Many guests to Rosewood Pointe enjoy kayaking in Lake Macatawa and on a calm day, heading out into Lake Michigan to paddle near the shore.   However, for those of us, who enjoy a more leisurely kayak, I would suggest visiting Hemlock Crossing in Port Sheldon Township.

Hemlock Crossing / Pine Bend

Hemlock Crossing opened in 2003 and offers 239 acres of woods and wetlands along the Pigeon River. Over 6 miles of trails for hiking and cross country skiing meander through bottomland and upland forest, old pine plantations and along the river. A pedestrian bridge and numerous overlooks offer scenic views of the river corridor, wetlands, natural springs and woods. Facilities include two small picnic shelters, a kayak/canoe launch and over a mile of paved trail.

Pine Bend is a secondary access on the west end of the property that offers parking and a trail head. Pine Bend is also the site of the Weaver House, a restored 1901 home that is available for reservation for business meetings, family outings and other activities. There are no entry fees at Hemlock Crossing or Pine Bend and both are open year ‘round.

Facilities

• Kayak/canoe launch
• Unique pedestrian bridge
• Many scenic overlooks along the trails
• Two small picnic shelters with tables and grills
• Weaver House (reservable)
• Historic interpretation at Pine Bend
• Modern restrooms open warm months at Hemlock Crossing. Pit toilets available year ’round at Hemlock Crossing and Pine Bend
• Hiking and ungroomed cross country ski trails

* Barrier free facilities include picnic shelters, restrooms, kayak launch and a one mile paved trail through woods and fields.

Park Hours

Hemlock Crossing and Pine Bend are open year ’round at the following times.

April 1 through October 31 – 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

November 1 through March 31 – 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fees

There are no entry fees.

Directions

Hemlock Crossing is located in Port Sheldon Township just west of US 31 on West Olive Road.

If traveling northbound on US 31 from Holland, follow signs from Port Sheldon Street.

If traveling southbound on US 31 from Grand Haven, follow signs from West Olive Road.

Pine Bend can be reached by traveling west on Croswell Street from US 31 to 156th Avenue. Turn south on 156th Avenue and follow the signs to the Pine Bend entrance.

View Larger Map

On the other side of the lake,  the city and state have been pouring millions into fixing up and expanding Kollen Park.  Thanks to a generous easement  by the Heinz Corporation, a new boardwalk was constructed and completed in October 2008.    The city has shown some pretty good foresight in their continued efforts to make the lake more accessible to residents.

Adjoining Kollen Park is a very nice waterfront restaurant called Boatwerks that was opened several years ago.  They have a great bar area, and a ton of outdoor seating (with umbrellas).

Outdoor dining at Boatwerks

The new boardwalk allows ambitious walkers to walk from Rosewood Pointe down Howard ave (using sidewalks or low traffic side road), over the new bridge, into downtown Holland and the Holland Farmer’s market and then back up along the south side of Lake Macatawa, stop for an outdoor lunch at Boatwerk’s, and then continue up the boardwalk through Kollen’s Park and past the Heinz Pickle Factory.

Layout of Boatwerks

According to Google, that is a 3.1 mile walk – one way!! Here is a map showing the route:

How to walk from Rosewood Pointe to Kollen Park

New Boat Launch at Kollen Park in Holland Michigan

Boardwalk stairs leading to the top of Mount Pisgah

The Facts:

Mount Pisgah is…
• owned by the Ottawa County Parks Department
• located east of Holland State Park
• rises 157 feet above Lake Michigan
• has north-south width of 524 feet
• has east-west width of 656 feet

The base begins with a trailhead kiosk along Ottawa Beach Road that will have a bench, maps and historical information, Scholtz said. From there, a paved trail leads past a landscaped area and through a forest to a large bike-rack spot.

The path then transforms into a turnpike trail, which has wooden retaining walls, stones and fabric beneath it, before leading to the staircase.

“It’s going to be a bonus for the public for many years to come,� said Joyce Rhodes, Holland State Park supervisor. “Walking up those stairs is a lot easier than climbing up the dunes.�

Once on top of the dune, a boardwalk and stair system leads to a higher view of Big Red and Lake Michigan. Another boardwalk takes visitors along the narrow ridge of Mount Pisgah and connects with Holland State Park trails.

This is a really nice piece of work by the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Department.  My wife and I have always enjoyed hiking the sand dunes near the Holland State Park.  But getting to the dunes was always very difficult.  Even though it sounds like we won’t actually be able to hike the dunes, at least there is now an easy way to access the dunes and enjoy the views!

Here are a few pictures and a map:

Ida Red’s is an eating establishment in downtown Saugatuck which is renowned for their breakfast offerings. Jen and I and her family headed out to Ida Red’s this past weekend. We were prepared for the wait, there are several stores you can browse while waiting. The interior was bright and relaxing.

The service was pretty much crap. Our waitress was not very helpful and very inattentive. The food was ok. The wait was ALMOST AN HOUR TO GET OUR FOOD! If I had been more hungry, I would have gone berserk. But I was with friends, so we had lots to talk about.

The food was ok. Most of us ordered pancakes, eggs and bacon. I ate all mine. Would I ever return, hell no. Pumpernickels is faster, and has a nicer more open place to eat and enjoy food in a timely fashion. There is hardly ever a wait and the food is great.

If you are looking for one of the hippest places to eat in the area, Blue Moon is your place. Blue Moon is in Douglas, just across the way from Saugatuck. They have a very nice wine selection by the glass and the food is good to very good.

Jen and I have been there twice. dress is casual, sort of like you would dress if you going out for a night on the town in Chicago. You can get by with jeans, but many will be dressed much more swank.

The last time I was there I ordered the coffee ribeye. It was pretty fatty, but I ate around it. However, after the waitress brought the bill she informed me that they removed my ribeye because it was too fatty. I didn’t even have to tell them about it! That’s a first. It was very good though…

Brent