(upbeat music) - [Tom] On this awesome episode of "UTR," we're back in the Great Lakes Bay Region for a formidable floating fortress, a wonderful walk in the woods, and some fantastic food fit for you.

Then we visit a super cool kid zoo, and take a trip beyond the stars.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Michigan's Great Lakes Bay Region the right place to be.

- [Narrator] Pure is what you make of it.

It's taking it all in, and never taking anything for granted.

The sun sets, the moon rises, and you realize the end of one perfect summer day is the beginning of another.

Pursue your pure in pure Michigan.

- [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard, info at StahlsAuto.com.

- [Narrator] Brought to you by Midland, Michigan, a Great Lakes Bay Region community.

Visit GoGreat.com for more info.

- [Tom] I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to, and the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Dalton, and this is "Under the Radar Michigan."

(upbeat music) You know, the Great Lakes Bay Region area has a big name because it's a big area with an even bigger list of great things for you to eat, see, and do, so why don't we do this?

Why don't we spend some time here, and you can decide whether it's worth a big high five or not.

Well, get out your hand and commence to slapping, because the Great Lakes Bay Region is full of award-winning walkable cities, amazing and diverse restaurants, striking natural beauty, awesome attractions, and more art, history, education, and architecture than you could shake a whole advanced civilization at.

Heck, when I take my family out for some fun and adventure, this is exactly where we go, so while we pack the car, why don't you take a look at exactly where this region rests?

The Great Lakes Bay Region is an action-packed part of our great state, and sits right at the base of Saginaw Bay on mighty Lake Huron.

Heck, the lifeline on your own little mitten runs right through it, bonus.

(whoosh) Well, right now, we're gonna start off our Great Lakes Bay adventure on a mighty ship that will amaze, enlighten, and educate you.

Oh, and at one time, it even protected you.

(bell clangs) I'm, of course, talking about the USS Edson, a 418 foot 4,000 ton Navy destroyer that's anchored right here at the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in beautiful Bay City.

It's a ship you simply have to see, and not just because of its historical significance, but because of its majestic majesty.

Wow, look at this thing.

How did this mighty defender of democracy come to be buoyant in Bay City?

Well, after getting permission to come aboard, Peter Gorzenski told me all about it.

Well, you don't realize the slope on these ships until you stand at the bow.

I mean, this is quite an incline.

Is that so it can cut through the big waves?

- It's called a hurricane bow, and it was made for big waves.

- Well, this is still a formidable fighting machine.

I mean, these guns, what are these 16?

How big are these guns?

- [Peter] No, these guns are five inch.

- [Tom] Five inch guns, and they'll shoot how many miles accurately?

- Nine to 13 miles accurately.

- That's amazing to me, 13 miles.

- And this gun will shoot 20 rounds a minute.

- Wow.

- So it's quite powerful, yeah.

- And a lot of people don't know this mighty ship is here in Bay City, and this is something I think everybody needs to see, because it's just like you said, it's history.

It's a place where you can come to say thanks to a lot of people who did so much and gave so much, plus it's just cool.

All my life, when I was a kid, and I'm being completely honest, I wanted to be in the Navy.

I wanted to grow up and join the Navy, and see the world.

I never did, 'cause I don't think I float well, but yeah, this is my first time on an actual destroyer like this, and it's thrilling.

- Most of the people, the former sailors that come back, they come to tears when they walk aboard, 'cause this was their home for so long, but then again, most of the sailors that come back, they have only seen a quarter of the ship.

When you're on the ship for four years, you see where you live, where you eat, and where you work.

You don't see the other areas.

So if you can imagine 270 people on the ship, and you're confined to a small area, but they loved it.

- So now when was this ship commissioned?

It's not a World War II ship.

- It was commissioned in 1958, and decommissioned in 1988.

- So it saw the Vietnam era.

- 10 tours during, in Vietnam.

It was one of the top guns during Vietnam, so it fired, we think, over 40,000 rounds during Vietnam.

- It just gives you reason to pause and think about the men and the women that, you know, that did what they did.

- It's all about the history and honoring the people that served on it.

- Yeah, this is basically a volunteer based effort to keep this ship alive and thriving, and just to keep this part of history alive, right?

- Yes, we have two people in the gift shop that are paid, and then the rest is all volunteers.

- Well, bless you guys for doing what you do.

