July | 2011 | Southwest Michigan Realtor Blog

July 31, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Great Riverfront Towns in Southwest Michigan

Allegan Michigan has a beautiful boardwalk system in downtown along the river.

There are a few communities that really have beautiful downtown riverfront areas. There are several towns in the Southwest, Michigan region that this is a highlight of the downtown.

Cities such as Battle Creek, Allegan, Kalamazoo and Marshall have beautiful riverfront walkways and sometimes shops along the rivers of their downtown district. Allegan has a magnicent boardwalk and old iron bridge in the downtown district, and Battle Creek with its overlooks, benches and shade trees make for an inviting stroll along the river.

A river going through downtown is a great highlight that not every community can boast, and not all that have them present them in the same way. The ones that do feature them bring a sense of beauty into the district that brings people back for more. There is nothing quite like a seasonal stroll along a beautiful river in a downtown district.

Battle Creek, Michigan has a beautiful riverside walkway in downtown.

July 25, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Fort Custer Recreation Area in Augusta, Michigan

The Fort Custer Recreation Areais located just 1/4 mile east of the village of Augusta,

A biker finds his way down one of the many trails at the Fort Custer Recreation Area.

Michigan. It comprises 3,033 acres located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The terrain consists of forests and prairies, and the park features three lakes. It also is adjacent to the Kalamazoo river.

The Fort Custer Recreation Area has as one of its highlights an excellent trail system throughout perfect for hiking, biking and running. During the winter the trails are used for hiking, cross-country skiing and snow mobiling. The lakes offer fishing year round, and canoeing and boating during the summer months.

There are also picnic pavilions, camp grounds and a 1000 foot sandy beach along one of the lakes for outdoor fun. You can also rent a cabin if you do not have camping gear. There is hunting allowed in certain areas of the park as well, during certain seasons.

Flowers and plants abound along the trails in the Fort Custer Recreation Area.

The Fort Custer Recreation Area was originally farmland that was acquired by the federal government to establish Camp Custer, and induction and military training center for the U.S. Army during WWII. The land was deeded to the State of Michigan, under President Nixon’s Legacy of Parks in 1971.

Along the trails one will find a variety of plant species, flowers and berries. There is also a lot of wildlife. Taking a walk along the trails is one of my favorite summer activities, and one can spend an entire weekend there and not see all of the trails which span a distance of over 28 miles. Fort Custer Recreation Area is one of the most exciting getaways in the Southwest Michigan area.

The Fort Custer Recreation Area is a great place to enjoy some outdoor fun.

July 10, 2011
by Michael Delaware

The Fireworks Grand Finale at the Field of Flight in Battle Creek, Michigan

Fireworks are a popular feature of a 4th of July celebraton each and every summer.

I previously wrote a post on the fireworks held at the Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival that was held from July 1st – 4th at the W.K. Kellogg Airfield in Battle Creek, Michigan last weekend. The fireworks display was quite sensational, and I ended up videoing it in two parts, and posted two separate videos on YouTube on this.

So I have decided to include the second part in my blog here today on the grand finale of the fireworks show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Fireworks are a great tradition on the 4th of July, and this show was quite wonderful. It was probably the best fireworks I have seen in a long time. The night airshow leading up to it was also wonderful.

Here is the video:

July 10, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Fireworks Spectacular in Southwest Michigan

4th of July Fireworks are always the spectacular event of the weekend.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the fireworks extravaganza at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Fest that was held at the W.K. Kellogg Airport. The event lasted 4 days, and the fireworks show was held on the evening of July 3rd, 2011. There were a lot of events that led up to the fireworks, such as the Balloon Illume and the Night Time Air Show, but those more or less set the stage for the big event of the evening.

I think that people love fireworks across all cultural lines and backgrounds. It something very special to admire the magnificent lights in the sky, and 4th of July is a great time to see them. I do not think that any Independence weekend would ever be quite complete without fireworks.

I filmed a video when I was at this years event, and I am presenting the first part here. I hope you enjoy it.

July 9, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Night Air Show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight

The night air show at the Battle Creek Field of Flight was nothing short of spectacular.

Last weekend the largest event in Southwest Michigan was held in Battle Creek. It is the Battle Creek Field of Flight Airshow & Balloon Festival. On the evening of July 3rd, I attended the festival with plans to see the Balloon Illume and then the evening fireworks show. What I did not expect was the exciting night time air show event that was held right after dark, before the fireworks extravaganza.

This event featured pilots flying at night, and they were shooting flames and sparks from their bi-planes lighting up the night time sky as they did flips, turns and dives to entertain the crowds.

They also fired off fireworks from their wings, making it an exciting crowd pleasing event. I managed to shoot a video of this portion of the evening show, and have included it here. Enjoy.

July 5, 2011
by Michael Delaware

Hot Air ‘Balloon Illume’ in Battle Creek, Michigan

The 'Balloon Illume' is a fantastic summer feature on 4th of July weekend.

There is one very exciting annual celebration that is the largest in Southwest Michigan during the 4th of July weekend. It is the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival which draws crowds of over 100,000 people over 4 days.

Part of the exciting annual event is the hot air balloons. One of the crowd pleasing feaures at this event it the ‘Balloon Illume’ which is held at dusk. On the night of the fireworks on July 3rd, I attended this event and shot some video. It is one of the most colorful and beautiful summer experiences you can go to.

I hope you will take time to watch my video and ‘like’ it on YouTube if you enjoy it. Thank you.