Manchester is a small community located near Ann Arbor that is struggling to recreate itself as a…read morecity. Don't be confused, if you believe Ann Arbor is a progressive - advanced community, Manchester is the opposite. In an attempt to recreate the 50's they got all the bad and lost the progress of the following decades. The community has worked hard to portray itself as the perfect place to live but in reality it's just glitter and marketing. The reality behind that curtain is much darker. Once a viable community with 360 degree services, Manchester has not been able to retain those providers. The majority have moved to nearby communities leaving residents unable to gain easy access. Property values are slipping and are based on new construction. The majority of homes are older, built in 10 year stages so consistently loose value while new homes have inflated values. Manchester seems to be over funded by grant and government spending which is not a foundation for the future and cannot be guaranteed. With a history of neglect, poor spending and incomplete or cheaply completed projects Manchester resident's will most likely be faced with tax increases in the future to cover repair as the infrastructure slowly falls apart. All in all, Manchester is a very average place to live and if your experience and expectations are low or non existent you won't be disappointment.

Just to put this little place on the map; I dropped through here on a recent trip into southern…read moreMichigan. There are a lot of little places like this along U.S. 12. Little local hobby farms and food shops selling local products and Amish butter. What set this one apart was the U-Pick strawberry field. Now, I'm a big fan of sustainability and advanced horticulture. This little place had it in spades, from their little poultry pen to their biomass pellet furnace. But the real show-stopper was the hydroponic vertical strawberry field. Stacked six pots high and irrigated from the top, this place had it together. NIce modular planting towers and an incredible thing to see. I remember grubbing along the rows of densely crowded strawberries in a conventional field as a kid, dragging along my flat to be filled. This place was a far cry from that back-breaking experience, more like shopping than picking. The place had a great welcoming ambience, with one of the better prices on local apples I'd seen, an inviting little pumpkin stand (a young couple with three small boys were picking theirs out. Definitely an "awwww" moment) and a nice selection of local produce and Amish products like roll butter and bread. Things are a little pricey here, admittedly. It's a tourist kind of place and the prices are indicative of the quality of the produce offered. But sometimes, it's not about the bottom line or finding a simple "bargain." It's about making sure that those who produce excellence can earn a living doing so. Excellence is to be found in abundance here, and its more about acknowledging that effort than anything else.

Parshallville Grist Mill & Cider Mill is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall. The donuts…read moreand cider are delicious. The cider is naturally sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Like everything else in 2022, prices have increased but are on par with other cider mills I've visited this year. A dozen donuts are $10 and a gallon of cider is $10. The people who run the cider mill are friendly. I believe the owner came outside to say hello to us as we were leaving. The building is historic and there is a nice area around the side of the building to sit and eat and take photos.

Donuts are great, even when it's crowded the wait is never bad. Interior is clean and has a great…read moreselection of food stuff and little items. It is close to 23 and is a nice stop for the family. We like the running water and are ours at the waters edge on the benches there.

Adrian is home for me and I like living here, primarily for the fact that it is quiet and…read moreuncomplicated. But that means there is also not much to offer in the way of excitement for the visitor. Other than being a lodging town for the activities at nearby Michigan Speedway, we see very few visitors in town. But there are some subtle niceties about Adrian that would interest those hardcore explorers who like to peel back the layers to experience the variety of everyday life in the US. Adrian has little in the way of touristy attractions. The vintage downtown area is a starting point. A two-by-two block area is decently preserved and fun to stroll. In that downtown area you'll find the Croswell Opera House, Michigan's oldest theater. The historic interior is quite lovely and worth a look. For fans of small museums, the Lenawee Historical Museum is a nice stop to acclimate to the history of the area. After that, the festivals are of interest. Artalicious in the summer draws a good crowd from around the region. The four downtown blocks are closed to traffic while booths and artisans line the streets. First Fridays mimics this on a smaller scale but on a more frequent basis (first Friday of each month). Shops typically stay open later on these special days. There's also a Halloween celebration during which local businesses and organizations set up with tables on the downtown sidewalks to give out goodies to the kids. It's also worth mentioning the parks. The River Raisin runs through Trestle Park, which has a nice boardwalk that facilitates strolls through a wetland patch. Comstock Park is quite a sight around the Holidays with end-to-end Christmas Trees that are sponsored by different organizations, families or individuals. Heritage Park is also a nice spot and Riverside Park offers a public pool. In a town of 20,000 people, you'd expect there to be a few good restaurants...and there are. My favorite in town is Fiesta Ranchera which offers tasty Mexican and Tex-Mex fare. You can get some creative burgers and fries at Chomp Burger on the edge of downtown. For comfort food, Tip Top is the...wait for it...top choice. Brenda's is a great Tex-Mex "hole in the wall" downtown. And JRs deserves mention if you like steak. For a nightcap, try Mammoth downtown. For a touch of class, Chaloners cigar bar is a fun spot. While Adrian is not a scintillating place to visit, there are some hidden, low-key things to do that might make it fun to spend a day here. If you're so inclined, hopefully these suggestions are helpful.

