A Mini Travel Guide to Ann Arbor, Mich.

I’m a Spartan (go green!), but I have to admit, University of Michigan’s backyard is pretty cool. I love how the campus and city intertwine and all the amazing restaurants and shops. For years, I’ve made day trips to explore the neighborhoods, restaurants and shops.

The Graduate Hotel Ann Arbor invited me for an overnight stay and I was pumped to spend a little more time in a town I usually make a quick day trip to visit.

Visiting Ann Arbor

I traveled to Ann Arbor with my friend Brooke of My Casual Mom and after we checked in, we wandered down to Kerrytown for some shopping before grabbing cocktails and apps at the Allen Rumsey Cocktail Lounge and we ended the night at Ruth Chris eating dinner at 8:30 p.m., which is really cool and hip of me. I never eat that late, or that fancy! Read on for some of my favorites spots to eat, shop and stay:

Eats

Between this stay and my previous visits, I also love:

Le Bon Macaron. I’ve visited Le Bon’s other two locations in East Lansing and Grand Rapids and this spot continues the same Parisian cafe vibe with seats to enjoy your coffee and macarons.

Lab Cafe. This little coffee shop and bakery feels so much bigger and grander with all the windows, natural light and tall ceilings. I love the mismatched antique seating, fresh flowers and their lavender lattes.

Sava’s. I love this place for brunch and dinner! Plus, the colorful interior always brightens my day.

Fred’s. The menu is a little too healthy for my liking, but I can get a plain breakfast sandwich and a fruity smoothie that I like, but it’s really all about the aesthetics here. I love the natural light, bohemian details and furnishings.

Shop!

The Get Up Vintage. I’ve gotten some sweet vintage band tees and colorful pants and tops here in the past. It’s a fave!

V2V. The shop is a little preppier than I dress, which is zero prep, but there are some beautiful dresses and cozy tops that fit my style perfectly–plus the apothecary and skincare products are fun to sniff!

Found. This expansive shop below V2v in Kerrytown mixes old with new. The store carries handmade items by Michigan designers, vintage decor along with various textiles, candles and gift items.

Stay!

The cozy, vintage University of Michigan campus vibes made the Graduate Ann Arbor an incredible place to stay. From chalkboards to plaid furniture and old UM photographs throughout, the place felt like a modern throwback.

The location is right downtown too, making it convenient for walking to and from shops and restaurants. We also took advantage of the onsite coffee shop and cocktail lounge! It was actually a warm, sunny spring day and so it was fun to show off my spray tan legs and wander the town by foot!