Our Michigan Guides/Temporary Family Stand-Ins:

Meet Meredith and Dave!

The basics: Meredith did her ENT residency with Aaron at UAMS. Dave is her husband. They are both from Michigan. Meredith is a University of Michigan fan; Dave is a Michigan State fan. Do NOT get that part confused (no, seriously don't).

Here's what they have taught us so far on surviving day-to-day life in Michigan:

1) The liquor store is called a "party store"  The party store almost always includes the sale of alcohol, lottery tickets, and a deli. Yep-you can sit in the store eating your freshly made sandwich, wash it down with a shot of whiskey, while scratching off your losing/winning ticket. 

2) Correct terminology for carbonated beverages: Do you want a "pop" from the vending machine?  Not a soda, not a coke-a pop.

3) We will have to learn to use the snow blower. (No explanation needed).

4) The Michigan Left: U-turns everywhere, on all streets, to get to anything. These brilliant and constant u-turns are called Michigan Lefts.

Meredith&Dave adventures so far:

1) Driving tour of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus (beautiful) near their home with Mrs. Vickey. (Couldn't resist the student housing hipsters). 

2) Dinner with Dona at Ann Arbor BBQ joint.

3) Dinner in Ferndale at One-Eyed Bettie's (Best burger!)

4) Fireworks at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. Greenfield Village is Henry Ford's little hobby/world of houses he'd had moved from across the world to this one spot. In addition, it's full of actors from different time periods (like Colonial Williamsburg). It's really beautiful.

Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenfield_Village#Greenfield_Village

We walked through the Village to this large open field filled with families on picnic blankets and lawn chairs. The crowd listened to the Detroit Symphony while watching really great fireworks. (For you craft beer lovers, Michigan doesn't seem to sell much generic American beer. Our options at the fireworks were Raspberry Wheat or Amber Ale. At the baseball game it was Canadian Blue. At the breweries you better stick with their menu).

5) Detroit Tigers baseball game. Team colors are orange, navy, and white (home games) or gray (away). Comerica Park is beautiful! 

We ended the day with a drive through downtown Detroit (BTW-it's reallllly easy to accidently take a wrong turn towards Canada with no way to turn around), a walk through Greek Town, and dinner in Mexicantown (yes, it's really called that-it's even on the interstate exit sign).