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

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.

Hamtramck ain't really the best neighborhood. Nonetheless, it's an opportunity for folks to learn…read moremore. They've got the Disneyland art installation that's def worth seeing. My GPS led me right in front of the house. Head out back. It stretches only across two backyards. You'll see lots of random things, like an old TV, the top half of a mannequin, paintings, an airplane, etc. Not sure what it all means. At the end of the day, we could invest more in neighborhoods like this.

Honestly thought this place was going to be interesting and fun but it was very small located in…read morethe heart of Hamtramck and very unique but could tell they had kind of let the place fall apart. But still a experience at least stop by and see for yourself. Does have a strong artistic vibe.

I know - you're probably thinking a "city girl" like me would shun the idea of finding my way…read morethrough acres of corn for amusement. "It's beneath her," you say. Pfffffft!! Corn mazes are MY THING. I grew up about 5 minutes from one in California, and I adore them. I moved out here and realized that the ridiculous amount of farms and open land lent itself to awesome corn mazes (though I can't lie - I wasn't prepared for how freakin' HUGE they are...). I had my first experience with the corn maze at Talladay Farms in October 2010, and love love LOVED it. We did the normal corn maze in at night, just before they closed. I went with a group of friends and my boyfriend (now fiance). He insisted we pay the $1 for the map - you pay $1 for the map in a sealed envelope. If you don't use it, you can bring it back and get your $1 back. We spent the first 45 minutes lost in the beginning 50 yards. Literally. It was laughably pathetic and awesome. We went back to the entrance, tore open the map, and made that maze our bitch like it was a prison movie. We still took another hour to finish it..... Fast forward to THIS year, and my sister and I are dying to partake in some Halloween/fall-related festivities. So off we go to Talladay, with some others in tow. We decided to do both the regular and haunted maze this time, and I'm SOOO glad we did! We used the map for the regular maze, and it still took us a little over an hour. The folks at Talladay know how to make a serious maze (or maybe, even with all the education between us in the group, we just can't read an effing map). We then ventured over to the haunted maze, and that's where things got interesting.... They blow a damned foghorn before your group goes in to warn the scarers that you're coming. That should be your first sign that you're in for a terrifying experience. We got the crap scared out of us. They follow you. They chase you. They make you scream and they taunt you. They don't touch you (thank god), but they sure get close to you! We were thinking they'd at least scare you in the right direction. OH NO. They just scare you. So not only is your "fight or flight" response in full effect, but your brain must then problem solve and find the way out! And the worst part? They yelled out to the other scarers over the corn - "WE'VE GOT SCAREDY CATS!!" - when they realized that we spooked easily. We had a hell of a time. I ABSOLUTELY recommend the haunted maze, at the very least, for those of you who enjoy a good scare. Need more convincing? One of the folks in our group - who, in the past, was prone to panic attacks, but hasn't had one in years - actually started to have a panic attack and had to be escorted out. It was impressive (and through that whole ordeal, ALL of the scarers were exceptionally sweet and helpful; one of them even took off his mask, walked him out of the maze, and made sure they were okay). The place is also really cheap - $6 for each maze, or $10 if you do both. I love this place something fierce.

There's a formula for a perfect autumn evening…read more 2x fresh donuts + 1 hot cider + 1 cute guy + 10 silly friends + 1 corn maze (Note: Hot cider and corn maze may be substituted with beer and bonfire.)

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

BURN IN HELL Or at…read moreleast while attached to a hearse. The man that designed this custom built bar and grill does just that at least once a year when he treks with the trailer to Hell, Michigan with his "open casket" grill. The grill, which was built over the course of 80 to 100 hours at The TechShop of Allen Park, is made out of a modified casket. The shell of the casket is mounted to a portable tow-behind trailer, so it draws onlookers when being transported behind a hearse, but with no visible tie-downs. (Video of the creator talking about the grill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0RXI8DHWgo) It contains a four-burner stainless steel grill that boasts 48,000 Btu of power. It boasts 496 square inches of cooking space, with electronic ignition and porcelain-coated, heavy-gauge wire cooking grates and a 20-pound propane tank. The other half of the casket includes a marine style waterproof radio and a 27-gallon cooler with built-in drainage features. Of course, the grill wouldn't be complete without tools that all have "Open Casket Bar and Grill" laser etched into their handles, and custom-made salt and pepper shakers. Why a hearse? Because the creator, Steven Frye, is also the founder of the Nightmare Cruisers Hearse Club for car enthusiasts. The club boasts more than 120 members, mostly from around Michigan, though some join from across the country. "We like to get together and do the cruises," Frey said. "When we do these cruises, we like to hang out with our friends, old friends and new friends. Anyone that has a hearse is welcome to join us, even if you are just a hearse enthusiast." Frey first bought his hearse to promote a product, "Dr. Frybrain's Pumpkin Embalmer," though most people thought it was just a name for his hearse, rather than an actual product. After a couple of years of explaining the product on the car, Frey grew tired of answering questions and instead just painted over the advertising. For a time, the club also held the record for most hearses assembled in a parade in 2011. Frey said the rule for any gathering of cars is that is has to be a parade; otherwise, the record would be held by the manufacturer. "We held the record for about 11 months," he said. "Then a group in the Netherlands broke the record. Almost all of them were 'in the business,' though. Only three of our hearses were owned by funeral homes.

