Roselle Park at Flood Stage Ada Michigan

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

We took a drive along the Grand River last week and took in some

local sites. The Grand River was a full flood stage and it changed the

scenery in a few places. This short video was taken at Roselle Park

in Ada Township Michigan. This park is a 274 acre natural preserve

right on the banks of the Grand River. It normally has some swampy

areas, but nothing like the scenes in the video. Usually you have to

walk about 100 yards to get close to the river.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_Nw-cp5VI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

Since we didn’t bring our wading boots, we stayed near the entrance and

just shot our video. We will go back and photograph the park without

water soon.

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Video Tour of Picturesque Rockford Michigan

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Rockford Michigan is a picturesque small town north of

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It has a vibrant downtown shopping area with boutique stores,

restaurants, and a beautiful downtown park, Pebbles Park.

Rockford is located right on the Rogue River. Though it is small,

it has many attractions and large suburban housing areas

surrounding the downtown area.

We hope you enjoy our video tour of Rockford Michigan.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-2X0hqcV88&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1]

Rockford Michigan video

Rockford has a large public school system with state of the art schools.

Wolverine Worldwide is also located in Rockford on the Rogue River and

employs many people in this area. If you aren’t familiar with their name,

they make Merrell, Hush Puppy, Sebago, Track’nTrail, Hy-Test, Patagonia,

Cat, Harley Davidson, and Bates Brand Shoes and clothing. They have an

outlet store right next to the factory and that is always a good place to

go shopping in downtown Rockford.

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty
Copyright 2009 all rights reserved
Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Video tour of Caledonia Michigan

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Caledonia Michigan is a quiet little suburb about 25 miles from Grand Rapids

downtown, and about 6 miles from the international Gerald R Ford Airport.

Originally a farming community, this growing Grand Rapids suburban area

has a wonderful newer school system, a low crime rate, and low air pollution

index.

If you are considering relocating to the Grand Rapids or West Michigan Area,

Caledonia is a viable option to consider seriously.

We have put together a short video of photos of the Caledonia area.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T2JjWbIbuM&hl=en&fs=1]

Please contact me directly if I can answer any questions about Caledonia

Michigan homes. 1-888-240-1988 ext 0

email: terry@terrywestbrook.com

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Free Arbor Day Celebration ~ Ada Park ~ Ada Michigan

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Arbor Day Festival Ada Park & Arboretum Free

Saturday, April 25 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Donations accepted

Bring your family out to the Locke Arboretum at Ada Park for this festival

of events to celebrate Arbor Day. Ada Park will be set up with activity

stations for all ages including workshops on tree pruning and care,

backyard wildlife habitats, nature displays, conservation exhibits,

youth crafts and games, wildflower & tree walks and fishing for kids.

Special "tree theme" snacks and beverages will be available for purchase.

One free tree sapling to each family as supplies last.

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Photo of Ada Maple Tree by Bonnie Westbrook

Go Green Tip # 1~ Use your Local Library

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

I assume we are all trying to do our best at saving the environment and

doing our small part in protecting our planet, but sometimes the obvious

is overlooked.

I am a bibliophile (a.k.a. book-aholic) I love books. I collect books,

I read books. Books area large part of my life. Do I buy books? Yes,

but I usually do the “green “ thing and borrow the latest best seller

from my local library.

Once I have read a novel, I usually don’t reread it. So why waste the

paper, trees, and space to own books for a short period of time.

This has never made sense to me when I could go to the public

library and request anything I could desire to read. I go online in

my jammies and when my requested book comes into my local branch,

they notify me!

Your local public library also has movies on DVDs and books on CD’s

and books on tape. All for free. And by using your local library, you

are making a small effort to improve the environment.

So do the “green thing” with your reading. Visit your local library.

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI

Cascade Township Public Library Photo by Bonnie Westbrook

Fish Ladder on the Grand River

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Is it difficult to go home? Ask the salmon that are attempting to reach their

spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Grand River. They have a

Herculean task to get up the fish ladder at the Grand River downtown

Grand Rapids. Joseph E Kinnebrew IV, designed the Fish Ladder Sculpture

that allows the fish to climb the dam at Fourth Street and Front NW.

The Fish Ladder was installed in 1974 and is a favorite spot to watch the

fish return up river in the fall. We have seen the fish so thick that the

ducks can walk on their backs to catch treats thrown in for them.

Grand views of our local city and riverfront are visible from here. You can

see the many cranes and buildings going up on Michigan Avenue, also

known as The Medical Mile. The VanAndel Institute, Butterworth Hospital,

Lemmon-Holton Cancer Center, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and the

Michigan State University Medical School.

A small public city park adjoins the fish ladder and is an intimate spot to

bring a picnic lunch and watch the activity on the river.

Fishermen were pulling huge salmon from the river when we visited the

other day. The salmon are on their way from upstream to Lake Michigan.

Hope you enjoy our photo tour:

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Photos by Terry Westbrook

Watermark Country Club ~ Cascade Michigan ~ Pool Time!

