July 4th in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Don and I stayed at The Bell Tower, last month. It was about 90 degrees outside, which was about 50 degrees warmer than when we stayed, 15 years before. It was Easter weekend, when our family stayed the first time. We had chosen the hotel, since U of M's campus was right across the street. Our daughter was taking a college tour. That seems so, so long ago! |
Even Longer Ago
Even longer ago, I was a high school student, living in Ann Arbor. I remember this hotel, with its formal, almost European appearance.
1970's
My Dad worked at U of M and it seemed like my parents were always meeting up with special guests for drinks or dinner, at the Bell Tower. It sounded like a ritzy place. Was it?
Funny Building
When we arrived on July 4th, the street had just opened up, after a morning parade. We lucked out and got ourselves some free holiday parking, right in front.
Lobby
Mixing Styles
The elevator, was in the "new" building, beside one of the mod, 1960's glass windows. I had to smile at the curious mix of styles, in the space between the old and "new" buildings. The sparkly ceiling fixture, drapes and spotlighted oil painting, seemed connected to the old building. The interesting art piece, with glass shelves and chess pieces, was a little more connected to the modern building. |
Burton Memorial Tower
Second Floor
Room 210
There was no bell tower to be seen from our window. In fact our view was about as bad as it gets. But, there were drapes and we could close them and imagine a better view. The TV worked well and the bed and pillows were comfy. The closet shelf held the coffee maker and glasses. The bottled water was not complimentary, but that made it easier to be Green and not partake. I did appreciate that our small room had 2 end tables with lamps. Yay. |
Bathroom TV
The maid left the TV on in the bathroom, or we never would have known it was there. Out of 230 Notable Nights, this is only the second time we've had a TV built into our mirror. Not needed, but fun!
Exploring
The best part of our stay, was the location! Besides hearing beautiful sounds from over 50 bells, in the limestone tower, we were just steps away from campus.
After Dark
I was disappointed that our hotel no longer had a restaurant at all. I wanted to sit in the dining room/bar, where my parents once sipped Manhattans...
But our hotel was within easy walking distance of Main Street and State Street, with lots of food options. We wandered later that night and found some pizza and beer, which hit the spot.
Morning
On Friday morning, Don raced down to put money in the meter by 8:00. Then we headed through the lobby, to the area where our complimentary breakfast was waiting.
What's Notable?
On the 4th of July, we got a reasonably priced hotel room, just steps away from the U of M campus AND that wonderful Art Deco tower. Our memories won't really be about the room or the lobby. Mostly I'll remember our hotel as a cozy and quiet home base, surrounded by the heart of Ann Arbor and U of M. How easy it was to step out the door and head off in any direction, to wander and remember. |
So, we explored, we remembered and we discovered! That's notable. There's also a notable fact I learned about that sweet clock tower. But I won't share, because it just makes me sad. Too much knowledge is not always a good thing.