage Family, does it? And the boardwalk looks bare, is there a tree missing, perhaps? M :)

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  2. Plants Amaze MeJune 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    Yes, beautiful GREEN!
    We did walk along the shore at 6 mile bridge and found Bottle Gentian.
    Doolittle Park is fairly new, we visited last year.
    Yes Canada Mayflower, (Wild Lily-of-the-Valley) is of the Lily fam. Well Lily-of-the-Valley doesn't look like a Lily, but the leaves do, don't you think?
    Purple Avens - ROSE family!
    And oh yes, Foanflower is in the Saxifrage Family. Cool.
    Yes your tree is missing along the boardwalk but it is close by. :)

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  3. AnonymousJune 16, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    The Fringed Polygala is my favorite. Very cool flower. Our world is so full of wonderful flowers.
    MJ

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