Farmington Hills, MI Outdoor Activities

The Earehart clan, boasting fourth- and fifth-generation equestrians and members of the United Professionals Horseman's Association in its ranks, shares their immeasurable equine knowledge with visitors during Liberty Stables' horse-riding and driving lessons. Liberty Stables' 40-acre facility––which includes an observation lobby, tack and feed rooms, and indoor wash racks––has served as a fruitful breeding ground for world and national horse-riding champions over the last 20 years. The seasoned equestrians also house four-legged companions available for sale, specializing in such breeds as american saddlebred, shetland, and ponies painted to look like zebras.

After buying their first canoe in 1942, Chester and Stella Heavner were hooked. So were their friends. After constantly loaning out their red-canvas Old Town canoe, the pair invested in two more and started charging a nominal rental fee. In 1953, they made it official with a patch of lakefront property, eight canoes, and a trailer.

Today, Heavner Canoe & Kayak Rental is run by Chester and Stella’s eldest son, Alan. He and his staff manage an inventory of more than 200 canoes and kayaks, which they rent at three lakes along the Huron River. In addition to hourly rentals, they teach beginning kayak lessons led by instructors certified by the American Canoe Association and the American Red Cross. The sessions cover water safety, stroke techniques, and how to play dead when being attacked by a bigger kayak.

Throughout the year, the 91-acre Charles L. Bowers School Farm educates students of all ages about science, agriculture, and livestock. But as the season's change, so does the farm's lineup of family-friendly outdoor activities, welcoming guests of all ages for autumnal activities including corn mazes, pumpkin picking, and wagon rides. Like the 1958 Plymouth Fury, the farm's corn mazes come in both haunted and unhaunted varieties, challenging explorers of all ages with 2.5 miles of twisting, turning paths. Should they find their way out, guests can reacclimate to life on the outside by striking up conversation with the resident rabbits, sheep, and llamas. From there, they explore the pumpkin patch for a perfect pie or jack-o'-lantern candidate or ride one of the farm's ponies, which turn into pumpkins at midnight.

The experienced instructors at Haverhill Farms forge respectful bonds between humans and horses while cultivating basic riding skills. Situated on 35 acres of windswept meadows and serene forests, Haverhill Farms welcomes riders of all skill levels for year-round use of its facilities. Two large outdoor and two indoor rings set the stage for professional instruction, which ranges from beginning horsemanship lessons to advanced jumping and dressage. The indoor rings feature heated observation rooms, giving onlookers a great vantage point from which to observe teachers demonstrating how to control the steed's stride and speed. Students also learn proper horse care, as well as how to use tongue clicks to signal sightings of undercover donkeys in search of work.

At Sea the World Scuba Center, divers emerge with the tools needed to explore underwater alcoves ranging from shipwrecks to quarries to ocean reefs. The business's clientele matches the diversity of these diving locations, with athletes, retirees, and aspiring marine biologists all walking through its doors, brought there by their love for scuba diving.

To foster this passion, Sea the World Scuba Center employs a team of certified instructors who follow the PADI curriculum to turn novices into expert scuba divers. In addition to open-water certification, they teach more specialized courses on the skills needed to rescue dive or turn professional and start a career cleaning the fish tanks of wealthy giants.

At their shop, Sea the World Scuba Center's staff also sell the gear required to traverse underwater landscapes. Described by manager James Mott as "the most heavily stocked scuba center out there," the shop brims with items from brands such as Oceanic and Aqua Lung.

Since 1950, the neon lights outside the Waterford Rolladium have beckoned skaters to the brightly colored rink. Inside, DJs spin top-40 hits and oldies from a towering DJ booth as guests circle the boards beneath a shimmering disco ball. The snack bar refuels patrons, and a game room gives respite from figure eights or shooting the moon by attempting to throw a skate at it. To hone eight-wheeled maneuvers, professional instructors lead lessons and classes, teaching beginners as well as those interested in competing in figure or speed skating.