Michigan State's Broad Art Museum

The Broad Art Museum on Michigan State's campus in East Lansing is committed to exploring contemporary culture and ideas through art. It combines many new pieces with those from MSU's previous art museum, often hanging contemporary next to something very classic.  The museum's façade was created by award winning architect Zaha Hadid and is constructed on pleated stainless steel and glass.  The museum was a gift of Eli and Edythe Broad.

Edmund's in Lansing

Word of mouth led us to Edmund's in Lansing. We hesitate to call it a sports bar, because the food is so good.  And we can't call it gourmet dining because of the large TV screens everywhere. But, if you are looking for good food and a place to watch your important sporting event, this is the spot in downtown Lansing. We were able to sit in a large comfy round booth with a wide screen right in front of us to watch one of our favorite teams. Their happy hour prices will also lure you in.....

Iorio's Gelateria in AnnArbor and Lansing

The gelateria in Ann Arbor called Iorio's was started by an Italian family in 2004. Their passion is delivering artisan gelato made with fresh milk, sugar, nuts, coffee, fruit and chocolate. Gelato has less fat and more flavor and we swooned over the butter pecan. They also have a space at the Lansing City Market.

Lansing City Market and Waterfront Bar and Grill

The Lansing City Market sits overlooking the Grand River and we were able to explore it this past week in the gorgeous sunshine before the weather went down. Our lunch at the Waterfront Grill was really superb. Of all the meals we had over our three day stay in Lansing, this one was the best. The tuna pasta salad was very fresh accompanying a tangy southwest sandwich. They are open seven days a week. The City Market was established in 1909 and their new home is really very beautiful. It is home to lots of unique merchants.

Beaumont Carillon Tower in East Lansing

Yesterday, on a cool crisp fall day, it was a pleasure to stroll through the Michigan State Campus and hear the carillon being played from Beaumont Tower. A gift of Alice and John Beaumont, the tower was completed in 1928. A carillon plays at least 2 octaves of bells by means of a keyboard. Beaumont Tower contains 49 bells that were totally renovated in 1996. Ray McLellan has been the resident carilloneur since 1997. The hill on which the tower stands is hallowed ground where the first instructional edifice (College Hall) was built on campus and the first one in the nation to be dedicated to the teaching of scientific agriculture. The Sower, above the main door, symbolizes the seeds of knowledge.

Lansing's Planet Walk

Lansing has a very cool Planet Walk that follows the Grand River and the Red Cedar.  It's about a 2 mile hike out and back, but spatially, it gives you a awesome idea of just how far apart our earthly planets are and how big they are.  They start with the sun at the Impression 5 Museum and you learn a ton of interesting facts at each planet.  If our Earth is 93 million miles from the sun, do you know how many miles away Pluto is?  Basically, this river trail's scale represents one step is a million miles. Pluto is 3.7 billion miles from the sun.

The Vault Delicatessen in Mason

The Vault Delicatessen has to be the coolest venue we have seen for a wine cellar. The row of buildings from the 1900's stands on Mason's historic Courthouse Square. In what used to be the Dart Bank, the owners uniquely converted the existing vault into their stellar wine cellar. With a great selection of wines and beer, they also have artisan breads and cheeses and lots of gourmet sandwiches. Hats off to Scott (great grandson of R.C. Dart, the banker) and Jamie Robinson, the visionary owners.

Happy Goat Lucky Ewe Fiber Farm in Mason

If you are interested in wool and mohair from Michigan sheep and goats, look no further than Mason where you will find the Happy Goat Lucky Ewe Fiber Farm.  Make an appointment to visit the farm where you can see their 1865 converted chicken coop filled with lovely creations like scarves, socks, sweaters, hats, etc. Joedy and Bridget Patrick own the farm and the menagerie of animals.  It's a love affair with the earth and its creatures.

Ingham County Courthouse in Mason

The city of Mason was so named after our first governor, Stevens T Mason. Just a few miles south of Lansing, Mason became Ingham's county seat in 1840 and is the ONLY site in the nation where the state capitol is not located in its county seat. The County Courthouse is a beautiful site to behold. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is open for tours Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm.

Gingerbread Houses at MSU's Kellogg Center

Festive gingerbread houses were recently on competitive display at the Kellogg Center of Michigan State University in East Lansing. This gem of a hotel and conference center which currently is celebrating 60 years, is the pride and joy of the university's hotel and restaurant management department. Their State Room restaurant is featuring a wine dinner with Michigan's delicious Black Star wines on January 18th. With its phenomenal services, 160 hotel rooms and adjacent 1000 spot complimentary parking garage, it is extremely popular with the green and white crowd.

