Cool places to run...

I've just returned from vacation in Michigan and was able to go for
a couple of runs on one of my favorite trails. Last Monday my family and I sailed to Muskegon State Park. There is good anchorage just off a sand dune on the north shore near the Channel Camp grounds. It is also an easy drive off of US 31 through North Muskegon. In this park there are "12 miles of marked hiking trails from easy to difficult. The trails are a diverse series of loops that meander through a variety of landscapes, from flatland to marsh and from lowland to the top of scenic sand dunes. All are self-guided."
After dropping the hook, I set off with one of my daughters in order
to share with her the beauty of this park. She wasn't as excited as I was primarily due to the heat. We set off along the beach of Lake Muskegon, up along the breakwall/ channel to lake Michigan and then along the beach on Scenic road to the Park entrance. From here, it is possible to go straight up a long steep up hill to the historic Blockhouse, for a great view of Lake Michigan. On this run we decided to turn right onto Memorial Drive, away from the lake to pick up the trails again. For the next two miles we enjoyed the shade of the woods and the rolling trails near Snug Harbor, through Devils Kitchen and Old Bay Mills Village, back to our starting point. The next run was a solo effort and turned out to be quite a hard pace as I was trying to beat a thunder storm. On this run I stayed on the trails and covered the upper dunes. Up was 2-3 minutes of torture, but the view from the top was worth it! So if you find yourself in southwestern lower Michigan, check out Muskegon State Park. It is a cool place to run! For my other cool places to run, check out the side bar on the In Motion page. Oh yeah, I did beat the storm. Isn't that the strangest cloud?