November 7 A bit of a misadventure ...

Sunday:  A few days ago, Emma told me one of her co-workers told her there was a nature preserve right in downtown Rockford that had cool trails and everything. Really? In downtown Rockford? I've been to Rockford a million times and have NEVER seen signs for a nature preserve! 

So I looked it up online (naturally) and found something called Maas Family Nature Preserve just a little north of Rockford, off of 12 Mile and Summit -- pictures on the internet made the place LOOK decent enough ... I thought I would just take a quick little jaunt over there Sunday afternoon and check it out.

It was already late in the afternoon when I left the house. Emma and I had come home from church pretty exhausted, ate our lunch, and then went our separate ways to rest a bit. When I told Emma I was going to find this place, she turned me down about going with me. This worked out, probably, for the best. I got a map up on my computer with the place listed and X'd, so I took a picture of it with my cell phone--it had the cross streets, etc. and directions from my place right to Maas! How could I go wrong, you ask?

These first few pictures are not of Maas Family Nature Preserve. These were taken on White Pine Trail. I drove up and down 12 Mile, took Summit both right and left ... but I could NOT find the place. I remembered reading that a person could access it from White Pine Trail, so I strolled on that for a little bit without any success whatsoever. While doing so, I bumped into a couple who was walking along and asked them how to find Maas. They had never heard of it! However, the gentleman had a better phone than mine, looked it up and the map showed it exactly where my computer showed it to be (but it wasn't!).

I went back to my car, turned onto Summit from 12 Mile and went as slowly as a snail. Summit is a very curvy road and very woodsy too ...

Finally!! Around one of the curves, tucked way off the road was this little sign identifying Maas Family Nature Preserve with a parking space for ONE vehicle. SO I parked!

After walking the entire park -- which took perhaps 15 minutes, I decided this could not possibly be the park Emma's friend was referring to. There is hardly anything at this park! A few trails. Some nice signage indicating that perhaps spring would be a nicer time to come. I WOULD love to see the Lupine.

Nice try ... but not very thrilling of an adventure, I must say! I'll go back home and do some further research on area parks and preserves ...