Things to Do in Walker

Not only does the staff at Gamer Doc of Grand Rapids know how to unite the Triforce and rescue Princess Zelda, turn the tide of the Covenant invasion, or defend against a Zergling Rush as Protoss, they share the exultation of these triumphs with others. The gaming experts equip players with both retro Nintendo favorites and the latest games. They rent thousands of games, in addition to selling and buying new and used games. Technicians can also repair injured gaming consoles, including XBox 360s, Sony PlayStations, and Nintendo Wiis, in addition to cell phones and laptops suffering from cholera.

Adjacent to the store’s main room, a group gaming room sprawls out over 1,100 square feet, where combatants recline in black leather chairs during parties and tournaments. The room boasts nine networked gaming consoles and a 10-foot high-definition projector that reveals even Princess Peach gets zits on occasion.

Founded by local civic leaders in 1854, the Grand Rapids Public Museum continues to keep the city’s history alive in the minds of its current residents with a trove of exhibits that explore West Michigan’s natural and cultural past. Current exhibits and standing collections cast a spotlight on past and future centuries, giving voice to the stories that helped shape our modern world while speculating about when our politicians will be finally replaced with robots. If visitors to the three-story Van Andel Museum Center can pry their eyes away from the exhibitions inside, they will be treated to stunning views of the downtown skyline; similarly, the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium enthralls with its panoramic photographs and up-close looks at the night sky.

Just as history constantly replenishes itself, the Grand Rapids Public Museum never stops working to collect local treasures, educate members through camps and special programs, and develop projects for the future.

When describing his approach to designing a golf course, renowned course architect Donald Ross said "a golf course should be subtly deceptive, rather than unduly penalizing," a philosophy he put to work in 1908, when he crafted the 18-hole course at The Highlands Golf Club. Measuring 6,519 yards from the tips, the course offers a fair test for golfers across the handicap spectrum while still supplying enough challenges to attract legendary golfers such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Ben Hogan, who played the course when it was a fixture on the Senior PGA Tour. Strategically placed bunkers and fairway-hugging tree lines that cast shadows resembling golfers' fears loom throughout the course, but its most memorable challenge awaits at the 14th hole—a long par 5 that doglegs left and ends with a forced carry over a pond and onto the green.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole course designed by Donald Ross
• Length of 6,519 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.5 from back tees
• Slope rating of 133 from back tees
• Five tee options
• Scorecard

When Ed Dunneback founded his business in 1925, he didn’t have to rely on anything fancy to attract attention—just his milk cows and freshly harvested apples, strawberries, peaches, and pears. Today, third and fourth generations of Dunneback women carry on Ed's tradition at the same location. Despite the lack of dairy cows arguing about prohibition, not much has changed on the farm since the '20s; the property still produces the same fresh fruits it did some 80 years ago. Located inside a nearly century-old barn, the farm's bustling market slings seasonal produce, as does the bakery, where housemade donuts and pies bake to golden-brown fruition within ovens. Visitors can work up an appetite picking their own pumpkins or while navigating through an autumn corn maze, complete with trivia questions about pop culture, agriculture, and history.

As the sun dips below Coopersville Farm Museum and Event Center’s grain silo, local musicians gather in the high-ceilinged hall against the backdrop of patchwork quilts and antique farm tools. They sing gospel, country, and folk songs that have been passed down for generations. Events such as these are one facet of the museum’s mission to honor and uphold rural traditions. In addition to the monthly jam sessions, the 12,000-square-foot facility hosts quilting circles, line dancing, and other skill-swapping events. Curators spotlight the region’s agrarian past by recruiting antique-farming tools and folk art and freeing hopelessly lost scarecrows from corn mazes. In addition to shining a light on the region’s past, the museum strives to support current culture makers; The hall serves as a gallery space for local artists, and during the youth-led Kids’ Day local teens teach tykes creative skills.

Founded in 1989 as a roadside produce stand, the family-owned Schwallier’s Country Basket has since expanded into a full-grown farm market filled with autumnal attractions. Clues based around an annual theme are hidden within the corn maze, which guests of all ages navigate under the watchful eye of safety enforcers. Upon emerging from the labyrinth, visitors can pedal down the tricycle path, tour the grounds on a guided wagon ride, or greet a baby goat at the animal barn. A gated kids area also entices youngsters with attractions such as duck races and a straw mountain swarmed with prospectors trying to spin it into gold.

Elsewhere, raspberries, pumpkins, and more than 15 varieties of apples await picking in the farm's fields and patches. An onsite store also stocks various fall goodies, such as apple cider, indian corn, and homemade pies alongside crafts, toys, and fall-themed decorations.