There are some really wonderful metaphysical stores out there, but none even come close to…read moreSweetgrass. As you enter the store, you instantly feel the warm and loving energy surround you as you begin to take in all of the beautiful and unique products. You're likely to be greeted by the owner, manager, the in-store kitties or all of the above, who are all genuinely happy to see you. Browsing the books, jewelry, stones, clothing, photographs and paintings (and more!) is relaxing and inspiring. The quality of the many handmade products, many by local artists, is top notch. This makes Sweetgrass the perfect place to find a unique gift for a friend or yourself! The friendly atmosphere makes this store a nice place to just "be". I always feel better physically, mentally and spiritually after being in the space. It is very healing and peaceful. Plus, it's not just a store, there is always something fun going on...classes, concerts, psychic fairs. I highly recommend Sweetgrass for any of your "metaphysical" needs!

My daughters absolutely loved seeking out the fairy doors in Ann Arbor. I discovered a similar door…read moreat the Whitmore Lake post office. And at last count, there are three in the park next door to the post office. :-) Enjoy the magic!

This is my daughter's favorite pastime in Ann Arbor. She loves fairies, mythical creatures,…read morefantasy, and the entire magic of the experience. We love to seek out the tiny treasures around the streets and buildings. You can never be too old for fairies and fun. Over the years we have taken so many pictures of the kids next to the different doors. We were very inspired to purchase our own doors and fairy gardens. It really adds a bit of charm to this city and we are never tired of looking for that bit of joy hidden around the corners or tucked in the stores.

The naked mile hasn't been the same since about 1999…read more That was the biggest year ever, when hundreds of students ran naked down South University Street, across the Diag and into Regents Plaza, (some of them celebrated by wading through the fountain near the student union, or by giving the cube a spin), and tens of thousands turned out to watch them run. I was new to U of M in 1998, and I had no idea that there was any such event, so I was a little surprised to leave Angell Hall one evening and find naked students streaming across the diag and up the steps of the art museum. Among other things, I learned that evening that people without clothes really need to be carefully posed to look good. Running doesn't help, and I imagine stop motion photography is worse. The tradition of running naked on the last day of classes started in 1986 when a group of athletes did it on a whim. The event got bigger every year until University President Lee Bollinger, a very dour man, made a fuss about it, and the police started threatening to arrest naked people, something they still haven't done, as far as I know. The American Pie sequel is based on the real Naked Mile at U of M. Personally, I think a lot of presidential hopes will be dashed by the photos that were taken that night in 1999, but I never saw any harm in letting the students have their little romp. I'm sure there is still some surreptitious streaking going on around the end of the semester, even now.

Wow! I wasn't even born when this event first started happening. My roomate had an old videotape…read moreof it she always showed us. Crazzzzy!!! I wish *I* could have run in it ... haha

Hard to miss this 212 foot tall tower on the campus of the University of Michigan. They do offer…read moretours but not in the late afternoon when I was here. Instead, you can sit in the courtyard and listen to the carillon ringing. The Burton Tower was built in 1936 as a memorial for University President Marion Leroy Burton, who was president from 1920 to 1925. The carillon itself it the world's fourth-heaviest and has 53 bells weighing 43 tons. It has a concrete shell with a limestone facing. [Review 11121 overall, 894 of 2019.]

Overlooking State Street in downtown Ann Arbor,Michigan is the landmark Burton Memorial Clock Tower…read morelocated on the campus of The University of Michigan.It houses a grand carillon built in 1936 as a memorial for University President Marion Leroy Burton (presidency: 1920-1925). This beautiful carillon is the world's fourth-heaviest, containing 53 bells and weighing a total of 43 tons.It stands at 192 feet it is used for housing education offices. The high-rise tower was designed in an interesting mixture of art deco and art moderne architectural styles The design was greatly influenced by Eliel Saarinen. . . . . #universityofmichigan #burtonmemorialclocktower #burtonclocktower #seetheusa #photografxworldwide #waynesalvatti #michigan #annarbor #uofm #goblue #marionleroyburton #carrillons #belltowers #M #annarbormichigan #ilovemichigan #iloveuom #wolverines #bells #elielsaarinen #architecture #architecturalphotography #historicallandmarks #uofmcentralcampus

Four stars for its charming well kept grounds. It is a small tiny town. With one cool coffee shop…read more"Breakfast Club Cafe" that we enjoy tasty lattes. A McDonnald's, Subway, a a few other mom and pop shops.

Small town near my family's lake house. Not much going on, no activity at this time of day. Just a…read morefew people bringing in their dogs to get groomed across the street to Hollywood'd Pet groomers. Not much to write about but nice and peaceful town.