Michigan

PARK IT – Campus Martius Park, in downtown Detroit near the Detroit River, is one of the newest and most vibrant urban parks in the country. Its “sitting gardens,” with vibrant displays of color amid the bustle of the metropolis, quietly complement the centerpiece Woodward Fountain, where jets of water shoot 100 feet into the air, sometimes coordinated to music and light shows.

IN THE PINES – Walk through woods undisturbed since before America was founded. Hartwick Pines State Park, near Gaylord, features one of the last and largest stands of old-growth, never-logged forest. The Old Growth Forest Foot Trail leads, ironically, to the Logging Museum beyond.

AND BABE, TOO – Give the kids something to do (and learn some American folklore at the same time) by counting Paul Bunyans. The massive statues of the mythical logger and his blue ox, Babe, are spread across the country but are mostly grouped in the northern states. Here’s a hint to get you started: There’s one in Castle Rock.”