Biggby Coffee Celebrates 16 years

It's hard to believe that Michigan-based coffee house Biggby has been around now for 16 years.  They started in this very shop in East Lansing. Now they have 128 stores, spreading beyond our state's borders to as far away as Texas and South Carolina. Every Biggby Coffee Shop is locally owned and promotes their values of 1) being happy 2) making friends 3) loving people 4) having fun and 5) drinking great coffee. That just makes us want to go there! Have you had their Butter Bear yet? We double dog dare you!

Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing

We love science museums and have been to many over the years to the sheer delight of our children when they were younger.  The best kinds are like the one in Lansing, hand-ons.  The Impression 5 Science Center is just outstanding.  Kids can walk through a gigantic heart and see just how this organ of our body works.  They can see the hearts of various animals for comparison purposes.  They learn with the experiments they can do right there. An oscilloscope will show you what the sound waves look like when you play the piano's various keys (it has a clear plastic front so you can watch the hammer action). The Lansing community has supported this museum 100% since its inception in 1972 and encourages kids to embrace the sciences and seek careers in them as well.  Awesome.

First Michigan Sharpshooters -Lansing

This monument was erected on the capital lawn in 1915 to commemorate the 1st Michigan Sharpshooter Regiment that was organized during the winter of 1862 and 1863 in Kalamazoo. The total enrollment had been 981 men and officers. The Civil War left the regiment with only 365 of those men to be mustered out at the end of the war. 113 Officers and men died on wounds of war, 41 died as POW's, 109 died of disease, 353 were discharged due to disability following wounds of war.

Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville

The tag line for the Michigan Brewing Company is “Great Lakes, Great Times and Great Beers.”  Need we say more?  The location in Webberville has a brewery pub open seven days a week, a retail store and they offer classes.  As far as beers brewed, Michigan Brewing Co. features BADASS  (which has rumored to increase in popularity due to a Kid Rock influence) and the Celis beer  (which reflects the authenticity and natural flavors that were first used by Pierre Celis in Belgium six decades ago) and of course the MBC Beer.

Schuler Bookstore in Okemos

Schuler Books and Music, indigenous to our state, are the largest independent bookstores in the nation.  We are blessed to have not one, but 5 of them in Michigan. There are three in the Grand Rapids area where it started and one in Lansing and the one pictured above is in Okemos. They are also known for their music. Two weeks ago the Okemos store had a harpist in for everyone's enjoyment. Tonight it is the Lazet Percussion Ensemble at 6:30. It has been owned and operated since 1982 by the book/music loving couple of Cecile and Bill Fehsenfeld. For your reading/listening pleasure, they also offer a gourmet café.

In Memory of John F Kennedy

Tomorrow marks the 47th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. We found this brass plaque of the St Francis Prayer on the wall of our state capitol, dedicated to the memory of our former president.

Lansing Memorial to 9-11

The plaque on this memorial in downtown Lansing reads, "Dedicated to the courage, strength and indomitable American Spirit of those who perished and those who persevered during the events of September 11. 2001. Lansing Remembers" . The Sculpture is a piece of the World Trade Center. It stands across from the Radisson Hotel next to the river. What a stark reminder it is --on this 9th anniversary.

Oldsmobile Park

Not only did we lose the Oldsmobile brand of cars in 2004, the baseball park in Lansing is changing names from Oldsmobile Park to Cooley Law School Stadium this year. Last month, we still found the Olds name on the stadium. Oldsmobile was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. They built 35.2 million cars including 14 million in the Lansing factory. The Stadium is home to the minor league team --the Lansing Lugnuts whose opener is tonight at 7:05 against MSU.

Clara's Station in Lansing

Clara's is a delightful restaurant which operates in Lansing's historic Michigan Central Railroad Station. The depot on Michigan Avenue operated from 1903 through 1972. The ambiance of this eatery includes antiques, like the bronze chandelier hanging from the cathedral ceiling, statue lamps from the Ransom E. Olds mansion, dining in an actual vintage train car and, of course, the very friendly staff. All aboard!

Dusty's Wine Cellar of Okemos

Former Michigan State students pointed us towards Dusty's Cellar across from Meridian Mall just east of the MSU campus. A recent outstanding lunch there confirms this recommendation. We have never had a more delicious Monte Cristo sandwich and the homemade soups were also excellent. A browse through the attractive store wafting fresh bread smells from the bakery made our decision unanimous. The Spartans were right --we love this place! The red Karantes wine, with an 88 point rating, is a super winner. You can also buy a unique variety (Top Shelf--Top 100 Wine Club) in a 6 pack of wine in a handy canvas tote for $60.