This is awesome! I…read morehave seen this set up at the different car cruises around town, and I also saw it out at Hell Creek Ranch last year. The attention to detail is very professional. I've seen other casket grills, and none of them even compare. This one looks like it came direct from the factory. No other casket grill has a built in cooler, or on-board tunes! They normally only cook for club members, but you can generally get a casket-grilled hot dog for a donation to charity! Well done!

Something about indie art fairs makes me feel all warm and cozy and inspired. All the creative…read morepeople with cool ideas and quirky things to sell... I'm in luuurve. Examples: knit hats with built-in knit beards. Because, why not? Cakes that look like art pieces. Hand-silkscreened posters. Upcycled vintage jewelry. Homemade soap. Hand-tooled leather and wood tools. Original paintings and drawings, letter-pressed cards. All sorts of things that your own friends and neighbors have made, by hand. Awesome. It was a bit crowded in here - I loved the vibe of Corner Brewery but just wish there had been a bit more space. It was hard to spend a lot of time at any one booth because I felt like people were waiting to move through and see everything. Maybe they could spread the booths out a bit more, have some over by the bar next time? Even with the crowds and the mild jostling, I had a great time at the Fair and will definitely be back for the July event.

I like the Shadow Art Fair because it's Ypsi's thing, and because they have it twice a year, so as…read moreopposed to the Ann Arbor Art Fair, it's nice for holiday shopping since they have a winter one too. I like that it's a Corner Brewery, but they need to figure out their space situation. It's wayyyy crowded in there, like claustrophobia-inducing crowded, plus you can't see the art when it's a crowd 5 people deep. Suggestions: heat the substantial beer garden with space heaters and provide tents. Then move overflow people out there for beer drinking/socializing/eating and use all or most of the inside space for booths. That's my strategic planning insight. The art is cool, hand-made and means a lot to the people who make it. It's mostly not fine art, and some borders on ridiculous (like tinfoil hats....actually for sale...) but there's lots of creativity happening here. Also unlike the Ann Arbor art fair, if you find something here and want to buy it, you might actually be able to afford it! What a concept. Art + fun, interesting people + beer = funtimes. One big issue I have though: they're really leaving out a lot of people with their 21+ rule. Yes, I realize it's a brewery, and it's probably the law, but there are tons of college students (hello, this is a college town!) who would come to this who aren't 21 yet, or high school students for that matter, but Corner's rule is 21 or "with a parent." Get some wristbands or stamps or something for the under-21ers and let them come!

First time visit to an air show. My brother who visits these shows regularly in the UK came over…read moreespecially to visit The Thunder Over Michigan Air Show he came to see the MiG and the B29 Superfortress. Its amazing to see all of the various planes and the skill and dedication these pilots and flyers , my favorite was the F-22 Raptor a really awesome sight seeing what these planes can do.

I have been to the air show several times and to me it is one of my favorites. It seems to be well…read morerun and focussed on safety while giving visortors opportunities to get up close to the aricraft and the action. This show is really great if you enjoy seeing vintage warbirds in action without a lot of "filler" stuffed in just so they can call it a show. I was there in 2023 and with regard to the safety this airshow is extremely safe. The majority if not all of the acrobatic flying is done over the flight line not out and over residential areas. Once the planes leave the show box they are complying with all FAA flight safety regulations and offer no more danger to anyone than any other aircraft. Great show fellas please keep it going.

Hamtramck Banksy Authenticated…read more (Posted on April 1, 2014 by Hillary) A stencil on the corner of Sobieski and Commor in Hamtramck was painted by none other than British street artist Banksy. This work is based on an earlier piece, "Laugh Now", commissioned for a Brighton night club in 2002. The new message can only be a reference to the 555 Gallery and their intention to sell part of a wall taken from the Packard Plant in Detroit. We couldn't believe it either, but when we heard from a friend of a friend that Banksy had again visited Detroit to make a statement about "commercialism, capitalism and the mechanics of the art market", we sent a request to Pest Control, a service that issues certificates on behalf of the artist. Despite their promise of a "lengthy and challenging process", they were quick to reply in this case. "Graffiti art has a hard enough life as it is - with council workers wanting to remove it and kids wanting to draw moustaches on it, before you add hedge-fund managers wanting to chop it out and hang it over the fireplace." "For the sake of keeping all street art where it belongs I'd encourage people not to buy anything by anybody unless it was created for sale in the first place." This entry was posted in Hamtramck by Hillary. This proved to be an April Fool's joke, but we had tons of fun visiting and discussing Albert Kahn, the Packard Plant, Banksy, the Packard Banksy, the 555 Gallery, and this "Banksy".