51 North Brewing Company in Lake Orion

Lake Orion has a charming little microbrewery off the beaten path called 51 North. It opened earlier this year in a former gas station from 1932, but its makeover is a complete transformation. Chef Mary serves healthier food with nothing deep-fried. Brewer Adam has been winning gold and bronze awards for his hand-crafted beers. Tuesdays they serve tacos all day and night for 75 cents and Wednesdays are trivia night. We went on a Sunday night (SIN nights) where people in the service industry receive 20% off!

Detroit's Great Lakes Coffee

We were served a perfect cup of cafe latte at Detroit's Great Lakes Coffee in Midtown this week on Woodward at Alexandrine. The beans are roasted to perfection and served with pride. It is very spacious with high ceilings, attractive décor and wifi and lots of outlets to plug in laptops and charge cell phones. Many people frequent this place! Beer wine and cocktails also served in the Woodward location. They also have java shops in Bloomfield Hills and Lake Orion. El Guapo serves tacos on Tuesdays.

Addison Oaks in Oakland County

We've enjoyed Addison Oaks in Lake Orion over the years for its scenic beauty. At over 1000 acres and with a network of trails, it is great for hiking and mountain biking.  It is also the scene for many beautiful outdoor weddings. Adjacent to their lovely green arbor is their banquet facility for receptions.

The Paint Creek Trail in Rochester

The Paint Creek Trail runs for almost 9 miles in Oakland County running though Rochester and Lake Orion. It has the distinction of being the first converted Rail to Tail in Michigan and has about 100,000 walkers or bikers a year. The US Department of the Interior named it a National Recreation Trail six years ago and rightfully so!  It's a beauty.

The DIA's Inside/Out

Curiouser and curiouser we become when the art in our museum suddenly appears in our communities. We found this reproduction of François Millet's Reading the Story of Oenome on a shed at Eastern Market. This year the DTE Energy Foundation has helped fund the Inside/Outside project put on by the DIA. There are 80 pieces of art in Detroit and surrounding communities like Holly, Milford, Macomb, Warren, Franklin, Birmingham, Armada, Lake Orion, Oxford and Belleville. The DIA encourages viewers to post photos of the reproductions on their Flickr group and to geocache with the art. Each community that participates gets a free day at the museum. How many have you seen? You have until the end of November enjoy the current crop, but new ones will be installed in April.

Canterbury Village Lake Orion

Olde World Canterbury Village is filled with much Christmas eye candy. Its boasts being one of the largest Christmas stores in the world and it is right here in Lake Orion. You need hours here to see everything from the carousel to the Celtic, European and Fudge Shops. The Clansman Gaelic Pub's Tuesday and Thursday Pizza Special is one of the areas best kept secrets!