Ann Arbor Getaway

We just got back from a 4 day trip to Ann Arbor, MI to visit some good friends and to check out the annual Art Fair. We stayed at our friends' house in a quiet neighborhood between Almendinger Park and the University of Michigan football stadium.

We spent most of Day 1 and Day 2 walking around the streets of downtown Ann Arbor looking at Art Fair art. Most of the art was photography, paintings, and sculptures from artists that came from all over the country. In addition to art, there were quite a few politically-oriented booths, most of which were left-leaning. Impeach Bush! signs were all over the place and many of them could also be found in people's yards. I didn't see a single conservative or Republican booth or sign. Maybe this explains why I've always liked Ann Arbor :)

After the Art Fair, we took our friends' dog for a walk along the Huron River at Nichols Arboretum commonly called The Arb. The Arb is one of the most scenic places in Ann Arbor and I make sure to go there at least once every time I'm in town.

On Day 3 we took a day trip to Lake Michigan and spent time at the beaches near Grand Haven. We also did some hiking in the Sand Dune parks adjacent to the beach and finished off with an ice cream treat at Whippy Dip. It was a fun day.

On Day 4 we ate at the famous deli Zingerman's and then cruised around town looking at real estate. Most of the houses were selling for between $250-300K. I, of course, couldn't help but think that the smart thing to do would be to sell our house in CA and move to a place like Ann Arbor where we could practically retire since the housing prices are so much cheaper.

When we got back to LA, we learned that the weather here was pretty awful while we were gone. Ironically, it had been hot and humid here, while the weather was almost perfect in Michigan.