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Articles on some of the world's most romantic
destinations by
professional photographer Eleanor S. Morris
Grand
Rapids, on a Grand River, and More
by Eleanor S. Morris
This Midwestern city offers a romantic hotel and parks
perfect for a hand-in-hand stroll.
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more romantic getaways in Michigan
Grand Rapids is named
for the rapids on the Grand River, the largest river in the state
of Michigan. The Ottawa Indians first camped on its banks, next
came the fur traders, and today come the salmon--the Grand River
Sculpture and Fish Ladder attracts both Coho salmon battling their
way upstream to spawn, and spectators watching the sight.
Grand Rapids has several claims to fame. Perhaps the most impressive
is the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. In the Oval Office
you can eavesdrop on a typical day in the nerve center of American
democracy; at a state dinner table you can be a guest at six gala
White House functions (via video monitor). View the original tools
used in the June 1972 Watergate break-in, along with a multi-screen
history of America's most notorious political scandal. And go
inside the White House, a holographic tour into rooms off limits
to the general public.
Tour
the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The 30-acre
park presents more than 25 sculptures by world-renowned sculptors.
Outstanding is the American Horse by Nina Akamu, if for no other
reason than size. The 24-foot bronze is created in homage to Leonardo
da Vinci, who, 500 years ago, was commissioned by the Duke of
Milan to create an equine state, but was never able to in his
lifetime. The American artist studied works that Leonardo would
have studied, and this is the result.
Both the Grand Rapids Art Museum, with exhibits of national caliber
and regional distinctions, and the Grand Rapids Children's Museum,
with hands-on exhibits, are worth a visit. The John Ball Zoological
garden has more than 1,000 animals, an aquarium, an African area,
and a new chimpanzee exhibit. And to learn all about the history
of Grand Rapids, take in the Van Andel Museum Center of the Public
Museum of Grand Rapids. There, you also can ride a carousel and
eat in a cafe overlooking that grand river.
Also in the Van Andel Center is a planetarium, the Roger B. Chaffee,
with educational sky shows and laser light shows set to popular
music. In a historical vein, the Voight House Museum recreates
life during the Victorian era in the city.
Nearby Coopersville (20 minutes from downtown) is the kind of
place where strangers say hello; at intersections drivers stop
for pedestrians with a smile. The town has a Farm Museum, the
Coopersville Area Historical Society Museum, and the Coopersville
& Marne Railway, offering train lovers a ride on an old-fashioned
passenger train. Tasker Drug Store sells collectibles, and the
Country Cafe serves homestyle food at yesteryear's prices.
Lovely Lake Michigan is barely an hour's drive from Grand Rapids'
downtown, with Grand Haven State Park the most popular spot. The
white silica sand on the shoreline is ideal for sand sculpturing,
while kite flying seems to be just as popular. Relax and people-watch
the folks licking ice cream cones while walking out on the park's
concrete pier where Grand Rapids' Grand River channel empties
out into the lake. There, two picturesque red lighthouses, built
in 1839, are connected by a lighted catwalk.
Back in Grand Rapids, it would take a month to explore all the
downtown nightspots on or near the Skywalk, the covered above-the-street
walkway running from the Convention Center to Van Andel Museum.
But you could give it a try while you stay in the historic Amway
Grand Plaza Hotel, originally the Pantlind, built in 1913.
Built
by the New York designers of Grand Central Station and the Biltmore
Hotel, the Pantlind, by 1925, was listed as one of the Ten Finest
Hotels in America. In the halcyon days of Grand Rapid's reign
as a furniture capital (thanks to the dense pine forests of the
area, which made the city ideally suited to the manufacture of
fine furniture) the building was the nation's major exhibition
center for the world's leading furniture manufacturers. The hotel
was united with Grand Plaza Place; lining the halls of the Plaza's
Third Level are 70 historic photographs of downtown Grand Rapid
street scenes from the mid-1800s on.
Accommodations in the 20-story glass tower (with a fantastic view
of the city) include high-speed internet. The Tower Club Rooms
feature complimentary continental breakfast and hors d'oeuvres
in the Tower Club Lounge. Choices, choices: You can dine in the
Award-winning 1913 Room, in Cygnus atop the glass tower, in Benthams's
Riverfront Restaurant, GP Sports or the Cornucopia Deli, or settle
in cozily with 24-hour room service.
For a wedding or a honeymoon, or a wonderful romantic weekend,
The Plaza Romance Package includes, with either a Junior Suite
or a Tower Luxury Suite, valet parking, chilled sparkling wine,
chocolate dipped strawberries, and a credit toward a late night
snack or breakfast. And to top it all off, you also receive a
Deluxe logo canvas bag.
For more information on the Amway Grand Plaza, see www.amwaygrand.com
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