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Lavender's already known for its calming aromatherapy qualities – and if you walk a meditative labyrinth made of these purple shrubs, you might just find your bliss. Such an opportunity can be found at the Cherry Point Farm & Market in Shelby, Michigan. There, you can adopt the practice of medieval labyrinth walkers who found quietude and circumspection in the mindfulness.
Unlike with a maze, there are no ‘gotcha’ moments or dead-ends, and if you encounter someone returning on the same path, you must find a harmonious way to elbow them out of your way. Just kidding! The practice holds much in common with yoga, where you pay attention to movement and breath.
The walk, if unspooled, is about two miles in length and takes roughly an hour at labyrinth pace. If you want to just cut to the chase, there's a direct path to the herb garden at the center.
For another aroma-based activity, join in a local tradition that derives from the Great Lakes Scandinavian immigrants coming over a century ago: the fish boil. In a large kettle on an open fire, whitefish, potatoes, onions and seasonings cook until the moment of the ‘boil over,’ when kerosene is thrown on the fire and gigantic flames erupt. The purpose is to get the fish oil up and out of the kettle so the meal is healthier. Dessert afterward is... what else? Cherry pie. Reservations are required.
Don’t jump in the car just yet, though. Cherry Point Farm isn’t open until the last three weekends of April and then daily in early May through October.