Top 5 Ways To Enjoy The Summer Weather In Grand Rapids

Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is an amazing place to spend a sunny Summer day. You can walk the grounds discovering new things at every turn. I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to really see every single thing Meijer Gardens has to offer in one visit. In fact, they say they encourage visitors who wish to experience Meijer Gardens fully to plan at least four hours and up to eight hours to enjoy all there is to offer.

Grand Rapids is one of very few communities left that offers public pools to its residents. This summer, three of the GR Public Pools will be open for business. The pools at Briggs, Martin Luther King Jr., and Richmond parks will be open for seven weeks. In recent years money from private donors was needed to operate the pools. This year, all money will come from the City of Grand Rapids. There is a fee to use the pools, and they have no yet been decided on for this season. Last year, they charged $2 for residents and $5 for non-residents.

Who doesn't like the zoo? The John Ball Park Zoo, right in the middle of Grand Rapids provides entertainment for children and adults alike.

If you haven't been in a while, you'll also notice some changes. The zoo has put in a new entrance plaza and has upgraded their gift shop.

Also new this year? A baby camel!

John Ball Zoo is open daily at 10:00am and close at 4:00pm. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for kids 3-12, 2 and under are free.

Grand Rapids, and West Michigan in general, is host to a plethora of great bike trails. The Fred Meijer Heartland Trail, which stretches 41 miles, will take you from Greenville all the way to Alma!

Want to keep it all within the 616? You can do that, too! Kent Trails is a 15 mile,

non-motorized trail that is the result of a collaborative planning effort between the Kent County Parks Department, the cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville, Walker, Wyoming and Byron Township.

Traveling through these six governmental jurisdictions, the trail follows abandoned railroad line, surface streets and easements, to provide linear parkway in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area.

My personal favorite outdoor nice weather activity is drinking outside. After all of those months cooped up inside, waiting for the snow to melt, there's nothing better than enjoying a cocktail on a patio while the sun shines down on you.

Many Grand Rapids eateries (and drinkeries) boast amazing patios where you can sit, relax, and have a beverage.