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Exploring Kalamazoo

While exploring Kalamazoo, you can be green too! There are many great ways to support sustainability from how you get around the area to shopping and dining.

Both the Kal-Haven Trail and the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail make up almost 60 miles of the Great Lake-to-  Lake Trails Route #1 in the Western Region, both of which run directly through Kalamazoo. The trail is ultimately then connected by a signed-route throughout downtown Kalamazoo. Need a bike to get around? PEDAL has you covered with rental bikes from their downtown location including town and mountain bikes for a daily or weekly fee.

For the ultimate excursion, you can start in a garden and end at the beach. Stay overnight at Kalamazoo’s Stuart Avenue Inn and rise early for breakfast in their garden. Then take your bike for a ride along the Kal-Haven Trail and finish in South Haven for a well-deserved swim in Lake Michigan!

While you’re back downtown, plan to make stops to check out some of Kalamazoo’s sustainable shops like Bee Joyful Shop, Michigan’s first Zero Waste Shop which features plastic free alternatives and eco friendly products, and thrift store finds at Rescued Treasures where your purchases will in turn support the work of the Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries.

And don’t forget to bring a reusable thermos (or buy one downtown) so you can refill your coffee at local shops like Factory Coffee Kalamazoo, Rose Gold Coffee Company, Walnut & Park, Something’s Brewing, Water Street Coffee, and more!

If you’re more of a beer or spirits connoisseur, Kalamazoo is home to many breweries and distilleries that practice sustainability in their brewing methods and serving in their tasting rooms. At Bell’s Eccentric Café and Brewery, their Bio-Energy building processes more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater daily converting pollutants into renewable energy for use at the brewery, among many other efforts. Green Door Distilling Company partnered with Damn Handsome Grooming Co., a local men’s skincare brand, to join distilleries around the country and temporarily shift their focus to produce emergency supplies of hand sanitizer to the local community.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the Kalamazoo Farmer’s Market is your connection for fresh, local produce and wares from artisans so you can support small business and green, sustainable farming. Remember to bring your own reusable bags too!

Visit the blog on DiscoverKalamazoo.com to check out more ways to make your trip to Kalamazoo the most sustainable!