Blog Post
Ypsilanti Heritage Festival: "A solemn stately Camel walked majestically . . . "
by annevm
The Ypsilanti Heritage Festival is coming up Aug. 15-17 in Riverside Park. At AADL we have plenty of resources about this popular festival, including articles from Ypsilanti Gleanings, official publication of the Ypsilanti Historical Society. Here is an excerpt from a Review of the 1985 Heritage Parade: . . . "The parade was again excellent with many magnificent horses. The Franzen Circus brought their Elephant which seemed pleased with the crowd and two very young Elephants didn't seem to care for the human admirers. A solemn stately Camel walked majestically, indifferent to the crowd, followed by a Llama and a long cage of 12 or more Tigers in it. Then was a King of the Beasts, a lion, but we missed him. Many beautiful floats and stirring Marching Bands. We think Lincoln High School has the handsomest uniforms. The rain held over during the hour parade but at high noon it really poured. The noise of the rain in the tent of the Kiwanis Chicken Broil was so great it drowned out the many voices." This year's parade is 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16. See you there!
Blog Post
July is National Parks and Recreation Month
by yugure
Have you been enjoying visiting Ann Arbor's many parks to get the Park Explorer badges offered in our Summer Reading Game? I sure hope so, and this is a great time to do it - July is National Parks and Recreation Month!
Even if you're not playing along with the SRG, you can still have lots of fun at the parks around the town, county, and state. If you like taking long walks or hikes, don't miss Five-Star Trails: Ann Arbor and Detroit, which gives you some good trails to try like the Gallup Park Loop and several in the Pinckney State Park. More into cycling? Try Washtenaw County Bike Rides or Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor, the latter of which includes road, bike path, and trail routes. Can't get enough of the outdoors? Want to spend DAYS and DAYS out in nature and never have to look at a computer screen or the back bumper of the guy in front of you in a traffic jam? Check out Michigan's Best Campgrounds and REALLY get to know your state's parks!
Those of you who'd prefer to stay indoors, now would be a good time to give the hilarious NBC comedy Parks and Recreation a try!
Blog Post
Running Like a Girl and other great books for runners of all types
by eapearce
Finally, a book that deals honestly with both the gains AND the pains that being a runner entails! Running Like a Girl: notes on learning to run, by Alexandra Heminsley, is a refreshing take on starting to run later in life, and on a runner’s life in general. For many of us—even those who are dedicated runners—the perspectives that we were “born to run” or that “running is a wonderful way to reconnect with the world and our bodies” don’t always ring true. Sometimes it feels like, more often than not, running can be painful, boring, difficult, or lonely, and frequently a combination of all four. This is why Heminsley’s story of taking up running in her thirties is so great. It doesn’t come easily to her, and she doesn’t love it. She doesn’t experience immediate gratifcation from a “runners high,” nor does she immediately lose twenty pounds. Her relationship with running is complex, and only becomes ultimately positive over time, and in ways that she did not anticipate. This book is great for runners of all sorts: those who have been running for decades, those who have just taken up the sport, and those who don’t run at all and therefore don’t even know yet that they can be runners!
If you’re interested in other books about running, try What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: a memoir, Running Away and the famous Once a Runner, about one runner’s quest to run a sub-4:00 minute mile. Finally, if you’re looking for scenic local places to run, check out Five-star Trails, Ann Arbor and Detroit, where you can find suggestions for trails to check out nearby. Happy running!
Blog Post
Hike @ Argo Nature Area tonight!
by eapearce
Join us and a representative from Ann Arbor's Natural Area Preservation on an informative nature walk tonight at 7:00pm at Argo Nature Area. This lovely 22-acre park runs along the Huron River offering beautiful views of the water through the oak, hickory and willow trees. The event will be a mixture of hiking the unpaved trail that runs along the river and learning about ecological restoration and native plants and animals from the NAP representative. Remember to wear comfortable clothing and bring water!
We will meet in the parking lot by the Argo Canoe Livery, just off of Longshore Drive.
Blog Post
Tonight!: Hike @ Barton Nature Area
by eapearce
The first of our nature walks this season will be this tonight, May 8 at 7:00pm at Barton Nature area! The nature walks that AADL hosts throughout the summer are made possible by our partnership with Natural Area Preservation and are lead by a representative from NAP.
Barton Nature Area is a 102-acre park in northwest Ann Arbor. The part that we will be hiking in is known as the oxbow, and connects to Argo Nature Area. There is a lovely smaller part of Barton Nature Area as well, the Foster area, which is only accessible by boat via crossing Barton Pond. On our hike we will see lots of beautiful spring vegetation as well as a variety of landscapes. The oxbow area, where we will hike, includes wet meadow and shrubland, prairie and old field, mesic forest and emergent marsh.
We will meet at the parking lot off Huron Drive just north of the intersection with Bird Road. Make sure to dress for walking and bring water if needed! Arrive a few minutes early to make sure you don't miss the beginning of the hike. It's a beautiful warm day out, so come join us!
Public Event
Planet Rock Climbing 101 for Teens
Friday July 25, 2014: 1:15pm to
4:00pm
Planet Rock at 82 Aprill Drive
Teens In Grades 6-12
Public Event
Using Yoga To Reduce Stress - NEW LOCATION
Tuesday August 26, 2014: 7:00pm to
8:30pm
Pittsfield Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens Grades 6 And Up
Public Event
Community Vinyasa Yoga
Tuesday July 22, 2014: 6:00pm to
7:30pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens Grade 6 And Up
Public Event
Community Vinyasa Yoga
Wednesday June 18, 2014: 3:30pm to
5:00pm
Traverwood Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens Grade 6 And Up
Public Event
Community Vinyasa Yoga
Saturday June 21, 2014: 10:30am to
12:00pm
Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room
Adults And Teens Grades 6 And Up