There are just 9 Left Till Kick-off, but we're running a little behind on the Countdown. So with 9 Days Left, you’re gonna get three more reasons today to Love Ann Arbor! So, here's #24, #23, and #22 in our continuing Series of 100 Days to Football and 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.
#24 – Touchdowns Café
No trip to Ann Arbor is complete without a stop at Touchdowns for a beer. Generally that beer entails waiting for twenty minutes in line, and then upon entry, looking for your friends for ten minutes amid crappy disco lights and loud, thumping bass that no one there wants to dance to. Eventually you find them, at which point someone suggests staying for a one beer. After purchasing said bee, and perhaps a beer for one or two other people, one of your friends upon surveying the situation will say "this place is a sausage fest, let’s go!" before storming out of the bar in search of that mythical Ann Arbor Bar where women outnumber men, a beer costs 50 cents, and the hot wings actually have meat on them. Ponce de Leon Spent less time looking for the fountain of youth. So there you are, out twenty bucks for beer, your group in shambles and trying to finish your gameday special, five dollar miller lite before proceeding back to your buddy’s place to drink and catch up, which is what you initially wanted to do in the first place. But every year, like an Alzheimer’s patient you return to Ann Arbor and inevitably to Touchdown’s to repeat this same hour long ordeal. That’s why it's #24 in our Countdown and Reason #24 to Love Ann Arbor.
#23 – Hoover Street on Gameday
I had a better photo, but now I can't find it, dammit. I'll get it on the site as soon as I can locate it. via farm3.static.flickr.com
One of the great sites in all of College football is the procession of people, band members and vendors down Hoover Street on game day. It’s a sea of Maize t-shirts, vendors selling tacky t-shirts, $1 dogs, and street musicians. The band forms outside reviele hall and marches to the stadium, but not before serenading the assembled throngs with a rousing rendition of the Victors and whatever else they decide to play that morning. Just a glorious sight and experience, that’s why it's #23 in our Countdown and Reason #23 to Love Ann Arbor.
#22 – Bivouac
All those puffy North Face coats in Ann Arbor? Meet their orign. Bivouac is a license to print money. Plop down an expensive, arguably very good, slightly over priced mountain equipment and clothing store in the middle of a community full of kids with too money on their hands. Ingenious. If you went to Michigan, you bought something there. Maybe a Nalgene. Maybe a carabineer to hold your keys. Maybe a 400 dollar tent you used once. No, that wasn’t me, but I did see it happen. A great store, and #22 in our Countdown and Reason #22 to Love Ann Arbor.
If you've got suggestions on places you'd like to see, email me with a photo or a description and we'll get your favorite hangouts in the countdown as well. I'll also try to get a link on the sidebar in the coming days that allows you to see all 100 Reasons to Love Ann Arbor.