Trip to Ann Arbor

Call it a warm up trip before leaving for Spain, but I wanted to visit my good friend in Ann Arbor.

And thus began my tour of south eastern Michigan last weekend.

My road trip had me leaving on Friday for the multi-hour drive through southern Michigan. Driving conditions were above average and the other drivers were some of the least annoying I have encountered for similar trips. After multiple hours of driving, I rested briefly in the small town of Coloma, Michigan. Pretty much your quintessential small American town: one Main Street through the town, mostly local shops, one or two large churches, and quaint surrounding homes. I walked down Main Street and eventually ended at a gas station with a sign on the door proclaiming 'anyone wearing a hooded sweatshirt must remove hood before entering.' This is the kind of thing you can enforce in such a small town.

Downtown Coloma

I was pleasantly surprised about my ability to navigate downtown Ann Arbor from my last visit several years ago! Finding my bearings, I proceeded to my friend's house with the intent on filling my empty stomach from the long car trip! One of Ann Arbor's legendary culinary traditions is Zingermans Deli, which I proposed for a late lunch with my friend. Problem was, even as a resident of Ann Arbor, he had never been there! Luckily, we both found our way there and enjoyed a wonderful lunch (Ruben sandwich and tea for me!). A definite recommend for anyone visiting.

Get the #2 Ruben

The evening was enjoyable hanging out with friends of my friend paying videogames, watching 'Ted', and a late dinner at BWWs. My only complaint was when my friend ordered pizza, proclaiming it as 'deepdish.' As an expert in deepdish pizza, I was thoroughly upset when the pizza arrived NOT deepdish. You cannot find good deepdish pizza in Ann Arbor!

NOT DEEPDISH!!!!

I had the rest of Saturday to myself on account of my friend needing to pack for a return to school. Most of my time was spent walking around downtown, visiting coffee shops, and enjoying a late lunch at a very cool diner. My favorite coffee/tea store was TeaHaus, located downtown. Not only was the decor rather quaint but the tea selection was very impressive. When I asked someone behind the counter about ordering tea, he said he would "Get me a book" and produced a whole binder full of tea selections. A quick count placed their selection over 900 varities! He recommended the Earl Grey #68, which made me wonder if there were 67 other Eral Grey teas preceding it! Quite frankly, some of the best tea I have had ever!

Binders full of tea...

Tea in hand, I finished my tour of downtown and spent an hour at the Michigan art museum until it closed. Continuing south, I visited some of the Michigan athletic facilities, including Yost hockey arena. For a college hockey arena, the facility is rather impressive. My idea was to somehow force my way in even if no event was going on. To my surprise  I noticed others with hockey gear trying to enter several doors without success. We joined in our open door search until we noticed people exiting one door. The arena was partly filled with people, obviously hosting an event. Looking as important as possible, I dodged the ticketers and entered the arena. After a few minutes of admiration, I was informed by a patron that a youth hockey competition was being held with teams from the U.S. and Canada. Satisfied, I finished my walk with a look at the Big House football stadium and made my way downtown for dinner.

Yost Arena

 Though my living arrangements were set for the evening, I had contacted one other local I knew about some evening accommodation. Though I was happy to inform him my plans were set, he suggested attending a free concert that evening at a metal shop! To my surprise, the concert was actually being held at a metal shop. With a few dozen chairs, the small metal shop was filled with standing room only to around 70 patrons. The lead act was a French singer-songwriter-piano player who alternated songs in English  and French (which I do not speak... at all). The act finished with an oncor of one of my favorite songs 'Stand By Me.' I really did love the underground feel of the concert and the people were very friendly.

Concert in a metal shop

Sunday was my day to return home. Overall, Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities. History, tradition, youth, and a multitude of hipster coffee shops.