Day Trip to Belle Isle

For our next Made in Michigan piece, we’re traveling to the gem of the Detroit River, Belle Isle. Situated in northeast Detroit, Belle Isle is a short hour drive from Ann Arbor and can be easily made into a full day trip when coupled with outings around the island.

WHERE TO GO

Lovers of architecture and aquatic life will both be entranced by a trip to the Belle Isle Aquarium. Designed by Alfred Kahn, the architect behind Hill Auditorium, the Burton Memorial Tower, and Detroit’s Fisher Building, the aquarium is the oldest in the United States. You’ll ooh and aah over the vaulted ceiling of gleaming green tile as well as the interesting displays of fresh and saltwater creatures from around the world. Don’t miss their tiny but tempting gift shop full of items made in Detroit.

Go for a stroll in the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the oldest continually-running conservatory in the country; soak in the warmth and light as you make your way through the Palm House, Tropical House, Cactus House, Show House, and a sunken Fernery.

If you still have time, check out the Dossin Great LakesMuseum or the Belle Isle Nature Zoo where they have a fallow deer enclosure with animals that are descended from an original herd established on the island in the late 1800s. If you are on Belle Isle between June 8 and Labor Day, you must make a stop at the fantastically fun giant slide. Each ride will set you back a single dollar.

WHERE TO SHOP NEAR BELLE ISLE

Pop into Pewabic Pottery on East Jefferson and swoon over their iridescent glazed pottery. Swing by Eastern Market on Saturday for fresh produce and house plants, and window shop at the eclectic stores surrounding the market; my kids go crazy for the gummy Coca-Colas at Rocky’s. Embrace your cool parent persona and check out Third Man Records and other Cass Corridor shops like City Bird and Avalon Bakery.

WHERE TO EAT IN DETROIT

Detroit is a foodie’s paradise, so hit up your favorite Motown restaurant while you’re in town. We always trek across the city to Corktown and stop by Slows Bar B Q for a cold glass of their sweet peach tea, a heap of smoked brisket, and their creamy mac and cheese; if you’re in a hurry, there is a Slows To Go in the Cass Corridor, which has limited seating that I’ve used with the kids. While a bit trendier, Gold Cash Gold has a clever farm to table menu that’s simple enough to enjoy with littles, and the pickle fried chicken was a huge hit with bigs. Another fun spot that will please all palates is Green DotStables where their tasty and inventive sliders are the perfect size for little hands.

FINAL TIPS

Check to see what days and times attractions on Belle Isle are open before planning your trip. For instance, the conservatory is open Wednesday through Sunday, while the aquarium is open Friday though Sunday. Follow the Belle Isle Conservancy on Facebook to get the scoop on frequent events ranging from holiday lights in December to the annual spring koi release into the outdoor pond.

Entrance and parking is free at all attractions on Belle Isle, but a State of Michigan Recreation Passport is needed to physically drive onto the island. If you didn’t purchase your pass with your vehicle registration, you may buy the $11 pass at the entry booth or at the White House Administration Building. The passport is good for the duration of your vehicle’s registration

A portion of this appeared first in Ann Arbor Family, and you can find that article here. 

All photos by Aimee Grant Eldon.

Freeform Friday

This weekend my book club is getting together for a Grey Gardens viewing party. We've been talking about this for months, and I'm excited to watch the beautiful horrors of Big Edie and Little Edie spill over the screen. Costumes are encouraged, and headscarves are required.

I hope you have an enchanting weekend, and I hope you enjoy clicking through some favorite links from the last week .

Dreaming of summer vacation.

Fascinating revisions Pixar makes for international audiences.

Bibliophile heaven.

Bestie Row houses would make the best vacation homes ever.

How-to build your own terraced plant orb.

An inspiring new documentary on Maya Angelou.

A humorous take on the Ann Arbor Film Festival.

This is what a patriotic American looks like.

If you live in the Ann Arbor area, mark your calendar for these great films.

How you can participate on national Day Without A Woman.

Laughed out loud at this, this, this, and this.

[Photo of Little Edie Bouvier Beale in all her flag dance splendor.]

Freeform Friday

Oh, three-day weekend. I've been waiting waiting for you. We're using the time off as an opportunity to eat out at a great restaurant that supports A Day Without Immigrants and catch some Oscar shorts, a favorite annual tradition. I'm also joining my mom in her kitchen for a homemade ravioli project that we'll get to feast on Saturday night. Our family recipe uses a chicken and spinach filling; paired with homemade sauce, it's the stuff of dreams.

I hope you have a lovely long weekend, and I hope you enjoy clicking through some of my favorite links from the past week.

Fifteen things Vonnegut said better than anyone else.

How to put your money where your mouth is and #grabyourwallet.

Sign me up for this foodie vacation.

Heard this song today and could only laugh and think of this.

Go read this great book before this (really great looking!) film comes out.

First Pluto is out, and now this continent is in?

Thanks to a friend for this little pick-me-up when I needed it this week.

Love the simplicity and tiny splash of color with this new addition to my jewelry box.

This is one belated Galentine's dinner I'd love to have been at.

A subtle Instagram account to follow if you still need your daily dose of vitamin O.

Looking forward to reading another great trilogy.

Sneezy cold season inspired me to buy two of these in the last week.

Ready to rematch this Sundance favorite over the weekend.

[Photo from Our Moveable Feast on Instagram.]

