Husband and I have made reservations at the Best Western Executive Plaza on Jackson Rd. in July. Has anyone stayed there and is it in an ok part of town for getting around etc.? On campus places are a little bit more than we budgeted for.(the end of a cross-country trip of 5 weeks). Also what must do's? We will have 2 and 1/2 days, 2 nights there.Retired but still not tired!! Thanks.

I live about 1/2 block from there.

I haven't stayed there, but it seems like an OK hotel. It's on the very western end of town, nowhere near downtown or campus. But, if you have a car it's only about 3 miles to town and parking is pretty affordable.

When in July will you be here? There is a huge art fair covering most of downtown in July - the 21st through the 24th. It's a definite must-do if you're in town.

June 11-July 4 is the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, with many concerts at the Power Center, and free festival called "Top of the Park" that has bands and movies at night outside. You can get more info as it is posted at http://www.mlive.com/aasf/

Ann Arbor has lots of night life - symphony, university musical events, several theater groups, jazz clubs, hundreds of restaurants.

What are your specific interests? I know that I and others here could help more if you have anything specific in mind.

OK, had a few more thoughts.

The University of Michigan has an Art Museum that has a nice permanent collection, and sometimes has very nice travelling exhibits. Definitely worth looking into. Also, there is a Natural History museum that is excellent, if you like that. There's an observatory with a telescope that is occasionally open to the public. And definitely do a walk around campus. The law quad is particularly beautiful, as is the central campus diag.

If you enjoy sports, try to get into the football stadium. It's very impressive! And there is often a gate open somewhere for people to walk in and take a peek.

You can rent canoes and canoe the Huron River, or just head to the Arboretum and walk through it and along the river.

Ann Arbor has a very nice downtown that is quite walkable - lots of unique galleries that are fun for browsing. And Kerrytown on the north end of downtown has some nice shops as well.

I'm sure there's plenty more that will come to me. But definitely post specific interests if you have them!

Thanks Jenifer.(my daughter's name is Jennifer). We will miss bothe the Art Fair and the Summer Festival I guess. Will be there on the 6th and 7th of July.But will definitly try the canoeing and the museums and the walking around the Quad and downtown.Hope the observatory is opened as well. Would love that.Any fun,different, casual places to eat and/or drink in the downtown area? Heard about Zingermans Deli.Might try for lunch. What about happy hour and dinner fare? Thanks again for all the ideas. Beth

Get away from the main campus to the North campus area. It's really pretty quiet except in the summer they usually have bell-ringing recitals at the bell tower on north campus.

Berthie: you mentioned Zingerman's Deli for lunch, but Zingerman's recently opened a sit-down restaurant called Zingerman's Roadhouse. I haven't been there yet, but I've heard it's great. A meal at either this restaurant or the deli is a MUST ? Zingerman's is an Ann Arbor institution.

The Prickly Pear Cafe in downtown Ann Arbor is another great choice for moderately priced food with a southwestern slant.

Zingerman's. It is an institution in Ann Arbor. They have their own creamery for ice cream, and their breads are phenomenal. I love the pepper parmesan in particular.

Is the Pretzel Bell still around? Many a time after a fall game was spent at the PB. (I'm a Spartan not a Wolverine but in that ancient time, when I was a student, MSU always won .

We also loved the old college atmosphere of the Heidelberg. try: theheidelberg.net
Also check out www.ecurrent.com for listings in Ann Arbor.

It's a lovely town. You'll enjoy it. LMF

North campus is a really nice place to go for a walk! The engineering school, music school and art school are there. The bell tower is not as beautiful as the central campus tower, but still makes fine music, and there's a nice reflecting pool on the east end of north campus. A walk around the music school is very woodsy and nice.

Zingerman's deli is great for lunch! I have not been to Zingerman's Roadhouse, though it is only about 1/4 mile from your hotel. My understanding is that it is overpriced (much like their sandwiches downtown). But, it just hasn't been around long enough to be an institution despite the name. Still, most people I know who have been there have enjoyed the food.

I like to go to Red Hawk downtown for casual food. It's on State Street just south of Liberty. There are lots of fun ethnic restaurants downtown, so you can choose whatever you like. Main Street is lined with restaurants and has a fun atmosphere, particularly if you can get a table outside.

I think Connor O'Neills and Leopold Brothers both do a decent business for happy hour, and Goodnight Gracie is a martini/cigar bar that is probably fun for a later night drink. La Dolce Vita on Main Street is fun for dessert, and Washtenaw Dairy, just outside of downtown, is definitely an institution for ice cream, though so is Stucchi's which has a couple of downtown locations.

If you like vegetarian food, Seva restaurant is supposed to be quite good, but I've never eaten there personally. A good institution for breakfast is Angelo's near the medical campus. Cafe Zola downtown is another good breakfast place.

You can really eat your way through Ann Arbor!

I agree with suggested activities/restuarants from the other posts, especially the Prickley Pear. My other suggestion for dinner is the Earle. It is a bit pricier than other restuarants mentioned, but they have good happy hour deals in their bar area. My favorite thing to do is to order a cheese plate and a glass or two of wine. Appetizers and wine are 20% off in the bar, and you can get a plate of steamed mussels for $2. I think the bar opens at 5pm but you can't get food until 6pm. Depending on how hungry you are, that might be enough for dinner, especially if you go to Stucchi's (another Ann Arbor-based business) for ice cream afterwards.

If you want sushi, I like Miki. For a more "college" atmosphere, Good Time Charlies has a big patio with all sorts of different drinks and cheese-filled bread sticks that are usually great (the rest of the menu is pub/bar food, usually decent).

Another restaurant that is more "college" is Pizza House. Don't let the name fool you, they have more than pizza. You can get a Chipati--a giant (warm) pita stuffed with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and cheese, and served with a special dressing. I think these are unique to Ann Arbor.

Have fun! Michigan in July is usually wonderful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Sounds like we picked a GREAT way to end our trip. May have to come back and spend a week there. beth