GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's a big day at Frederik Meijer Gardens—they welcomed their 14 millionth visitor around noon on Monday!
Barbara Earl, of Cutlerville, was visiting the gardens with her son and daughter. Barbara got to speak with Meijer Gardens CEO and President David Hooker and was presented with a gift basket full of goodies, including tickets to the gardens' summer concert series.
For Barbara, visiting the gardens is a way to connect with nature.
“To me, nature is so important," she said. "And in my view, God is the creator and to see the things that he's created as just absolutely awesome."
“I love flowers, they’re beautiful,” Barbara said, “and the grounds. When it’s warm, the grounds are awesome.”
Barbara said she hasn't visited Meijer Gardens since the Japanese garden was installed about eight years ago.
“I just really appreciate everything and I was reading a lot of the donors on the way and that's incredible that they had the foresight to do something like this,” she said.
Meijer Gardens first opened to the public in 1995 and welcomes guests from around the world. The park most recently completed its $115 million expansion project called "Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love."
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