Freeform Friday

This weekend we're stuffing valentines in envelopes and making cutout heart cookies; I grew up working in the flower shop my family owned, so I have an special appreciation for Valentine's Day (that someone isn't jaded despite slingin' flowers for years and years). For an early Galentine's event, I get to go to book club where we're also having a  huddle. We will persist.

I hope you have a sweet weekend, and I hope you enjoy clicking through my favorite links from the last week.

I've been reading this and this and this for Valentine's.

This is the lemon cake (it's the character Natalie's favorite) I'm making for book club this weekend.

The perfect valentine for kids.

I ordered one of these for myself after admiring it on a friend.

That was a close one.

Loving this botanical garden print.

I'm dreaming of spring and wearing this, too.

What happens when you mess with the Tweet King.

Good reminders for saving money on flights.

I really need to renew my passport.

Must get of these for every bedroom in my house.

For the biggest fans of Grey Gardens.

Two words: velvet ropes.

[Photo of Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn from a favorite romantic comedy, How To Steal A Million.]

Freeform Friday

I've been a fan of Fancy Friday at work, and after wearing my Nasty Woman shirt on a recent tumultuous Friday, I've decided to make a hybrid of the two philosophies. If you'd like to join me, please feel free to put on your fancy clothes and protest button for Feminist Fancy Friday. It's a thing.

In other news, I'm feeling lucky to go to my favorite local movie theater twice this weekend for a direct from Sundance screening of Wilson and a live children's performance with my daughter. What fun events do you have planned for the weekend? Whatever it is, I hope it's a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through my favorite links from the past week.

Young adult novels that adults love, too.

Sammies that make the Super Bowl worth participating in.

I never thought I'd get a subscription to this magazine for their quality political reporting.

Love these locally made pins and cards.

Well played, Sweden.

How to help hungry children in your neighborhood school.

I keep eyeing this class (and this one, too!).

Nicholas Cage on Nicholas Cage.

Help out those impacted by the Bowling Green Massacre.

Good news for fans of The Godfather.

You say it how?

For the love of Boursin.

If your kid has a phone at school, he or she must check out this app that gives rewards for staying off the phone.

[Photo from Our Moveable Feast on Instagram.]

Anti-Party Birthday Celebrations

What if kid birthday parties were not overwhelming and were more like a low-key play date? Behold the anti-party birthday celebration. Here is what it looks like:

Guest List
One key to the anti-party birthday celebration is creating a manageable guest list. You should stop reading right now if you want to invite everyone in your kid's class. I recommend a small guest list that isn't overwhelming to the birthday kid or parents who are hosting. I usually aim for the number of guests to be close to the birthday child's age. So, for my son's sixth birthday, he invited eight of his friends. I'm not stingy about siblings coming along at this age, so a couple little brothers and sisters attended, too.

The Event
Rather than rent a space and pay a premium for a birthday party package, I looked for an event that was already scheduled, and we treated the party as a slightly bigger than normal play date. In our case, there was a great dinosaur event being held at a local, free museum, and we spent two hours playing, creating, and learning with our friends. We were sure to drop a generous donation in the box while we were there, too.

The basic idea is to pick an event that would be fun to go to anyway and treat it as your party. Scan your local events calendar for something your child would like to go to. A trip to a play space will work if there aren't any events near your child's birthday, and in that case you pay the entrance fee for your child and his or her friends. If you have a warm weather birthday, a trip to a local children's garden or something active and outdoors works, too. Groupon is another good source for thrifty, creative planning.

Gift Bags
Nope. Don't do it. Step away from Pinterest and remember what you did with 99% of the party bags your kid brought home. Don't remember? That's because you hid them under something else in the trash bag months ago. If you think about it, foregoing the gift bag is really doing something positive for the environment. There. You're already feeling better about this decision, aren't you?

Dessert
I skipped messy cake and frosting this year in favor of individually bagged and decorated cookies that I ordered from a wonderful bakery. If you have residual guilt about not handing out a gift bag, these lovely confections will help ease your conscience.

Photo from Five Monkeys Bakery

Invitations
I am a fan of digital invitations because they're super easy for RSVPs. I prefer the designs on Paperless Post, and they have many free options. We used a colorful dinosaur invite for my son's party that perfectly paired with our party theme.

Gifts
Another way to keep things low-key is to skip the gifts. I'm serious. It can really be done, and your kid won't hate you, either.

Knowing that my son was getting every Lego set he desired for his birthday from his family members, I told him that he could either do no gifts from his friends or he could ask them to donate money to a local charity our family supports. Without missing a beat, he said he wanted to give money to "kids who don't have homes." So, on the invite details I asked guests to bring gift cards to donate to the charity. At the party I collected the gift cards, and the following Monday we dropped them off. My son was literally skipping down the hall after the donation drop-off; he was so pleased with himself and so happy to help other kids.

What great anti-party celebrations have you been to? How do you rebel against Pinterest peer pressure?

Surprise Gifts for the Hard to Shop For

When I don't know what gift to give someone, I like to order a surprise for the lucky guy or gal at the restaurant where they're celebrating.  My sister, a waitress in college, tipped me off to this fantastic surprise gift that is perfect for those who are tricky to shop for.

It's as easy as calling the restaurant, telling them you'd like to pay for a round of drinks and appetizer, bottle of bubbly, dessert, or whatever else you feel like giving, and letting the server take care of serving your surprise.

This is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or any other celebratory dinner out that you want to make a little more wonderful.

Have you ever been the recipient of a surprise gift while dining out?

[Photo of the wonderful Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia.]