Things To Do
Nichols Arboretum
If you're looking for nice hiking paths, Nichols Arboretum is a great spot. It's hard for us Ohio State alum to admit it, but the University of Michigan has some great spots and the Arb is one of them.
Huron River Kayaking and Tubing
Ann Arbor offers kayak and tube rentals to take down the Huron River. It's a favorite summer activity of our's
Avalon Cafe and Kitchen Ann Arbor
If you're looking for brunch, Avalon is always our go-to
Stray Hen Cafe Ann Arbor
Another amazing brunch option in Downtown Ann Arbor
Frita Batidos Ann Arbor
It's an Ann Arbor staple and is quite good. They specialize in Cuban inspired street food and have fritas (like a burger) and batidos (imagine a tropical milkshake). They also offer vegetarian options. Note: their standard for beef fritas is medium rare so you have to specify when ordering
Zingerman's Delicatessen
Zingermans is an Ann Arbor staple. It started as a deli and now has branched off into multiple businesses (bakery, deli, restaurants, coffee, creamery, cooking classes, you name it). All of them are amazing. We get our bread from the bakehouse and on special occasions treat ourselves to a sandwich from the Kerrytown deli or sweet potato fries from the Roadhouse restaurant. The deli is linked above but really any Zingermans establishment is worth visiting. Note: the sweet potato fries are the best, it's not like a normal French fry, it's like a hunk of double fried sweet potato and served with a spicy mayo sauce. They are amazing
Palio Ann Arbor
Great Italian food, a rooftop patio, what more could you ask for. Fun fact: The restaurant is named Palio after the horse race in Siena, Italy and is decorated with all of the flags of the Siena contrades (think districts or neighborhoods). We coincidentally were in Siena, Italy the days before the Palio race and got to attend the race trials and learn about the contrades. Michaela's favorite contrade is the Oca (goose flag) and Chase's is the Torre (elephant flag). Oca won the race last August and the next race is a few days before the wedding on July 2nd. We highly recommend watching last year's Palio race on Youtube.
Blank Slate Creamery
This recommendation is provided more from Michaela's perspective as the sweet tooth in the relationship. Great ice cream, great waffle cones, fancy flavors, dairy free options, it's overall wonderful.
Biercamp
We can't believe it took us 4 years of driving past this place to finally stop. Not a great pick for vegetarians, but they have great brats, sausages, and beer.
Bill's Beer Garden
Great outdoor beer garden for a casual hang out and good drinks. They also serve wine, cocktails, seltzers, and cider. And you can bring in your own food which is nice. Whenever we go to Bill's, we always bring a deck a cards and some friends.
The Last Word
Great speakeasy cocktail bar in Downtown Ann Arbor. Cool vibe and great drinks. A few years ago on a date night, we went here but it was after Michaela had consumed her weight in bread, cheese and wine at dinner so she unfortunately was falling asleep over cocktails. Chase doesn't let her live this down :)
Vinology Restaurant & Event Space
This is the place where Michaela consumed her weight in cheese, bread and wine (to be fair they gave us a lot of bread with our appetizer). They have good food and lots of wine options (as expected by the name).
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
If you are in the mood for an educational experience, we highly recommend the Ford museum. The Ford family brought the history of the innovation from around the globe to one museum outside of Detroit. Definitely budget at least 5 hours to visit the museum.