We spent a recent summer morning taking a stroll through the gardens that surround the historic Cranbrook House located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Thanks to the financial donations of PNC Bank, All Seasons, and Roberts Restaurant Group the grounds surrounding the Cranbrook House are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm this year from May through October for the public to come out and explore. The 40-acre Cranbrook House Gardens feature formal, woodland and naturalistic gardens featuring fountains, statuary, lakes, streams, and extensive traditional and natural plantings.
The Cranbrook House is the oldest of metropolitan Detroit's grand early 20th century mansions. It was designed by the noted architect Albert Kahn for the family of George Booth (the wealthy owner of a Canadian iron-working business in Windsor, Ontario) and Ellen Warren Scripps (the eldest child of the founder of the Detroit News). Booth went to work with his father-in-law helping to build the News into Detroit's largest daily newspaper. In addition to taking on a prominent role within the Scripps-owned newspaper business which was expanding throughout the Midwest, George Booth also partnered with his brothers to establish a profitable chain of Michigan-based newspapers under the Booth Publishing Company. In 1904, George and Ellen purchased a run-down 174-acre farm and transformed it into a magnificent estate named Cranbrook after the English town the Booth family originated from. In their elder years, the Booths transformed their estate into the Cranbrook Educational Community which includes a private school, a magnificent church, an art museum, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Cranbrook Institute of Science. The Cranbrook House and Gardens have been preserved as a historic landmark and also provides office space for the non-profit foundation which oversees the Cranbrook Educational Community.
While strolling through the gardens is free there is a $10 charge to tour the mansion. There are discounts for seniors, students with ID, and active duty military. Admission fees are also charged for visiting the Art and Science museums on the Cranbrook campus. Still there is plenty to see wandering around the meadows, wooded trails, and gardens surrounding the Cranbrook House.
During our visit we spotted a wealth of wild life including a beaver, bunny, chipmunk, butterflies, dragonflies, fish in the ponds and a number of birds along with a variety of attractive plants and flowers as we walked throughout the landscape. The Cranbrook Gardens are also filled with fountains, sculptures and other artwork.
Make sure to download the free app available for both Android and Apple mobile devices before you visit that provide self-guided tours of the grounds complete with useful facts, vivid photographs, and video segments to enhance your experience exploring the gardens. It can come very handy not just for finding out interesting information about your surroundings but also for helping find your way around the grounds.
There are plenty of special spots that are fun for kids to discover during a trip to the Cranbrook House Gardens. Two of my kids favorites during our visit included a nook in a sunken garden that looks like something you'd find in a fairy tale and a charming bridge over the manor's driveway you'll find while taking the trail from the visitor parking lot to the Cranbrook House.
The visitor parking lot is off Lone Pine Road located on the north side of the street across from Christ Church. Park your vehicle and either walk up the Cranbrook House's original driveway or take a short hike along a wooded trail to reach the gardens. There are also restrooms located within the parking lot's check-in building. That is important to know especially when traveling with little ones because there aren't a lot of other options when you start walking around. For more information about the place visit housegardens.cranbrook.edu/ or call 248-645-3147.
During our mid-week morning visit, my kids and I had the run of the place with literally no one around other than volunteer gardeners and some construction workers doing maintenance which made it really enjoyable to explore the gardens and trails surrounding the Cranbrook House. For a relaxing stroll, adventurous trek, bird watching, gardening tips, or to take in some interesting art, if you live in or are traveling to Metro Detroit stopping by the Cranbrook House & Gardens is well worth a visit. My kids and I had a wonderful time taking in the art and scenery.
Fall is a great time for getting out of the house and going for a run. Autumn temperatures provide some of the year's most comfortable weather for running in Michigan and the region's fall colors can provide great scenery to take in and enjoy during a run. Whether your are an ultra competitive athlete or a casual jogger here are five great running events taking place this fall in Metro Detroit:
Dress up in your Halloween costume and race through the streets of downtown Pontiac which will be lined with ghosts, ghouls, and zombies to cheer runners and walkers on during this morning event. The event is sponsored by EREBUS one of the country's premiere haunted attractions during the Halloween season featuring four floors of spooky thrills. All entrants get a free ticket to the Erebus Haunted House ($28 value) that are good throughout that weekend Friday through Sundayplus the event itself will have a post event party with snacks, refreshments and a costume contest for the best dressed Halloween themed runners. Participants can also purchase additional Erebus tickets for friends and families for $20 each which is an $8 savings per ticket. Note Erebus is not recommended for children under 13.
