Explore downtown Battle Creek before summer's end

While Battle Creek is a great place to be year round, there's something extra delightful about walking around downtown Battle Creek in the summer. The warmth makes you not speed walk when outside from place to place, there are more events happening, and everyone seems to have a smile on their face. You just seem to notice more.

There never seems to be a disruption in the summer, so before it officially closes its doors, it's best to get to downtown Battle Creek, walk around, and see what it has to offer —which is a wide variety.

Any great downtown needs a great restaurant, and one of the best you'll find in Battle Creek is Clara's on the River. It's located in the historic Michigan Central Railroad Depot and serves everything from Mexican cuisine to tasty steaks. It's a must-visit in the summer as its outdoor seating located on a patio immersed in trees, provides the perfect amount of shade. Plenty of musical acts also perform outside there during the summer for some added dining entertainment.

If looking for some post-dinner drinks, then walk on over to Arcadia Brewing Company. In a booming craft beer environment in Michigan, Arcadia remains a stand-out. Hold onto that summer feeling by indulging in a Whitsun Ale and soaking in that friendly Arcadia atmosphere.

While the dining choices downtown in the summer are great, the warm weather definitely pairs nicely for those looking to just walk around.

Within downtown is the Heritage Mile. This stretch runs through downtown from Monument Park, along Michigan Avenue, to the Historic Adventist Village. You can walk through downtown all the while having some historic monuments and buildings to check out and learn more about.

Linear Park also makes for a great spot for a stroll. Linear Park contains 22 miles of paved pathway that takes you downtown, across rivers, and through other parks. It stretches for a couple miles through downtown in Friendship Park by the Kalamazoo River.