Our Trip Part II: Ann Arbor, MI

Hi Guys!

From Newell we drove to Ann Arbor, Michigan to stay with Cliff's college roommate Matt. We had to listen to about 40 minutes total of barking.  Rudy's longest spell went for 20 minutes and each spell decreased almost in half.  Progress.  We were shocked at how quickly the behavior was changing.  When we got into town we dropped him off at a local kennel (I cried when we left but he was super excited to go explore the facility) as where we wee staying did allow pets.  We arrived at Matt's just in time for dinner, to get a tour of the beautiful and oh-so-amazing Telluride House, walk around the arboretum, and go out on the town to get some frozen yogurt.  It was so nice to see Matt.  

Us by the Michigan Football Stadium

Matt had a slew of things to do the next day (he is a Ph.D. candidate after all) so Cliff and I toured the area like nobody's business.  First we drove to Dexter, MI to a cider mill and got homemade cider donuts and a half gallon of cider.  Next we went to a fancy antique store that billed itself as a unique salvage store.  It was amazing but everything in there was way out of our price range.  We strolled around a cute park that went along side the Huron River, walked to a working local pottery, approached Michigan stadium (we never found a way in because it was sooo huge),  and got a flight of beer samples from the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery.  Quick note on the brewery.  I wanted to go in because it had the word pumpkin in its name and that made me really happy.  The place actually had really interesting beers.  They are all open fermented so they are a bit sour.  We got to sample seven of their beers and two from other local Michigan breweries ( a chocolate stout and a seasonal pumpkin IPA).  We also got an order of rosemary and truffle french fries.  We were very happy campers.  We will totally go again when we go back to Ann Arbor.  After our snack we met Matt for coffee at Comet Coffee which was a very cool coffee shop.   The whole place smelled amazing and they had a bunch of fancy coffee making equipment.  It was like a dream for any Lyddane.

Coffee Gadgets

Hot Chocolate Art

We also went to the University's free natural history museum.  There were so many taxidermy animals of all the Michigan wildlife.  Now Cliff and I can identify and name the three types of squirrels.  After the museum we walked home and then went out a bit with Matt and finally had a chance to catch up. At this point, I have already decided that Ann Arbor is an amazing town.

The Menu

The next morning we got up at 6am so that we could go to Selma's Cafe.  It is a cafe that is only open from 6am-10am on Fridays and it is in the kitchen/living room of a house.  Local chefs come to create culinary masterpieces each week.  It is donation only and all of the proceeds go towards local organic farming.  Currently they are raising money for crop covers so that they can extend their growing season. When you enter, you write your name on a piece of tape so that everyone feels acquainted. I got the waffles with blueberries and baked apples.  The waffles were amazing.  So light and fluffy (and made with whole wheat flour!).   Matt and Cliff got the Chyenne Batter Bread with a poached egg and seasonal greens served with Brunswick rabbit stew.   It is without a doubt one of my top five dining experiences ever.  So fantastic.  I honestly cannot say enough about the whole experience.  Everyone was very friendly, welcoming.  The food was so good and the atmosphere was really pleasant.  I can now say that I have sat in a strangers kitchen at 6:15am and ate a five star meal with friends.  Nice work Ann Arbor.

The View From Our Table

My Amazing Waffles

Cliff's Breakfast

After breakfast, Matt went to Akron, OH for a school trip so Cliff and I once again had a chance to take in the city; we also decided to nap and do our laundry.  We toured the dentistry museum and we got to learn about all of the sad side effects of early x-ray machines.  We also visited the University's archeology museum (beautiful and really well done in my opinion), did a bit of people watching on campus, sampled treats at Cherry Republic, and gawked at all of the huge greek life houses that line the streets near campus.  It was rush week so we got a real taste of Michigan greek life.  When Matt got home we went out for a drink at a local sports bar (the Orioles were playing the Detroit Tigers...and winning) then came home and went to bed as we were all beat.  At this point, I have totally decided that Ann Arbor is cool town and that I would really like to visit again.

The next morning Matt took us to another fun breakfast spot, the Northside Grill.  They are so smart and they put a little coffee pot out front to help appease the crowds as they wait for a table.  The food was totally filling and a perfect way to start our day of driving up to the Upper Peninsula. 

Also, Scarlett red is the most popular Fiesta color sold (thanks Pam for guessing!).  Another quick trivia question....are wolverines (Michigan's mascot) native to Michigan?