There are a variety of Grave Diggers Dash option to choose on so that there is something must everyone can participate in ranging from a 1/4 mile kids run to a 5 KILLometer race and fun walk:
5K Run / Walk
Everyone gets a participation medal and a long sleeve tech shirt who has registered by 10/4/15.
Monster Mash Mile
A shorter course but everyone who registers before 10/4/15 gets the same swag as the 5K.
1/4 Mile Trick or Trot
Children 12 and under can run this special course receiving a finisher's medal and Halloween treats at the finish line. There will be a Trick-or-Trot fun zone for participants featuring a chance for children to get a photo with monsters, face painting, and other kid focused activities. Parents can run/walk with registered children for FREE during the Trick or Trot.
This event combines an electronic music festival with day and night color 5K runs and walks. Make your way through a vibrant course where you are splattered with brilliant colors - this is definitely not an event where you want to wear any expensive or valued shoes and clothing. The daytime wave of runners and walkers makes their way through the course beginning at 5pm and the night group's adventure begins during sunset at 7pm.
Color Fun Fest 5K features a massive finish-line festival featuring live DJ's, food, and the monumental EPICOLOR TOSS. Children under 12 are FREE! If you just want to go enjoy the post-race festival part of the event it costs $10.
The Great Amazing Race is a national skills competition, in which teams
of two people race through an obstacle course in competition with their
peers. Modeled after the TV show, this exciting adventure race has teams
completing a one-mile course speckled with up to 8 fun-filled outdoor
challenges. Clue cards provided at each stations directs teams to
complete a task (obstacle, game, relay, etc.), before advancing to the
next challenge station. Teams strive to arrive at the finish line with
the fastest overall time to be declared the winners.
How well you work together with your partner (communicate &
collaborate) is the most essential skill to winning the race. Waves
begin every 10 minutes … kids teams, then adult teams. The top 25 teams
from each local race qualify for regional championship race and chance
to win $1,500! Reserve your spot now as registration will close once 120
team limit is reached.
Here's some important info to know if you want to compete in THE GREAT AMAZING RACE:
The race is for everyone - runners, joggers and walkers - pee wees to grandparents.
A team consist of two people - Adult/Adult, Adult/Kid or
Kid/Kid. Kindergarten & Pre-K are allowed only if paired with an
adult.
Teams compete in 4 race divisions based on grade of the youngest team member. (Grades: K-2 / 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-Adult).
Each race offers 3 challenging levels ... easy, intermediate & difficult based upon age & fitness level of racers. Be aware that the difficult course consumes energies equivalent to that of a 5K.
Join Michigan's largest chocolate party which features 10K, 5K, and 1 Mile races. Here are the details on a really fun event:
Kona Chocolate Run: 10K/5K/Mile~ Celebrate upcoming
holidays with Cups of Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Guernsey
Chocolate Milk & Chocolate Fondue along with music in downtown
Plymouth! Heated Warming Tent next to Chocolate Buffet Tents
Full Zipper Jacket* - High qualityL. Jordan brand "Full zipper jacket with a hoodie, two zipper pockets and embroidered"; Men/Women fitted sizes for entrants; *Jackets guaranteed if registered by 11/8/2015
Post Race Chocolate Party:NEW2 Large Tents with 4 buffet lines.
Panera Bread providing cups of Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies,
Guernsey Dairy serving Chocolate Milk and Schakolad Chocolate Factory
will provide Chocolate Fountain Fondues with cookies & sliced
bagels!
DETROIT THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE TURKEY TROT/ Detroit
Running this 5K that takes you along the annual Detroit Thanksgiving Day parade route with thousands of spectators watching and cheering you on is something everyone should try at least once as a memory making experience. For some runners it crosses an item off their bucket list and for others it becomes an annual tradition.
So there you have it - Detroit has these and many other running/walking events for people of all skill levels and ages to enjoy throughout the autumn season. Whether it is enjoying fall colors, a holiday themed affair, or an amazing race there really is something for everyone to participate in.
