What to do in Michigan: Gearing up for Memorial Day weekend bicycling fun
David Lingholm
| 3 min read
First in a new series promoting fun and healthy things to do across Michigan.
Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer in Michigan. The last snowfall of the winter is a distant memory. Your winter coat has been replaced by shorts and sunscreen. Time spent sitting under blankets wondering if you will ever be warm again is replaced with time outdoors, enjoying every minute of sunny warmth you can absorb.
It is also race weekend in many communities, so you can get in a good bike ride or a run while you are enjoying the great outdoors. There is even plenty to do if you would rather just take a leisurely stroll. Here is a sampling of some great Memorial Day activities happening around Michigan:
- Hanson Hills Hundred – 100 mile Mountain Bike Endurance Race — When Hanson Hills opened for business in 1929, it was the first downhill ski area in Michigan and only the second in the Midwest. It is now a place for recreation of all types year round, so grab your mountain bike and take a few laps (four to be exact) around this piece of Michigan history.
- Ride the Keweenaw weekend — If you aren’t quite up to riding 100 miles of trails in one day, try heading up to the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula for a weekend filled with group rides, food, drink, music and more. There are plenty of trails to ride there, from easy trails like Copper Harbor Loop for novices to difficult trails like Der We Went for experienced bikers.
- 2012 Tour de Frankenmuth — Michigan’s Little Bavaria is hosting a weekend of biking. From bike races to a bike swap meet, Frankenmuth is your home for biking fun for the entire family this holiday weekend.
- 9th Annual Mackinaw Memorial Bridge Race — Is running more your style? There are typically only two opportunities each year to run on the Mackinac Bridge, which means if you tackle this challenge, you will be able to lay claim to an experience most people can never brag about.
- Uptown Grayling Annual Spring Art Walk — If the thought of a pleasant stroll through town appeals to you, several businesses in Grayling are opening their doors on the holiday weekend specifically for you. You can wander through the shops enjoying several different types of art, including painting, photography, wood working and glass arts.
- Iris Show at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park — Fans of this beautiful flower will enjoy meeting other enthusiasts while viewing a wide variety of historic and hybrid varieties of the iris.
- Annual Riverside Park Pops Concert — The description of this annual performance of the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra says it best: “From movies to jazz to Broadway to patriotic favorites, we’ll celebrate Memorial Day in style with hundreds of our closest friends.”
Find out more of what’s going on around our great state by visiting our Events calendar.
What events are you looking forward to this holiday weekend? Be sure to leave us your suggestions on our comments section.
Photo courtesy of DJS Photo