- We do have like, the overnights on the ship also.

- Oh, that's right, you can experience the ship.

Didn't you say a whole bunch of Boy Scouts are coming tonight?

- They'll be coming tonight, a group of about 30, and they'll be staying aboard.

They'll get a tour of the ship, they'll eat on the mess decks, they'll go around the ship, and maybe watch a movie or do some other activities, some navy activities, and they sleep aboard and get up and have breakfast aboard.

- See, that would be thrilling for a kid, absolutely.

- It's great.

- Speaking of thrilling, do any of these guns still fire?

- [Peter] Any of these guns?

These big ones don't.

- [Tom] Right.

- [Peter] It'd be great if they did.

- Yeah, you've got a little one you can fire for me maybe later?

- Oh, we'll fire one for you.

- Just make sure I know when it happens.

(both laughing) Well, Peter came through on his promise and actually fired off one of the ship's small cannons.

(cannon firing) Wow, that was extremely cool and loud.

Trust me, if wow is a word you don't use very often, get ready to abuse the heck out of it when you come see the USS Edson.

If you're looking for an adventure that'll get you on the water, and at the same time, expand your understanding of world history, visit the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City.

But again, bring your wow counter, 'cause you're gonna need it, wow.

(whoosh) You know, they say that one of the healthiest things you can do for your mind, body, and soul is just take a walk in the woods.

Well, we found a great place in Midland you can do just that.

Since way back in 1966, the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland has been the place where this community comes to connect with our wondrous outdoors.

It's here where over 1,500 acres of forest, rivers, and wetlands are waiting for you to explore.

It's also where you can go to learn more about not only the local history, but the natural world as well.

Now, to make sure I travel the right trail, and learn as much as I can about this amazing place, I sat down with Jenn Kirts.

I don't usually start conversations this way, but I'm blown away.

I mean, I thought we were just coming out here for a little walk in the woods, which is wonderful, I do it all the time, but you walk in this nature center, and it's a amazing, and it was designed by Alden B. Dow.

Yeah, this place is so much more than a walk in the woods.

I mean, and you know that, you've been here 20 years.

- Yes, yeah, the building is the beginning of the experience, it is.

Our whole goal is to connect people to the natural world, and that starts with people coming into a place that is clean and comfortable and welcoming, and really sparks the imagination, and gets people excited to go beyond the walls and see what's out on the trails.

- But you have day camps, you have children's programs here.

Tell me about that.

- Yes.

Yeah, so we run a day camp in the summertime.

It's called Nature Day Camp.

It's the very first program that was offered here at the Nature Center, and so we welcome 150 children each week of the summer for different programs.

So they're in small groups of 10, and they're exploring the natural world.

So there's kids here at the Nature Center in organized groups all the time, and then we have over 200 free programs a year for adults and families to come attend on their leisure time.

- Now, you also have a homestead village here, even?

- We have a homestead farm, which includes a log cabin, a timber frame barn, a wagon barn, a root cellar, a log school house, and during the summer, we have animals that stay at the farm as well, so it's a great opportunity to see what rural Midland County looked like around the 1870s, the kind of tools that were used, the kind of furniture that was in the cabin.

That program is available on Sunday afternoons.

The buildings are all open in the summertime, so June, July, and August Sunday afternoons, it's open for people to explore, but people can stop down there anytime and visit the animals and check the buildings out.

It's a fantastic place to learn and explore, have a picnic with your family.

It's just a great place to hang out.

- And it's free, free, free, free, my favorite four letter F word.

- Yes.

- It is, it's free.

- Yeah.

- And now, getting back to the walk in the woods part, and you have how many, how many trails here, how many?

- We have 19 miles of trails.

So we have a paved four-tenths of a mile trail right here near the visitor center that goes over a pond and out to the river through the woods, which is great for people who have a stroller or limited mobility, and then we have a three and a half mile bike trail that goes to downtown Midland that is also paved that you can take, and then we have other trails all over the property.

So whether you wanna check out ponds, or you wanna walk along the river, or you wanna go through the woods or the meadow, all of those are options here, and they're all well marked, there's a map available.

When you're on a trail, there's signs that tell you what trail you're on and how to get back to the visitor center, so we want it to be very comfortable for people to explore here.

- This place is so multidimensional, so well thought out, so beautiful.

If you're into nature bathing, this place is, it's a spa.

