It was a fine autumn day to visit the Holden Arboretum and its recently-opened Kalberer Emergent Tower and Murch Canopy Walk.

  
Likely the most popular of the two attractions in the Emergent Tower. The structure rises some 120 feet from the forest floor and is outfitted with excellent non-slip, grating stair treads and landings. As the tower rises it also narrows until, at its top, the tower flares out into a spacious observation platform. The view is splendid, offering expansive scenes of treetops and distant hillsides. Lake Erie, miles away to the north, is easily visible on the horizon. Folks of all ages made the climb and many photos were being made by the triumphant, proving they made it.

The Canopy walk is a series of cable-suspended walkways about 65 feet above the forest floor. The height allows visitors to stroll amongst the treetops, enjoying the perspective usually reserved for birds, squirrels, and tree surgeons. Although built from steel cables, mesh, and wood, the suspension structure swings only a bit though enough, perhaps, to be off-putting to the motion-squeamish. The floor of the walk is made of a non-slip grating that always felt solid underfoot.

Kids and adult males being how they are, however, we did see individual walkers shifting their strides to induce a swing in the walkways; even at that, She Who Must Be Obeyed was not disturbed as we have seen her on other suspension bridges!