Ann - Arbor - Lansing

June 2

Another wonderful day.  It began with a visit to the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market and Zingerman's Deli.  Too early in the season for veggies, the market was filled with the smells of ham and bacon and there were lots of samples to try.  We also tasted a couple different cheeses, all natural peanut butter, sausages, and chocolates with bacon as part of the ingredients (the special event for the day, sponsored by Zingerman's was called Bacon Camp.)



Zingerman's is a must visit. The Deli was the best we've ever seen.  You could spend hours just perusing all the different cheeses and breads.  They also have a large menu and people were lined up placing orders.  It was a perfect summer day to sit outside and eat the treats from the Deli.  We bought some large pretzel sticks and 1/4 lb of  Lardo.  We had seen a sign advertising this special pork product at the Roadhouse restaurant yesterday.  It can be used like butter on toast.

In the afternoon we went to Lansing visited the Beale Arboretum at the University.  From there we drove to the Potter Park and Zoo, where we parked the car and got on our bikes. We managed to get in a nine mile round trip bike ride on the paved River Trail. The runs from Michigan States campus to the downtown area.




We followed the river across numerous bridges and wooden extensions that went under bridges in to the downtown and the capitol.




 We had a hard time finding the Cooley Garden. It doesn't seem to be well known with the people in the area, but we were impressed with its formal design and feeling of a sanctuary or a secret garden. This may have been enhanced by its proximity to the big GM plant looming next door. The contrast between nature and industry was dramatic.


We finished up the day at the Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum in Okemos. This is one of the most fun restaurants we've encountered.  Tubas of all sizes and ages line the walls.  The restaurant began in 1983 when a couple of people met and decided to share their love of world cuisine with others.  Every month or so they focus on a particular region of the world.  June is focused on Asia and at the time of our visit the featured cuisine was Filipino.  Kate especially likes to try new foods and since one of our friends is a former intern from the Philippines, she chose the special. It included a chicken dish that was cooked with coconut milk and curry or tumeric - it gave the chicken that golden yellow color. This was served with Filipino rice - a white rice pilaf, with raisins. Another dish was a miso soup with spinach and wheat noodles. Dessert was a corn pudding. She ranked everything excellent. I ate a chicken breast done in a black bean sauce and a spinach salad with a dressing that they make on site and was spectacular.  It was a red dressing, but not a French style.  A Scottish Ale by Founders was an excellent addition to my meal.





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