(Jenn laughing) I mean, it really is, the facility, this is like, the ultimate place to nature bathe, it really is.

- Yeah.

- You don't need soap or nothing.

- Right.

(laughing) - Boy, what a natural blast this place is, and there's so much to see and do here that you may never want to go indoors again, and you won't find a more beautiful place to wander, wonder, or ponder our natural place here on the planet.

Now, even though you should always visit and support your own local nature center, expand your natural horizons by visiting others like the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, because who knows what you'll find?

Me, well, I found my car keys on the trail about a half mile back, guess I dropped 'em, oh boy.

(whoosh) And right now, you're gonna see how Mid Michigan's amazing produce inspired a young couple to move back home to produce a farm to fork restaurant that real eaters are running to.

And when I say real eaters, I mean dedicated, discerning diners who wanna know what's in their food and where it comes from.

Yep, hyper-local may sound like a corny culinary catchphrase, but when it comes to a healthy and sustainable region, it's a recipe for success.

Evan Sumrell and Lisa Kuznicki are a cool young couple who put heart, soul, and community into everything they offer, and if you've been here and talked to either one of them, you know that it's about a lot more than just what's on your plate.

Your philosophy on food, what you're trying to do here, it's so much more than just putting food on a plate.

- It's becoming more important to people what they put in their body.

I think it's, for me at least, is you are what you eat.

You know, I think it's really important to know where your food's coming from.

I'm not saying that I'm the best at it, 'cause don't get me wrong, I love me Waffle House, and I love me a Big Mac every now and then.

- You know, that's food that you do occasionally.

- Exactly, exactly, but the everyday thing is definitely, it's super important that we, you know, I'm very adamant about knowing where our food comes from that we put inside of our body.

So here, it was really important for me that, you know, I got really lucky from where I worked in Chicago, and I worked a lot of the produce and things that we were getting were coming from Michigan, and being in the Midwest, and hands down, a lot of the places I've worked with, Michigan has the best produce in the world, hands down.

- Well, you're hyper-local, and the fact that you're seasonal, to me, I think that's important.

I heard a chef once say that, you know, when asparagus is outta season, miss it for a while.

- Absolutely.

- [Tom] I mean, and that's what seasonal is all about.

You don't have to have all the food in the world at your fingertips all the time.

- Absolutely, well, I mean, it's the same thing.

It's like, you shouldn't have tomatoes on your menu in the middle of wintertime.

You know, it's very important for us to understand that that's why we should eat seasonally, locally, because it is a sustainable practice.

It's very important for us to do that.

We don't need to have these things all the time.

We're here to have fun, we're here to, you know, I'm here to educate not only my staff, but also myself, and to educate our guests in what we're doing, and I know this is very different, and the plan is to focus on the food, provide these really great experience for our guests at the best of our ability, and then also supporting these local farmers and the community.

I want to support the community as a whole, and that's one thing that we, our whole mission statement was always, our restaurant was based off sustainability, community, and seasonality, that's it.

In this small town that we have, we have some of the best produce that I've ever had the chance of dealing with, and I think it's really important for a smaller town like this, and I understand that like, this is very chef driven.

I always say just give us a try.

And if there's something on the menu that you may not like, guess what?

You're gonna enjoy the burger, I can tell you that much.

You know, and that's why I put it on the menu, you know?

I understand, but I feel like you come in here, you try the burger, you try some new things, you have some things that you're a little bit more comfortable with, and then you start spanning out, and you see how much we change the menu quite often.

I mean, it happens all the time.

- I've got a marketing plan for you.

All you gotta do is call everybody and spend 15 minutes on the phone.

How much time could that take?

(chuckles) - Oh, only like, you know.

- And just, I mean, I was so excited to come here just because of your passion.

- Absolutely, and that's my biggest thing I tell everyone.

All I want is just for people to come in and try us, because we just care, we just care a lot.

I just cook food, I'm nobody special, I just really care about what I do for a living, and I wanna showcase that to everyone who comes in.

- Well, after an energetic and enlightening conversation, Chef, Lisa, and even their awesome son Stanley put some of their culinary creations right where my mouth is.

And I'll be completely honest, these guys really know what their tabling and talking about.

There really is a difference between the chefs who just cook and the ones who create positive, palate-pleasing pathways from the farm to your fork.

