All summer I have been training for the Susan G. Komen Michigan 3 Day Walk which just commenced yesterday! Walking a total of 60 miles throughout towns including Walled Lake, Novi, Northville, Plymouth, Livonia, and Dearborn, I had to spend much of my summer prepping for the the walk. Living out in Hamburg Township, I had a lot of great roads to train on for the shorter miles, but as I got into longer walks, I decided it would be best to have access to public restrooms. Therefore, in July I began using Brighton for my training walks. While walking, I spotted many things I have never noticed before. There are streets that I have drove down hundreds of times in the 15 years I have lived here, and yet, it was like I was seeing things for the first time. It showed me the importance and the joy of slowing down and taking sights in!
As Brighton is gearing up to celebrate its 150th Birthday this Sunday, I thought it would be neat to show you some of the things I found neat during my walks!
Learning About and Celebrating Brighton’s Past
To help celebrate the 150th Birthday, there are images of some of interesting people from back in the day, and each one includes information about the person! It has been so cool learning about them as I walked around around town. 
The Taste of Brighton
I was able to stroll down Main St. before the Taste of Brighton opened up, and I got to see all the hard work that went into making it such a wonderful event for our community! I also walked through the streets when the festival was in high gear. It motivated me to have a date night with my husband there later on that evening!
The Brighton Farmer’s Market
I sing in the worship band at Brighton First United Methodist, and I tracked down one of our band members (who is heading into his senior year at BHS) at the Farmer’s Market. It was such a treat to see his talents shared with the folks shopping from tent to tent! Great job Parker!
The Charles and Albert Parker Families Nature Preserve
On this particular day, I started and finished my walk in the Target parking lot. On my way back down Charles H Orndorf Dr., I noticed the sign below. I was so curious about it, as I had never noticed it before. The sign states that you need to authorization to enter, so I followed the rules and just peeked in. However, upon extra research on the web, I found out it is open to the public and owned by the Brighton Library! My husband and I took the trail on one of my last training walks, but I wasn’t able to go all the way through, as I didn’t want to get my shoes mucky in the marsh. Maybe next time!
Mill Pond Manor
In the past couple of years, Brighton First United Methodist has adopted the residents of Mill Pond Manor apartments. For the life of me, I never really knew where it was. I kept thinking about apartments right near the Imagination Station or somewhere in that main area and never could quite picture it. I am embarrassed to say, it took me walking down 2nd St. several times to make the connection that it was there! On the walks previous, I was always noticing how much property Corrigan Oil had and also how they have expanded into other areas of expertise outside of the propane world. When I finally went on the opposite side of the street, I noticed a cute gazebo, and only then did I notice the sign saying Mill Pond Manor Apartments. Glad I know where it is now!!
Brighton State Recreation Area’s Penosha Trail
My family and I took a hike at the Brighton State Rec Area’s Penosha Trail on 4th of July weekend. The Penosha Trail is around 5 or 6 miles, so it makes a great 2-3 hour hike! We were able to stop at Bishop Lake and check out the new Jump Island. Along the trail we enjoyed looking at the wildflowers, and my kids enjoyed finding a lean house!
Though my 3 Day training has come to an end, I still hope to keep up my explorations of Brighton. We have a wonderful community, and I look forward to finding other treasures along the way! Happy 150th Birthday Brighton! Thanks for being a big part of my #Mi3Day journey!
