Hidden Lake Gardens | Pick a day to go green in a quiet corner of the Irish Hills

Odd that one of the first things to jump out should be a little black plastic tag, only because it’s followed immediately by another. And another. And then a hundred more or maybe a thousand more or who knows how many, they’re everywhere. There are no shortage of wonders as you slow roll through Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton, Michigan - one being the massive collection of plant life that lives there, and another being how meticulously every species is labeled.

Hidden Lake Gardens is a 755-acre spread that lets visitors enjoy a winding drive along a six-mile one-way drive that carves through forests and fields and over hills, winding its way around – you guessed it, Hidden Lake – surrounded by every type of tree, plant or flower fit to survive in Michigan. Those that can’t hack it have a home in the multi-domed conservatory, where visitors can wander the walkways and get up close to plants that thrive in tropical and arid climates.

Once gifted to Michigan State University by original owner, visionary and Adrian businessman Harry Fee, Hidden Lake is managed by the MSU Horticulture Department. It’s a constantly evolving landscape, what Mr. Fee envisioned to be “a dream as you go development.” Hikers can leave their cars and take on one of many curated trails for a walk through the woods. And in the fall of 2022, MSU is planning to add a Canopy Walk, which will take explorers 700 feet high for a spectacular view of the entire grounds.

Hidden Lake Gardens is located on the north side of M-50 just west of Tipton, which is just west of Tecumseh. It’s the best 5 bucks you’ll spend all year.

Little Sable Point Lighthouse | A spiral climb into the clouds on the shores of Lake Michigan in Golden Twp.

The little metal tag on the railing reads, “CHICAGO 134 MILES”. You might have stood there squinting like a moron looking for the tip of the Sears Tower but for the fact that your thighs are sizzling, your lunch is doing cartwheels and your fists grip tight around the railing like it’s motorcycle handlebars and just about then you realize that 115 feet is a lot higher than it sounds. Down on the sand, beachgoers throw a Frisbee as a seagull swoops below – yes, you’re looking down on a seagull – while the waters of Lake Michigan break soundlessly against the beach, soundlessly because the only thing you can hear is the wind. By now it’s hard to even hear the friendly guy sitting five feet away on a wooden crate inside the top of the lighthouse. He’s trying desperately to finish telling you the history of the Little Sable PointLighthouse, but with a burst of courage you tell him, “Be right back,” intent on talking yourself into doing at least one lap around the little walkway, which you do, fists sliding on those endless handlebars while your backslide slides across the lighthouse’s 148-year-old wall. Back inside, the lighthouse keeper wraps up his story – something about the monstrous Fresnel lens that sits encased where the spiral staircase finally reaches its peak. Back in the day, you learn, when the lighthouse was burning kerosene, and before that when it burned lard oil, this lens made the light visible to ship captains for 19 miles. “19 miles,” you wonder, braving to step one more time onto the balcony, still clutching the railing as your eyes draw to the hazy line where the waters of Lake Michigan blend with the horizon. Not a bad way to spend 8 bucks.

Livingston Antique Outlet | Finding something old, something new in Howell

The outlet mall in Howell you’ve more likely heard about is the Tanger Outlets with stores like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi and dozens of others. Not a bad place to find some decent deals, if you do some looking. The mall sits just off I-96, hard to miss on a Lansing-Detroit commute.

But the real outlet shopping experience in Howell is tucked back behind the Tanger spread, about a half-mile down N. Burkhart Road on a plot of what we’ll assume is old farmland (because didn’t everything in Michigan used to be farmland?). Welcome to the Livingston Antique Outlet. If you think you need to carve out plenty of time to give Tanger an adequate perusing, just wait until you check out the LAO.

Just do the math. More than 200 vendors have stocked parcels of space in the old barn with everything you can imagine. If you only devoted 1 minute to each, you’d be looking at more than three hours. Truthfully, that’s hardly enough time to thoroughly browse the 33,000 square feet of space.

You’ll find a little bit of everything as you wind your way up and down the aisles at the LAO – antiques of any breed, vintage home décor, collectibles and row after row of stuff you would have never thought to look for but were thrilled you found.  

Do enough driving around Michigan, you’ll notice no shortage of antique stores. Some cities even have full blocks devoted to specializing in selling old things. In terms of quantity and variety, few rival the Livingston Antique Outlet. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time.

Michigan/Indiana/Ohio border | A large rock alongside a country road

In the far southwest corner of Hillsdale County, Cope Road bounces along, potholes scattered across the rolling unpaved surface. There are no billboards announcing “Welcome to Pure Michigan” or “Greetings from the Crossroads of America” or whatever slogan Ohio is using to lure tourists these days.

Outside, the rural Midwest sprawls in every direction. Cope Road is a country road like so many others. Not quite a mile south of W. Territorial Road, just as you approach Michigan’s southernmost point, a large rock on the side of the road tells why it’s unique.

The Tri-State Marker sits unceremoniously in grass on the east side of the road indicating that 130 feet to the south is the point where Michigan, Indiana and Ohio meet. The thigh-high chunk of rock has been resting here since 1977 when it was gifted by the folks at the Hillsdale County Historical Society. No slogans, no fanfare. This might as well be a county line, which somehow seems perfect.

In a world full of souvenir stands and ticket lines, it’s somewhat refreshing that the point where Michigan meets Indiana meets Ohio remains as simple as this: a large rock alongside a country road. With potholes.

The Dixboro Project | The taste of a unique experience near Ann Arbor

Maybe you went to check out The Dixboro Project expecting something different. By its name, maybe you thought it was the local high school robotics team’s latest creation. Or a new housing development. Possibly a bluegrass band.

But you didn’t expect this, mostly because places like The Dixboro Project are a rare breed. It’s nestled into a woodsy slice of acreage a few miles northeast of U-M’s Ann Arbor campus, and as you pull into the parking lot you quickly dismiss your expectations. “Oh, this is what it is,” you tell yourself, still not sure what “this” is.

The Dixboro Project is part restaurant, part bar, part wine-tasting room, part upscale dining room and part nature preserve. Self-billed as “a luxury retreat,” the facility features three unique dining concepts - the Boro (we recommend the woodfired pizza), the Boro dining room & bar, and Dixboro House. Collectively, they make up The Dixboro Project, all wrapped in 6.5 wooded acres and a thick history of favorite local eateries, spaces that have worn names like The Lord Fox, The Farm Cupboard and Roger Monks.

Now here comes The Dixboro Project, with its massive glass-walled dining room, country-chic U-shaped bar, and sprawling multi-tiered patio. It’s true, visiting might not be a weekly excursion for many households – how many $12 bowls of oatmeal can most afford? But for a memorable morning, afternoon, or night out, The Dixboro Project serves up a can’t-miss backdrop.