Autumn has arrived in Northeast Michigan, bringing crisp air, changing leaves and an opportunity to experience the Alpena Bi-Path before another Northern Michigan winter arrives. The pathway offers more than a place to walk or ride a bicycle. Along its route, residents and visitors can encounter public art, military memorials, natural scenery and reminders of the relationships and experiences that shape Alpena.
The seasonal setting is part of the attraction. The fall landscape provides a changing backdrop for the pathway’s sculptures and memorials, while the Thunder Bay River, the Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding trees and forests offer places to pause and observe the sights, sounds and smells of autumn.
A pathway with Bicentennial roots
The Bi-Path traces its original vision to 1976, when the Alpena Sculptured Walkway/Bikeway was connected to the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. That connection gave the pathway its name, “Bi-Path.” Nearly 50 years later, the idea continues through the integration of public art into Alpena’s natural spaces.
The pathway’s history also connects with the Sestercentennial, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The changing season offers an opportunity to consider how the community’s public spaces preserve several layers of history: the Bicentennial-era vision behind the route, military service remembered at nearby memorials, the history of the American Revolution and the more recent experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Art along the river and wildlife sanctuary
One of the Bi-Path’s distinctive features is the chance to encounter art while enjoying the outdoors. Sculptures near the Wildlife Sanctuary at Washington Avenue and Sytek parks are positioned among familiar community spaces, while nearby monuments and memorials invite visitors to see those places from different perspectives as the seasons change.
At Washington Avenue Park, High Wheel Bicycle is a hand-forged steel-and-copper sculpture by Jacob Moss Idema. Set against a limestone pillar overlooking the Thunder Bay River and Wildlife Sanctuary, the historic bicycle recalls the early days of bicycling and the original Sculptured Walkway/Bikeway vision.
The work also represents the importance of recreation and tourism to Alpena and Northeast Michigan. Its meaning extends beyond the object itself: recreation can contribute to community development, health, prosperity and quality of life. For someone visiting the park, the sculpture can also serve as a reminder to stop, look around and appreciate the place where they live.
Nearby, Idema’s The River Intertwined offers a quieter and more contemplative experience. Its flowing hand-forged steel form is intended to reflect the Thunder Bay River and the trees and forests along its banks. The river’s role as a community lifeline provides part of the sculpture’s broader context; rivers have supported transportation, industry, recreation and human development.
The sculpture also carries a memorial meaning. Constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was dedicated to people who lost their lives during the pandemic. Its setting beside the river creates a place to remember those who died and reflect on the uncertainty, hardship and unpredictability of recent years. Like the river, life can include calm stretches, unexpected turns and difficult passages.
Memorials along the Bi-Path
From just beyond Washington Avenue Park, visitors can reach several monuments and memorials near the Bi-Path. At Evergreen Cemetery, the War of 1812-Civil War-Spanish-American War Memorial honors veterans of those three conflicts. Also at the cemetery, the Alpena County Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument honors Alpena County soldiers and sailors who served during the Civil War.
The Bicentennial Veterans Memorial, also known as Little Flanders Field, provides another direct link to the Bi-Path’s origins. Established in 1976, the site includes 167 crosses representing service members from the Civil War through more recent conflicts. It also includes memorials related to prisoners of war, missing-in-action service members and Agent Orange.
The memorial’s Bicentennial date connects it to the same national anniversary that helped inspire the Sculptured Walkway/Bikeway. Together, the cemetery sites add military history and remembrance to the pathway’s combination of recreation, art and natural scenery.
Fishing with Papa celebrates connection
At Sytek Park, Fishing with Papa, created by Ann Gildner of Gildner Studio, presents another view of recreation and relationships. The sculpture was inspired by the life of Randy Donakowski and celebrates the spirit of a fisherman, an inspiration and a person connected to his community.
Its subject suggests that fishing is more than an outdoor activity. It can create opportunities for conversation, companionship and memories shared across generations. In a busy world, the simple act of spending time together becomes part of what the sculpture honors.
Along with High Wheel Bicycle and The River Intertwined, the work demonstrates how public art can turn a recreational pathway into a place for discovery, connection and reflection. The sculptures give visitors reasons to slow down and consider both the landscape and the stories associated with it.
Fall as a time to reflect on history
The source material also places the fall season in the context of the American Revolution. After the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, Americans moved from declaring independence to defending and fighting for it. By August, British forces had launched a major campaign to regain control of New York.
Fighting continued through September and October as Washington’s Continental Army faced overwhelming British forces and was forced to retreat from New York. At the same time, American forces were attempting to carry the Revolution northward into Canada. Those months were part of eight long years of fighting, demonstrating that independence required years of sacrifice, uncertainty, perseverance and commitment rather than a single declaration.
The difficult winter at Valley Forge in 1777 and 1778 later became one of the enduring symbols of that struggle. In the same way, the Bi-Path’s memorials and sculptures connect large historical themes to places that Alpena residents can visit in their own community.
What visitors can do before winter
The weeks before winter provide an opportunity to walk the Bi-Path, ride a bicycle and visit High Wheel Bicycle, The River Intertwined and Fishing with Papa. Visitors can watch the leaves change, listen to the river, explore the surrounding sanctuary and take time to consider the stories represented by the sculptures and memorials.
The Alpena Bi-Path brings together physical recreation, public art, local and national history, nature and community memory. Its Bicentennial-era vision remains visible nearly five decades later, offering a place to recreate, reflect and rediscover the connections among the landscape, the past and the people of Alpena.
