Ann Arbor recs

[beerlover]

We're heading to Traverse City mid-July for vacation.  We plan to stop in Ann Arbor for a night or two on our way down, since it'll break up the drive. I know absolutely nothing about the area. I'm starting to research, but I always get good recommendations here, so if anyone has suggestions on hotels or neighborhoods I should be looking at to stay in, restaurants, things to do with an almost 8 year old, I would love that! Thanks!

[diva0045]

Zingerman’s Deli is always a popular spot to eat. It gets busy but you can order online and pick it up. There is a Natural History Museum and Children’s Museum in town.

The Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village is a 45 minute drive. That’s a fun way to spend a day!

[fryjack2]

The Hands On museum would be fun for an 8 year old. Tour the Big House?

Lots of good stuff around campus in terms of not crazy expensive food.

If you go to the HF Museum/Greenfield Village, get middle eastern food. Dearborn has a large Arab population and the food is amazing.

[fivechickens]

The hands on museum is great.

I have been through parts of this. Not sure if an 8 year old appreciate it but it’s something to do. mbgna.umich.edu/nichols-arboretum

Natural history museum- we are going I will let you mnow if is worth it. It’s free so probably will be.

lsa.umich.edu/ummnh

[DotAndBuzz]

ygpm

[sparty04]

I wouldn't hesitate to stay anywhere in Ann Arbor. It's a big city though and really only the downtown area is walkable. Pizza House is really delicious (a bit expensive though). The natural history museum is interesting but it's not that big and probably will only take a few hours to go through if you do everything. Same with the arboretum (I've only been there in the spring for a preschool field trip so maybe it's more interesting during the summer).

Argo Falls is supposed to be fun but a few of my kids are too young so we haven't done it yet.

HF/GF village is good if you guys are into that stuff. We have a membership but it's not my favorite place to visit. My kids like the food there.

You could also head down to Detroit, it's only about a 30 min drive.

[fivechickens]

The natural history museum was great. I highly recommend. It’s free but they have a planetarium where the shows are $8, I believe.

[pumpkincat]

Jul 6, 2024 9:41:15 GMT -5 beerlover said:

We're heading to Traverse City mid-July for vacation.  We plan to stop in Ann Arbor for a night or two on our way down, since it'll break up the drive. I know absolutely nothing about the area. I'm starting to research, but I always get good recommendations here, so if anyone has suggestions on hotels or neighborhoods I should be looking at to stay in, restaurants, things to do with an almost 8 year old, I would love that! Thanks!

Depending on your dates, you may want to avoid downtown/campus. The art fair is July 15-20 and brings about 500,000 visitors into town. I worked the fair a few summers in college and it was a blast, but everything ia EXTREMELY crowded and tough to get around. Fun fact , most asked question at the Info tent was always "how to get to Zingermans?"

[beerlover]

Jul 6, 2024 19:15:39 GMT -5 pumpkincat said:

Jul 6, 2024 9:41:15 GMT -5 beerlover said:

We're heading to Traverse City mid-July for vacation.  We plan to stop in Ann Arbor for a night or two on our way down, since it'll break up the drive. I know absolutely nothing about the area. I'm starting to research, but I always get good recommendations here, so if anyone has suggestions on hotels or neighborhoods I should be looking at to stay in, restaurants, things to do with an almost 8 year old, I would love that! Thanks!

Depending on your dates, you may want to avoid downtown/campus. The art fair is July 15-20 and brings about 500,000 visitors into town. I worked the fair a few summers in college and it was a blast, but everything ia EXTREMELY crowded and tough to get around. Fun fact , most asked question at the Info tent was always "how to get to Zingermans?"

Thank you! So we’re going the 13-15th so maybe downtown isn’t the best since we’d be checking out Monday… do you have any suggestions on areas we should look for hotels in to avoid this!?

[hermione]

With an 8yo, I’d think about Detroit and the surrounding area over Ann Arbor:

The Riverfront
Outdoor Adventure Center
DIA
I think the Tigers are in town
Belle Isle
Greenfield Village/Henry Ford
We have an amazing Zoo
Campus Martius
Science Center
African American History Museum
Tree Runner Adventure Park

[sparty04]

If you're open to staying other places besides Ann Arbor, Brighton and Novi both have a decent amount of hotels, Brighton being closer to AA. Or maybe even Plymouth or Canton? Not sure where you're coming from but if you're doing stuff mostly outside of AA, these would work. They're not super exciting cities though unless you plan to do shopping.

[litebright]

So one of the coolest things I've done has to be going to Kensington Metropark, which is about 30 minutes from downtown Ann Arbor, and feeding the wild songbirds there. There's a short trail loop around a lake where you can do this.

People have been feeding the birds there for so long that multiple species will come and take seeds/suet nuggets/etc directly from your hands--woodpeckers, nuthatches, cardinals, etc. I follow a photographer on FB, Jocelyn Anderson, who does this almost daily, and records the birds. It is super cool to just be walking along, standing quietly with a handful of bird food held out (the nature center sells a mix) and watching the wild birds size you up and decide whether to land on your fingertips and pick out what they want to eat. www.michigan.org/article/trip-idea/hand-birds-kensington-metropark

Winter is the best season because they're hungrier, but I went with my mom and kids last September and it was enchanting.