Our location in Westland, is a tremendous asset to Holliday Park members because we are so close to the metro areas major highways, the airport , down town events, and many vital and thriving communities which offer unique shopping opportunities . There is so much to do, for all ages, and one particularly popular destination is Edward Hines Park.

Edward Hines, the man for whom this park is named, along with Henry Ford, and others, was a member of the Wayne County Roads Commission when it was formed in 1906. History records that he was one of the first to plan the construction of durable cement roads, developed an efficient system of roadways, and began the practice of continuing beautification for all roads.

Mr. Hines was an avid bicyclist, and had a vision for turning the Rouge and Huron River Valley into a parkland-like recreational area where people could enjoy every kind of outdoor activity, as well as nature.

Today, the aptly named Hines Parks 19^th Century beauty continues, as it winds for 17 miles of wooded acres and rolling hills along the tributaries of the Rouge River, from Dearborn Heights through Westland and on to the lovely little towns of Plymouth, Northville and Northville Township. The Park encompasses an area of about 20 miles or 2,225 acres of natural scenic beauty.

Along with the numerous bike trails, there are baseball diamonds, picnic areas, hiking trails, designated fishing docks, play-scapes for kids, cross country skiing, ice skating ponds, sledding and tobogganing at Cass Benton Park, tennis courts, nature trails, and wide open spaces to fly kites, play soccer or just do nothing but enjoy the fresh air, and greenery. At the holiday season, a light show adorns the greenery of the park, and is put in place for residents to drive through a wonderland of visual splendor, thanks to many dedicated volunteers.

There are historic Mills to visit along the parkway. Some of these Mills were used by Henry Ford to build car parts in the early manufacturing days of Detroit’s history. Nankin Mills, built in 1842, still stands, today, and retains it’s original hard wood, tong-in-grove flooring and wooden beams with pegs from “back in the day” when it was changed from a grist mill into a car parts maker. The Mill is now open for tourism and offers information about those early days, and the culture of our community.

Westland also has 18 parks, a concrete skating park, Mike Mondano Ice Arena, 2 large golf courses, a water park, soccer fields, 4 walley ball courts and the 30,000 square foot Bailey Recreation Center. At the Bailey Center you can sign up to take trips to many destinations, or learn karate, gymnastics, or take water aerobics or swimming lessons, just to list a few activities.

The William P. Holliday Forest and Wildlife Preserve, surrounds us here at the co-op. This 500 acre preserve is lush with every type of vegetation you can imagine. It has hiking trails and picnic areas which are maintained by many volunteers, and it is very accessible for all ages.

When you consider Holliday Park Town Houses Cooperative as your new home, it’s important to note that all of these varied activities are close to the co-op. The nature center is within walking distance and the other amenities are just a few miles away.

Every age group can find free or low cost activities, practically in our backyard. If you add to this list, classes at the two community colleges and the Continuing Education Centers in Livonia and Westland, you get an abundance of class offerings on subjects for every individual’s interest, hobby, or need.

This is truly a fulfilling lifestyle at a cost-effective price for your Holliday Park membership AND your amenities!

Simply put, when you decide on a neighborhood to live in, you are choosing a place which is “more than a house with a door, walls and window panes” as Rolfe Humphries wrote in his poem Coming Home; you are choosing a location in which to thrive!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 1st, 2010 at 6:02 pm and is filed under Holliday Park. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.