July 24 - On the way to Alma, MI

Easy 55 mile ride on the paved Fred Meijer Heartland Trail to Alma. Fred Meijer wanted "a safe haven for families away from traffic" and he donated eight million dollars to rails to trails to make this happen.

The abundant snake grass along the trail looked like asparagus to me. The wonderment of nature struck me as I cycled along the trail.

The trail was built along the rail lines and every small town seems to have had grain elevators. At one time, these towns were prosperous. Now, they are like ghost towns.

Our drivers found a great location for lunch. We enjoyed varieties of sandwiches, salads and fruit.