It’s been almost two years since my first post about how X and I spend our weekends in Michigan. To be quite honest, we’ve been spending the last two years having completely boring weekends – TV marathons, watching movies (Hello, $5 movie tickets!), and stuffing our faces with awesome Middle Eastern food. We truly enjoy doing all the normal weekend things that non-LDR couples do!
But, interspersed between the boring weekends, we’ve managed to find some cool things to do out and about in the state. Check them out below!
In my previous post, I mentioned the Matthei Botanical Gardens, located in Ann Arbor. We recently went back last summer an found so many new gorgeous and interesting flowers. The Gardens are currently closed due to the pandemic, but it’s one of our favorite spots.
Attached to the Matthei Botanical Gardens is the Nichols Arboretum, which is currently open during Covid restrictions. Operated by the University of Michigan, the Arboretum offers acres of native and exotic trees and shrubs. With almost 3.5 miles of trails, it’s a fantastic place to get out and enjoy some fresh air while staying socially distanced. One of the trails that we took led to the Huron River, where we saw a bunch of tubers.
For a year-round activity, check out Belle Isle Park. Commonly known as Belle Isle, it is an island park located on the Michigan side of the Detroit River. To get onto the island, you will need to have or purchase a Recreation Pass, which gives you access to every attraction on the island. Belle Isle has a multitude of attractions on the island, so you can definitely spend the entire day here.
The island features fantastic activities like the Belle Isle Aquarium, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and the Belle Isle Nature Center. In the winter, these activities make a great in-door activity to keep warm. In the summer, they make a great in-door activity to stay cool!
Currently, all four are closed due to the pandemic, but the island itself has a lot of wide open areas to spend time. For example, you can take a nice walk along the Detroit River, where you’ll be treated to fantastic skyline views of Detroit.
There is also a nice viewpoint by the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, which offers a wonderful view of Windsor, just across the river.
And lastly, one of our favorite activities to do is drive up north to Spicer Orchards and spend some time outdoors. For most of the year, they offer a variety of fruit available to pick. We’ve been coming here in the fall for cider, doughnuts, and pumpkin picking for 2 years now. This summer, we were able to pick tart cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and sunflowers! The staff are super friendly and we always have a great time whenever we go.
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