Last Day in Texas

This post is about our last day in Texas, on our February 2013 trip.  We have been to nature preserves, hiking in the mountains and canyons, viewing lava flows, and gypsum dunes, going on aerial tram ride, and more.  All thanks to our son Andrew's great planning.

We did save the best for last, going for a ride in Andrew's plane with him as the pilot. 

What a cute little plane.  The guys did some maintenance on it, then Andy pulled the plane out of its hangar, he went through the preflight list.  I hopped up into the plane, and after putting on the headset and seatbelt, Andy gave me some information. 

 It is important not to grab the yoke in front of me or push any pedals near my feet.  So we taxi out to the runway, and take off.  There was a bit of a cross wind so it was only slightly scary.  I had total confidence in the pilot, and in the plane.  But for some reason I was afraid.  I've been in small planes before, but this plane is very small especially after flying to Texas on a commercial flight. 

The view was great but I had that niggling in me to get back to the ground.  Andy asked if I wanted to take control of the plane. No thanks.   I was just feeling scared.  My biggest regret of the Texas trip is that I didn't fly more with Andy, and maybe even take  control of the plane.  Next time.

Andy with his plane.

In the afternoon we all took a trip to Big Spring, Texas - 40 miles NE of Midland, Texas.  We took a hike around the Big Spring State Park.  There are many cactus here and bunches of a four-petaled yellow flower blooming brightly everywhere!

There are also dramatic views off of the 200-foot bluff, with shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  During the Great Depression, CCC Company 1857 transformed some 300 acres of rough country into a state park gem.

Looking out across Big Spring, Texas.  

We also took some time to check out Comanche Trail Park, a 400 acre park that features a 6,900-seat limestone amphitheater, an eighteen hole golf course, tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, pavilions, and hike, bike and nature trails.

Amphitheater in Big Spring,Texas. 

 Unfortunately we had to head home, but next trip we will spend more time in Big Spring.
So that was the last day of our trip.  The next morning we flew to Houston, then Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

    Some very hard clouds!

On the flight to Houston we hit some of the worse turbulence I have ever experienced!  Seriously, I felt like I had a bit of whiplash from being tossed, first up then slammed down in the seat.  
But on our way to Texas a week earlier, our flight out of Grand Rapids was late.  They held the plane for just us in Houston.  We walked onto a plane packed full of people giving us the look.

This was a very fun trip!  I'm sure we will go again next year.

Grand River Park and later The Super Pier Challenge 300 2010!

2010 10 18  A beautiful autumn day in Michigan at Grand River Park, an Ottawa County Park in Georgetown Township.  This park has just about everything, upland woods, floodplain forest, restored native grasslands, wetlands, the Grand River, and a small lake.  


You can hike, bike, or ski the trails (3 miles) in this 162 acre park.  You can fish in the lake from a boardwalk, use the boat launch at the Grand River, or view the Grand River from an overlook platform.

                                                                     

Marie and I walked here on this day for over 6 hours!  It seemed more like two hours.  We had our boots, so we walked in the streams and found not only several Paw Paw trees but a large bunch of Paw Paw fruit!

 Fruit of the Paw Paw

Stream at Grand River Park where the Paw Paw grows.


We saw lots of flowers still blooming!



Asters



Chicory

Heal All (Prunella vulgaris)

Cheeses (Malva neglecta)

Fall Color Along the Trail at Grand River Park

Grand River where it meets Millhouse Bayou
(this was on the way home from the car window )



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Later this same day I was invited to participate in the

Super Pier Challenge 300 2010, with Betsy, Benjamin, and Ryan!  It was so cool, fun.  It gets dark here fairly early

      ~ 7:00 p.m. so part of the challenge was biked in the dark. 

Here are a couple of pictures that I took while pedaling along the pier in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Grand Haven Pier on Lake Michigan

What a great day! 

Ottawa County Parks Link   

    http://www.co.ottawa.mi.us/ParksVI/Parks/  

Pigeon Creek Park

Pigeon Creek Park is where we ended up on Monday July 26 2010.  This park can be a bit of a puzzle, even with maps posted along the trails, many trails are not on the map.  It is an Ottawa County Park with 282 acres, and another 130 adjacent acres of County Open Space land.

It has hiking, biking, skiing, and horse trails (10 miles) that wind through old pine plantations, mature deciduous forests and  bottomland forests along the Pigeon River.  Of course we went to find wildflowers and to enjoy a day of walking.  We found Purple Fringed Orchid, Cardinal Flower, Hairy Willow Herb, Fringed Loosestrife, Virginia Stickseed, Yellow Spindle Coral, and Northern Horse Balm!

It was a very warm day but, oh WOW, we enjoyed it!

                                                  Purple Fringed Orchid

Purple Fringed Orchid

Ludington State Park

 

Spectacular Ludington State Park, this was our destination July 19 2010. It was a gorgeous day with unbelievably blue skies. There is so much to see in this 5,300 acre
park just north of Ludington Michigan.