A Continuing, Bi-Weekly Journal
of People and Places
Along Bay County, Michigan's Rail Trail System

August 2, 2007

by Dave Goss

Let me introduce myself: My name is Dave. My wife Betty and I have been married for 39 years. We are avid bikers, or, I should say bicyclists. We are baby-boomers. We are both retired and are enjoying the best times of our lives. We are not wealthy people by any standard, in our country, but very wealthy when compared to other countries. We have learned to live quite comfortably here, enjoying nature, and the simple pleasures that life provides at no cost. We also spend our money here. And there are many tempting opportunities to do just that; in a wide variety of the things that make our lives easier and more enjoyable.

I love Bay City. I grew up here. All of the important influences in my life began here. I really don't think that there is a better place for me, my wife, or my descendants to live. Our Rail Trail System is a stroke of genius. Taking a no-longer-usable, narrow strip of land, and turning it into a nature and recreation trail took a great amount of effort and foresight. Just look at what we have here: an abundance of wildlife, a birder's paradise, deer can be seen daily along the trail. This is a place where a person can mount a bicycle, or put on a pair of roller blades, or just walk, moving through the city and countryside at leisure while getting a cardiovascular workout. A major percentage of the people in the entire world, live in worse conditions than we can even imagine. Here in the Bay City area, we are accustomed to living in a community that is relatively low in crime. Our local problems tend to be minor in comparison to other communities. We do have improvements to make. But, in my opinion, we have one of the very best places to live out our lives. Life is good here!

We'd like you to come along on a tour of our favorite Rail Trail, in and around Bay City, Michigan. Through this newsletter, in the next few months, you will meet some of the people, and see some of the sights along our trail, as we shamelessly promote our area. This newsletter will be updated every two weeks.

The Trail

Betty, and I, take a daily trip on our bicycles during the warmer months. We either go north from our home on State Street Road, out State Park Drive, to the Anderson Trail, then out through the State Recreation Area, or south, down Patterson to Marquette and Veterans Memorial Park, making a loop through Bay City.

This is my old Schwinn Super Le Tour. I bought it in 1979. That summer, a friend and I biked through the upper peninsula, and distance of 650 miles. Since then, I have gone over 30,000 miles on the old bike. There have been many improvements made in bicycles since then. But, I just can't give up on my Le Tour. It's like a dear, old friend.

Betty prefers the more up-to-date Mongoose, with the wide comfortable seat, and modern speed controls. She always carries a pack with water, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug repellent, and a cell phone: for emergency use only. I carry the camera.

The best time to go out on the trail for us, is either early morning, or around dusk. This is when you are more likely to see wildlife. In the past several years, traffic on the trail has increased significantly. It is a grand sight to see so many healthy people enjoying this great community asset.

When taking the northern route from our home, Betty and I will bike to the end of State Street Road, where we enter the Rail Trail near the place where the old railroad bridge once crossed the Kawkawlin River. My brother and I frequently fished from the old bridge before it was removed and houses were built on the old site. The trail takes you down Smith Street, to State Park Drive, where the trail crosses the road and continues over the bridge on the Kawkawlin River.  

Morning calm, on the Kawkawlin River.

We pass the Castaway Restaurant, Mort's Northern Bar, and Bay Cafe' on the left. The Anderson Trail starts just beyond Bay Cafe' and takes you through a heavily wooded area lined with myriad assortments of wildflowers. You emerge after a mile or so, on Beaver road, on the former site of Tony's Park. On the left is Mussell Beach, a family restaurant. The place began as a hot dog stand in the 30's. It then became Gib's Drive In. Ralph and Loha Mussell bought the place in 1980, and changed the name to Mussell Beach.

We stopped in for a Buffalo Burger and chatted with Jackie Larner. Jackie and her husband Ed bought the place a few years back and kept the name of Mussell Beach. They work with four of their children: Mathew, Mark, Liz, and Katie. Jackie invented the stuffed cheeseburger, which is one of their signature items on the menu. It is good to see the place is still in operation. It brought back fond memories from my childhood, when me and my siblings came there many years ago to enjoy the warm summer evening with an ice cream cone: a very special treat for us. I happen to like their Buffalo Burgers and their home fries, and of course, the ice cream, both soft, and hand-dipped. Jackie was warm and friendly, and even offered a chocolate soft-serve, with a smile.

Jackie Larner, one of the owners of Mussell Beach, our favorite ice cream stop.

Once entering the State Recreation Area, we continue to follow the trail, crossing Kilarney Beach Road. Here we have the option of going out to the end of Kilarney Beach, or going through the Tobico Trail: a three and a half mile dirt path through the scenic forest. On the Tobico trail, we keep a close watch this time of year to see when the blueberries are ripe. The blackberries are usually in season in August. The observation towers give a panoramic view of the marsh and its varied waterfowl. Our three children know this place well. We started bringing them here in the 70's. They have all developed a keen appreciation for the things that grow and flourish in the wild.

A home along the Saginaw Bay in morning silhouette.

A female Northern Cardinal eats green berries from a mulberry tree.

I leave you with a favorite quote:

"Nothing in nature is isolated. Nothing is without reference to something else. Nothing achieves meaning apart from that which neighbors it."
                                                                          - Goethe (1749 -1832)

In our next letter, we head south, into Bay City, seeing it's people, it's parks and life along the Saginaw River.

Dave Goss is a local artist, author, and poet. Dave will be contributing information about 'Life Along the Trail' on a bi-weekly basis. Stop by often and read about our area's local resources. To learn more about Dave Goss, you may visit his website or view his listing in our business directory.