If you're looking for a passionate chef who will expand your culinary consciousness, and at the same time, give you a great meal, pull up a chair at Aster in Midland.

And since Midland is halfway to everywhere, you'll probably be hungry when you get here anyway, advantage.

(whoosh) You ever take your kids to the zoo, and by the fourth or fifth animal, they're tired, cranky, and hungry, and you're ready to go home?

Well guess what?

You're taking them to the wrong zoo, because the Saginaw Children's Zoo is the zoo your kids need to do.

It's the perfect place to enlighten them to creatures from far and wide, all without overtaxing their short little legs, and oftentimes, their even shorter attention spans.

Yep, this is the perfect sized little zoo.

But don't let it size fool you.

This pint size preserve is packed full of fascinating flora and fauna that will both educate and entertain your youngsters.

How do I know all this?

Well, I've been here before, but you know who knows even more?

It's awesome Ashley Brooks.

You know, I call this the Goldilocks zoo, 'cause it's not too big, it's not too small, it's just right.

- [Ashley] Yeah.

- It's like, the perfect place to take your family, especially when you got little legs with you.

- Absolutely.

- And it's just, and plus the depth and the breadth of what you have here is mind-blowing.

What's the name of the alligator behind us, by the way?

- [Ashley] This is Nero, she's our American alligator.

She's one of my favorites, actually.

- I think I'm scaring her.

(Ashley laughing) Anyway, from vertebrates to birds, I mean, you've got, well, take us on a quick little walk around the zoo.

- Okay, we've got our alligator, we've got wolves.

We have a whole forest area that has a lot of really cool Michigan native species like birds of prey.

We have a nice barnyard area that has goats and sheep for people to interact with.

We have our Outback area, which has our kangaroos, our emu, our big aviary with lots of different birds.

We do have a really nice variety of animals, and of course, the penguins, everybody loves them.

- [Tom] Yeah, and I think the most popular animal here today is kids, because- - [Ashley] Oh, yeah.

- It's just amazing how many children love it, and to hear that much laughter, and I always say a zoo is such a wonderful place to take a child, because that's where you get future zoologists, naturalists, environmentalists.

- Absolutely.

- They come from kids who went to a zoo when they were little, they saw an animal, and it touched them, you know?

- [Ashley] Absolutely, I mean, that's why we're here.

- [Tom] I have to say, my favorite exhibit are the prairie dogs.

- [Ashley] Oh, everybody loves the prairie dogs.

- Oh my gosh, because- - [Ashley] you can watch 'em all day.

- [Tom] Well, because at this zoo, you can get so up close and personal with the animals.

- [Ashley] You can.

- [Tom] A lot of zoos, there's a big wall, and the animals, you know, 100 yards away.

But those little prairie dogs are, they run right into the glass.

It's like they're saying hello.

- Yeah, they do, and that's also important too that, you know, to have that connection to make with the animals, and like, really remember that from your childhood.

Like, I remember going to the zoo, and seeing these animals up close, and thinking that, and carrying it through the rest of your life.

So we are very lucky to have a lot of animals that love to see people too.

- Do you have any big cats?

- We don't have any big cats at this time, but we do have our otters, which are a huge draw.

People love watching them, 'cause they're super, super playful.

Kind of like our prairie dogs, they come right up to the glass, and they really love interacting with the guests.

The Forgotten Forest is a really cool place.

I really love it because it's a lot of Michigan native species, so we have deer, we have hawks, owl, we have our bald eagles, a turkey vulture, and a lot of those birds of prey are actually rescued injured wildlife, so you'll notice that the bald eagles don't have a roof over them, and that is because they were injured in the wild, are unable to fly, so they were rehabilitated and they were brought to the zoo to live out, you know, the rest of their lives in comfort, and be really great ambassador animals for their species.

So teaching people about bald eagles and other birds of prey and the threats that they face, you know, right in our own backyard is very cool.

And then we also have our Mexican gray wolves over there, which are in an endangered species, not native to Michigan, but they are an endangered species that we are part of a species survival program for them, so we're helping with the reintroduction plan to get those guys back in the wild.

- This is an amazing place, and if you're ever looking to rescue a lower primate, I have weekends free.

(Ashley laughing) I'm serious.

What a great day we had at the zoo, and all the animals seemed to be so thrilled we were there.

