A Cravin’ for the Kal-Haven
An appropriate scene seen from the Kal-Haven.
by Charles “Flying Scotsman” McKelvy
So ze French Bicycling Ace and The Flying Scotsman got a cravin’ for the Kal-Haven Trail the other sunny summer day and headed on up and over to Bloomingdale in beautiful Van Buren County, Michigan and put in at mile marker 16.5 or thereabouts and proceeded east all the way into the City of Kalamazoo on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and then returned to Bloomingdale in time to get sprinkled upon and also in time to see an Amish gentleman appear with his horse-drawn buggy to do a spot of grocery shopping.
Oh, and we saw the sun emerge from behind some amazing clouds and then we headed home to Harbert by way of South Haven where Lake Michigan was waving at us.
The Kal-Haven Trail, so you know, extends from South Haven on the west to Kalamazoo on the east where he joins the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. We took the latter only to Ravine Road in Kalamazoo where we were confronted with the possibility of riding the shoulder of Ravine Road for half-a-mile under threatening skies. We could and should have persisted, because we would have gone all the way into downtown Ka’zoo, and then, according to the glossy map provided along the way, all the way to Battle Creek.
Someday we’ll do just that.
But, for now, please accept our humble testimony that the Kal-Haven Trail between Bloomingdale and Kalamazoo is in tip-top shape and certainly worthy of a ride on any kind of bicycle from now until the snow flies.
A few hearty deerflies tried to keep pace with us near Kendall, but we poured on the carbo-fueled quads and beat them silly.
Then we just settled into as sublime an afternoon of bicycling as one could hope to find on the third rock from the sun.
A place of light and refreshment in southwest Michigan.
We would like to personally thank the Van Buren County Road Commission (VBCRC) for their excellent care of the best rails-to-trail anywhere, and we want you to know that trail passes are no longer required. Ride for free, but, before you exercise your own cravin’ for the Kal-Haven, contact the VBCRC at: 269-674-8011 or: www.vbco.org/government0129.asp. And for complete information about the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, which is also free to ride, contact: 269-383-0515 or visit: www.kalamazoorivervalleytrail.com.
Ride on!
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Hi, Charley. Thanks for your comment. How’s the clarinet coming? Haven’t heard from you lately. Is all well? Also, did you get Mike’s email about the retreat picnic? Are you going?