It is amazing how much time is spent indoors as a student, whether that be studying in the library, staring at our laptops, or attending lectures.
Although Saginaw Valley State University is a beautiful place to be, it can be nice to escape occasionally.
Personally, I love to spend a lot of my free time outdoors. Being outside and absorbed in nature is a great opportunity to de-stress and ignore your responsibilities for even just a couple of hours.
Living in this area for the past 19 years of my life, I have found some of my favorite places to so at.
My top five places to venture out to near SVSU include the Chippewa Nature Center, Dow Gardens, the Whiting Forest Canopy Walk, Bay City State Park, and with fall coming up, Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch.
The Chippewa Nature Center near downtown Midland has various ponds and marshes, trails, and farm animals. The best time of year to go has got to be the fall when the trails are filled with beautiful colors. During Covid shutdowns, this place became one of my favorite spots to go hiking, hammocking and escape from reality.
Also in Midland is Dow Gardens, which offers many beautiful sights along with various paths to explore. It’s a great spot for taking pictures or just walking around for a few hours.
The Gardens are connected to the Whiting Forest, which features the nation’s longest canopy walk.
On the Canopy Walk, you can walk amongst the trees and take in the beautiful views of the ponds and forest.
With your SVSU student ID you can visit the Gardens and the Canopy Walk for just $2.
The Bay City State Park is another one of my favorite outdoor recreation areas. Through living in the area for so long, I’ve become a frequent visitor.
It is an awesome spot to hammock, rollerblade, skate, bike or visit a beach before we receive less-than-ideal weather this winter.
If you venture out far enough on the trails, you will reach my favorite spot at the park, which are the towers that overlook the forest.
Finally, with fall coming up, it would be a tragedy to leave out one of the best fall-themed attractions: Grandmas Pumpkin Patch.
Pumpkin patches are great for those who love pumpkins, for those who love to take pictures with pumpkins and for those who like to eat pumpkin-flavored foods.
I have visited the pumpkin patch annually since I was a little kid. Some must-do activities when visiting are the corn maze, the hayride, and tasting the pumpkin rolls.
If you are a looking for a place to get into the fall spirit, Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch is the place to go.
I highly encourage you to plan your escape from campus, for even just a day, especially before Michigan turns into a mitten-shaped snow globe.
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