If you're looking for a wonderful way for you and the kids to spend the day, I highly recommend the Saginaw Children's Zoo.

They've got an awesome array of animals who are just waiting to meet and greet you.

Hi there, little feller.

(whoosh) Would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar?

Oh, and would you like to know where we are?

Well, follow me, 'cause you're about to careen across the cosmos.

Well, aside from being on planet Earth in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy, we're at the amazing Delta College Planetarium in Bay City.

And if you're looking for it, don't worry, it's easy to find, because it's a big orange fez smack dab in the middle of downtown.

Trust me, you can't miss it, but that's a good thing, because this giant orange planetary portal can take you to places in the known universe that were, until recently, unknown, and that's far.

Now, before we cross the time-space continuum, whatever the heck that is, it's probably a good idea to check in with awesome astronomer and planetary manager Mike Murry.

Mike, I can't tell you how I've been looking forward to coming here.

I mean, it's been a long time, shame on me, since I've been at a planetarium, but planetariums nowadays are so different, aren't they?

- They have completely evolved into these three dimensional immersive theaters, because the technology now lets them become a 3D universe, and so you can actually experience the universe the way it really is.

- Yes, so this planetarium was actually funded by NASA?

- The construction was all completely funded by a NASA grant that Michigan US representative Bob Traxler helped to secure back in 1993, along with our then college president Don Carlyon, and so it was completely built, and now it is operated by Delta College.

- Yeah, I mean, talk about multidimensional, and you know, it's incredible what you can do now.

And I have to ask really quick, who designed the outside of the planetarium?

'Cause it's amazing, I mean, you can't miss it, and doesn't it signify something?

- [Mike] Absolutely, all of the elements of the planetarium architecturally are meant to be space themed, so the cone is meant to emulate a rocket nozzle, and the orange and red colors are the color of hydrogen in the atmosphere of the sun, and all the round planets, and so round windows and so on.

- Wow, yeah, I love it, 'cause you can't miss it, and it's right downtown, I mean, what is it?

It must be so neat to have a world-class planetarium right downtown in Bay City.

- It's absolutely amazing that we have a planetarium of this caliber to serve this community.

I know major metropolitan areas around the country that don't have planetary facilities like this.

- Well, plus, with today's technology and what we know, the new known universe, what you're seeing is, well, first of all, what you're seeing is billions of years old, but it's just amazing what all you can experience now.

- And I love being able to take people there.

You know, we used to have to stay fixed on the Earth, and now we can take them there and see close up, in high detail, in full color, what are these objects actually like?

Travel to the distant galaxies or even to our own solar system.

- That's what I love about people like you and Neil deGrasse Tyson is your passion for this.

And everybody told me wait till you meet Mike.

He's got such great energy and passion for what you do, and how could you not?

I mean, it's the universe.

- Well, and it's so exciting, because there's always new discoveries coming in which can reshape and reform our image of the universe and how we fit into it, and so I just find it fascinating.

There's always something new that's coming along, especially like the James Webb Space Telescope, some of the incredible things that we're able to see for the very first time.

- Well, let's go on a five year mission.

- To explore.

- Right.

- To go where everyone has gone before.

- Right.

(both chuckling) Let's do it.

- As Dr. Demento said.

- [Tom] The day we were at the planetarium, they were featuring the ominous and foreboding black holes that haunt the universe, and it was an amazing multi-sensory experience the likes of which I've never seen before.

To be honest, I didn't realize just how fun, fascinating, and informative a modern day state-of-the-art planetarium can be.

If you get a chance, check out some of the awesome upcoming shows at the Delta College Planetarium in downtown Bay City.

I guarantee that your mind will be blown to the outer reaches of the universe.

(voice echoing) Also, if you get a chance, explore Michigan's entire Great Lakes Bay Region, because it's one of the best places in the galaxy to live, work, play, stay, eat, and meet some of the nicest creatures on planet Earth.

- [Narrator] Pure is what you make of it.

It's taking all in, and never taking anything for granted.

The sun sets, the moon rises, and you realize the end of one perfect summer day is the beginning of another.

Pursue your pure in pure Michigan.

- [Narrator] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard, info at StahlsAuto.com.

- [Narrator] Brought to you by Midland, Michigan, a Great Lakes Bay Region community.

Visit GoGreat.com for more info.

(upbeat music) (bright music)