For Three Days, Wilbo Retreated to Park Lake, the shoreline enclave of Bath, Michigan.

In all, I stayed three nights in April's Lake-View Budget room. I looked it up again during the Furman - Michigan State Game weekend, and of course, the room had booked. I began to feel deeply connected to the Village of Bath. After shopping at the farmer's market in the memorial park, I brought my local foods back to their resort on the lake and savored each one. The apple pie had been prepared by April's neighbor on Park Lake, Gluten Free Rox. In addition to Sacred Roots Landscaping and Rox, I wonder how many families in that enclave have started socially conscious businesses, inspired by the lake. It's more than the lake at work, it's the "earthy crunchy" community centered at Michigan State University at work here too. Sad that MSU still promotes purely industrial agriculture and pushes turfgrass management over teaching permaculture. It's a mistake Western Michigan has moved beyond, by the way.

Last, I had blundered and left the home with a key. It took a little bit of coaching, by text, from April by email before I began turning out my pockets. After my egad moments, it was very simple and shameless to return the key to its place of use.

I wrote the following about an earlier night.

Air B&B Review

April's home on Park Lake reminds more of a spiritual retreat than a hotel. Her yard offered a vegetable garden, a Grove, sloping expanses of grass, a connection to Park Lake and a view of water lilys in bloom and patches of arrowroot raising high their purple flowers. If one wanted, two kayaks awaited to take guests onto the wildest urban lake in my experience, water fresh and clean, a rarity for a lake with cottages. Think about the rental for two kayaks for a day and the price of April's room plummets to nothing.

Inside, the home impressed me with its hippy aesthetic, and the presence of aromatherapy in every room, bathroom and bedroom included. April's preparation towards an advanced degree in Alternative Medicine allowed her to make every room salubrious. For example, my bed drew me into all night sleep, a miracle created by a pillow top with crisp, clean sheets. I have visited Edgar Cayce's hospital and foundation in Virginia Beach, and I am fairly sure Cayce would have noticed all the healing touches intended by April.

Definately, the house makes a perfect retreat and hideaway near Lansing.

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