Nature on Nepessing: Follow the clues to see local art in Lapeer

We rounded up some local art trails in the Mitten, including Lapeer’s Nature on Nepessing trail, which makes for a fun night out for the whole family. 

Michigan is home to many beautiful things—rich Indigenous history, sugar-sand beaches, sparkling waters, and vibrant towns—and it’s also host to a rich community of locally painted art. As it turns out, Michigan and murals just go together. 

There are a few ways to enjoy all of the beautiful murals Michigan has to offer. For instance, you can download the CANVS Street Art app to find locally-created street art and create your own mural trail, or you can follow pre-made art trails in the state. Here are a few examples of places to enjoy trails, art, and murals in Michigan:

• Alpena’s Mural Trail: The town of Alpena, MI, has 22 colorful and vibrant murals scattered from the marina to downtown. The city’s website also allows you to design and print your own mural trail based on the murals you want to see—just click each mural to add it to your personalized plan!
• Tecumseh Art Trail: Visitors to Tecumseh can stroll through the official Art Trail Tecumseh and stop to admire the historical mural painted by 2016 Tecumseh High School Art Class students.
• The Michigan Legacy Art Park:  This 31-acre wooded preserve location on Crystal Mountain Resort features 50-plus sculptures highlighting Michigan’s cultural and natural history. 
• Livingston County Inspiration Trail: The Inspirations Trail is a 90-mile, self-guided trail that takes visitors through art in Livingston County. Find murals stretching from the sides of buildings to storefront displays, all in the Heart of the Genesee River Valley.
• Detroit Murals: Detroit is home to over 1,000 hand-painted murals by local artists. You can learn more about them in the Detroit Mural Guide, which details the artists’ stories behind the murals.

Our favorite art trail in Michigan 

If you’re looking for a specific suggestion for a way to enjoy local art and enjoy a stroll at the same time, we also have to recommend “Nature on Nepessing,” a scavenger-hunt-inspired art trail that highlights paintings by local artist and children’s librarian Shelby Saelens. The art trail was done in conjunction with Marguerite de Angeli Branch Library in Lapeer, MI, so it’s family-friendly and encourages kids (and their adults) to solve clues to find the next animal on the trail. 

My family has done the art trail several times, and one of my favorite parts is that the nature art walk provides a great excuse to explore downtown together and enjoy a free activity that gets us outside and moving. Plus, the fact that the art trail just so happens to take you past some delicious downtown restaurants, charming shops, and sweet treats, is just icing on the top of a night out. 

Nature on Nepessing

Start your art trail at the Marguerite de Angeli Branch Library, where you (or the kids) can pick up the scavenger hunt clues map, then hit the pavement to head down the sidewalk in downtown Lapeer to locate where each painting is hiding. If you don’t feel like visiting the library or want to do the art trail after hours, you can also download the map online. 

Each clue leads to a delightful nature art scene painted by a local artist—some clues are harder to decipher than others, so this trail may be best done with a group!

Photo courtesy of Chaunie Brusie.

The art trail takes visitors through the historical Main Street of Lapeer and past delicious restaurants like Woodchips, famous for its wood-fired pizza and slow-smoked meats, and The Detroit Burger Bar. If your art trail needs to take a detour for dinner, we completely understand.

After an aperitif or two, continue the art trail walk by solving the next clue to visit the art located on the oldest operating courthouse in Michigan, constructed in 1845. Don’t forget to snap a picture on the courthouse steps!

Photo courtesy of Chaunie Brusie.

The Nature on Nepessing art trail continues by winding down the street and passing through the Ed LaClair Lapeer Rotary Pocket Park, where you can enjoy metal art and even more murals on the side of the downtown buildings. (This pocket part is also a great place to enjoy your own picnic lunch if you feel like skipping dining in.)

Photo courtesy of Chaunie Brusie.

After the pocket park, you’ll soon get to one of my favorite parts of the art trail—a stroll past Blend, a frozen yogurt shop that lets you build your own custom creations with toppings from fresh fruit and candy to your favorite cereals. In my opinion, no art trail is complete without a sweet treat. Appreciating all that art can make someone hungry, after all. 

Your next clue on the art trail takes you past Blend, where you can enjoy more local art and pick up your next read at the downtown free little library.

Photo courtesy of Chaunie Brusie.

In addition to delicious dining and deserts, the art trail will also take you past many charming shops downtown, like Cherry’s Market, which offers locally-made salsas (the cherry and peach are my favorites!), guacamole, grab-and-go meals, and Duck Creek Coffee, an in-house coffee cart with freshly-made espresso drinks and tea. 

Photo courtesy of Chaunie Brusie.

Let the murals of Michigan move you 

No matter where you decide to experience Michigan’s art—from streetside murals to painted nature scenes to discovering new, unseen street art—don’t forget to enjoy all Michigan has to offer. For instance, you could visit a new town, learn about an artist’s work, donate to a cause they’re working on, or try a new food as you stop to snap a picture of an inspiring mural or piece of art. Let the murals of Michigan move you and have fun along the way! 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.