A Fall Weekend Itinerary in Eastern Michigan
I spent last weekend in Michigan in the Ann Arbor area for a singles retreat, and soaked up some fall with my cousin who lives in the area. Since my first visit to Ann Arbor in 2017, I've been back on multiple occasions and it never fails to be a pleasant destination.
Since I started vlogging I've become way less focused on taking photos, so I don't have a lot!
We started the weekend at Dexter's cider mill, which is situated on a lovely creek that empties into the Huron river. We had apple cider and donuts, which are made downstairs, and ate them by the water.
Dexter is an adorable town, as are many in the outlying areas around Ann Arbor. I don't know what it is about them but they are certainly cuter than Indiana's small country towns, and I prefer them!
Next, we headed into Ann Arbor and got coffees at Hyperion. I tried the pumpkin tahini latte from their fall menu and it was delicious; subtly pumpkin with a nutty flavor from the tahini.
We got delicious burgers from Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, and walked through the Nichol's arboretum afterward. The restoration of Michigan's natural habitat is really lovely to walk through.
That evening, I hung out at the student union building on the campus of the University of Michigan. There's free wifi, a Sweetwater's coffee shop, and a Panera there, and it's a great public space for hanging out or working. A group of students near me hosted a mini potluck for their group as I worked on my laptop. If you ever find yourself at a Sweetwater's location, try a Napoli brew. It's essentially a hazelnut mocha milkshake--delicious!
A couple other eating spots that I've tried and loved in Ann Arbor include Sava's for dinner fare, Mani's Osteria for delicious Italian food, and Frita Batido's, where they serve cuban sandwiches and massive burgers.
The next morning, I met up with Drew again, this time across the river at Lowertown cafe + bar, where we had delicious coffees on the patio. Drew brought freshly baked Kougin Amman from Agricole, (in Chelsea, more on that later), and we opted to walk after eating again, this time along the rapids that run alongside the river. We watched some friendly Mallards and a kayaker who was practicing flipping and recovering his playboat. We walked up to the dam and discussed kayaking, but it was too late in the season to rent kayaks except on weekends. Maybe another time!
We then drove back into downtown Ann Arbor and ordered sandwiches at Maize and Blue, a local deli. It was the day before a home game, and the campus was packed with students and visiting parents and families. After a long wait, we collected our sandwiches and walked a little deeper into the campus to eat. I ordered a chicken cutlet with bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes, and Drew got a roast beef and pastrami Ruben-style sandwich. We split them between us and both were delicious.
We walked to nearby Nickel's Arcade and rounded out our lunch with coffees from Comet. I ordered the cafe dulce, which was smooth and perfectly caramel-ly. With an hour or so to spare before I had to leave town, we drove to Barton Pond, which is the reservoir for Ann Arbor, and Drew explained the history behind the area surrounding the pond, a village that was planned and developed by the Edison Company a century ago.
After that we parted ways, and I headed to my retreat. As there was a period of free time the next afternoon, I showed some new friends I met there the Dexter cider mill, and also introduced them to Agricole in nearby Chelsea, the grocery story and coffee shop where Drew bought the fresh Kougin Amman from the day before. There I bought a maple vanilla latte and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The next day, we attempted to brunch at Stray Hen in Ann Arbor, but as the waits were an hour long, we walked back to the arboretum instead, and then got coffees from Lab Cafe. I was not such a fan of the drink I ordered, as I found it unpleasantly dark and strong, so sadly I cannot recommend it.
After parting ways with my friends from the retreat, I walked back north toward the farmer's market and stopped in Zingerman's Next Door Cafe in search of Bostok. They had just one left, so I also bought a cherry cream cheese danish, which did not disappoint.
I popped quickly into Thistle and Bess, a small but lovely gift shop that sells eclectic gifts and a wonderful assortment of fine jewelry. I bought a gold ring from the designer Alex Monroe here last year and was excited to see that they've since started carrying in-house designs, including this bow ring, which is really reasonably priced and now resides on my wishlist.
I swung by Cannelle on the way back to my car, curious if they also carried Bostok, and since they did not, I bought a chocolate pistachio croissant to round out my assortment. I then drove to Drew's house and shared them with him, and met his cats, Bagel and Bob.
All in all, it was a lovely weekend! Other recommendations for things to do around the campus and town are the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Blank Slate Creamery, and definitely the law library, which is open to the public during the week.
Many thanks to Drew for being my guide to the town many times and introducing me to all of these wonderful spots!
Xo, Lydia