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Watermark Country Club in Cascade Township has a wonderful pool facility.

We are not members but being members of the golf course we are allowed

to use the facility several times a year at a small charge.

Yesterday was POOL DAY!! Our grandson, Jeffy is up from Indianapolis for

his yearly “Grandparents Camp Week” with us. The pool is one of his favorite

places to go.

It was in the eighties and humid—perfect pool weather, even though the

clouds looked menacing. We had tried on Monday but got rained out before

we could get wet. The pool staff keeps a sharp eye on the weather and closes

the pool if a storm threatens. Watermark has lunch available poolside and

we had hamburgers and a hotdog to keep our energy up for the big day.

We took a couple of pictures, so you can see what a great place it is.

This is a shot of both pools, the adult pool with slide tower in back, and

the kid’s pool in front. There is a putting range behind the storage

building in the background for the kids to use.

The kids pool is THE MOST popular area – a small slide, 2 water shooting

animals to ride,and the dumping pails tower in the center make this fun

for big and little children.

The pool house has a men’s and women’s locker room with showers,

toilets and changing stations. An additional restroom is located close

to the pool. Grilled burgers and other lunch favorites are available until

the pool closes at 8 pm.

The sand box is a draw for big and little children. A small play structure, a

large play fort with slide, and a swing set are all set in this huge sand box.

Jeffy is on the right heading for the water spigot, he is excavating a water

trench with buckets and shovels.

That’s me taking a few swings at the driving range – just over the fence

from the pool.

The Watermark Residences

The Grille at Watermark

Watermark Country Club

If you would like further information about Forest Hills Homes, please

contact me directly: 1-888-240-1968

Terry@TerryWestbrook.com

Grand Rapids Michigan Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

Photos of Watermark pool area by Bonnie Westbrook

Lowell Michigan ~ Video Tour ~ Flat River Community

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

We have created a photo tour of Lowell, Michigan.

Lowell is a small community on the Flat River, about 25

miles from Grand Rapids. Since Lowell is right next door

to us, we find ourselves visiting often.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-eOmq5X-0s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

Grand Rapids Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Cannonsburg Michigan ~ Big Attractions in a Small Place

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Cannonsburg Michigan is a small community northwest of Grand

Rapids. It is included in the Forest Hills School District and has had

growth in residential housing in the last ten years. There are many

elite homes built in this area because of the natural scenery,

prestigious public school system, and proximity to downtown Grand

Rapids. The small village of Cannonsburg has a long history, as

evidenced by the historic buildings which comprise the commercial

hub of the village today.

First, and our personal favorite, is The HoneyCreek Inn, pictured

above. We have been enjoying the casual atmosphere and the

wonderful food at the Honeycreek Inn for over 30 years. It bills itself

as "This Pub under Polish-Irish Management – Be Patient." Whatever

nationality your roots are planted in, this is a great place to eat! The

bar has select brews on tap and "The Daily Special" is always worth

trying.

The Grist Mill, pictured above, is a recent addition to

Cannonsburg, although the original building is one of the original

businesses, as noted by its name. The Grist Mill has a fabulous Deli &

Bakery, a lunch room where you can order a meal, a quick stop

grocery, and gas pumps on the side. Everything today’s

Cannonsburg neighbors might need. It is always busy and you can’t

get a better quick lunch anywhere.

The Bottle Shop is a beer, wine, and liquor emporium that serves the

Cannonsburg area. This building was the original general store for

generations. If you have a hankering for some liquid refreshment,

this is the spot to go in Cannonsburg.

This building houses The Cannonsburg Historical Museum.

Cannonsburg was founded in 1842, that is 167 years of local history.

We will have to make a special trip to see the local history preserved

here.

The last big attraction in Cannonsburg is the first for many in our

area – Cannonsburg Ski Area. This is one of the only local ski areas,

the other being Pando, which is smaller. Their website has a

Webcam, with real time pictures of the conditions.

As you can see, a nice sunny day in February, the slopes are far

from empty. The Cannonsburg Ski Area has a large open air concert

area that is used in the summer for Grand Rapids Symphony

Presentations, such as the July 4th Pops Concert which is a local

favorite. Our small tour is over, but towns like Cannonsburg are a

vital part of our Greater Grand Rapids Area.

We have many small towns and villages that have big attractions for

for the West Michigan travelers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

There has been no remuneration or compensation of any kind for our endorsement of restaurants & other businesses featured in this blog.

February looks like this in Grand Rapids Michigan

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

Signs of Spring……

Our friends in the south are looking at bulbs coming up, birds nesting, and

other sure signs of spring. Our signs of spring in Grand Rapids Michigan are

a little bit different. We look with eagerness towards any signal that winter

is loosening it’s grip. If you are a Northerner, these photos will tell you

S-P-R-I-N-G is right around the corner:

The huge snow mountains in the parking lots are melting!!

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Grand Rapids Real Estate

Grand Rapids Real Estate Information

Category Archives: Michigan Photos