Kalamazoo, about 150 miles northeast of Chicago, is the midway point between our town and Motown. Taking I-94 the whole distance makes for a quick trip, but switching at Benton Harbor to the I-94 business turnoff leads you onto the scenic Red Arrow Highway–slower but good for segueing into an out-in-the-country mood. You can also make the trip without going anywhere near a gas pedal. Amtrak will drop you off at the old Gothic train station in downtown Kalamazoo, a short walk or $5 cab ride from lodgings. A decent public bus system will help get you around town.
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A taste of fresh celery will be offered during Celery Fest on Saturday, September 15, when traditional celery-harvesting techniques will be demonstrated. Running from 10 AM to 2 PM, the festival includes live music, carriage and pony rides, clowns, a special appearance by “Crispy,” a six-foot-tall walking celery stalk, and a celery-recipe contest judged by the Portage mayor and council members. Other annual events include planting day in early May, an arts-and-crafts fair in June, and a small harvest in July. Regular hours are 10 to 6 Saturday and noon to 6 Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and holidays. The center closes for the season on September 30 and opens next year on May 1. For information call 616-329-4518 or 616-329-4522.
In downtown Kalamazoo the little quadrangle called Bronson Park boasts pretty landscaping, a fountain, and sculptures. It’s bounded by stately old churches, a theater, and a museum. Horse-drawn carriages from the Black River Carriage Company (616-637-4397) loop around the park and through nearby historic districts; in the winter there are horse-drawn sleighs. Bronson Park, with its famous “floral peacock,” blooms all summer and is the center of Flowerfest, a big-draw event every July that includes concerts, art shows, and bus tours of county gardens; for information call 616-381-4003. On December 31 the park hosts a nonalcoholic New Year’s Festival, featuring food, entertainment, and fireworks at midnight; call Jan Dancer at 616-375- 5291 for details.
Tennis players will find 64 tennis courts throughout the city of Kalamazoo, which was recently named “City of the Year” by the Tennis Hall of Fame. Every August spectators are welcome to watch 16- and 18-year- old boys compete in the U.S. Tennis Association’s championships, sponsored by Kalamazoo College. Call 616-383-8615 for information.
Also very nice is the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, northeast of the city at 12865 E. C Ave. near Augusta (616-671-2511). Established by the cornflakes king and now run by Michigan State University, the sanctuary sits on Wintergreen Lake and is home to free-ranging peacocks, turkeys, swans, geese, and ducks. In September and October thousands of our feathered friends stop by on their migratory way from the Arctic Circle to southern Illinois. The nearby Kellogg Dairy Center, 10461 N. 40th St. near Hickory Corners (616-671-2507), gives milking demonstrations, and the W.K. Kellogg Research Forest, 7060 N. 42nd St. near Augusta (616-734-4597), has hiking trails.
Overnight: About 31 places want you to sleep in Kalamazoo. The Stuart Avenue Inn (616-342-0230) offers extraordinary bed-and-breakfast accommodations at 229, 237, and 405 Stuart Avenue, in the Stuart Avenue historic district. The inn has a stately flower garden and four turn-of-the-century guest homes restored to authentic perfection. There are standard rooms plus suites, the latter featuring private Jacuzzis, VCRs, fireplaces, and state-of-the-art stereo systems. Breakfast baked goods are prepared from scratch by the owners. Rates run $45 to $120.
