RECREATION
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE ANN ARBOR AREA
Ann Arbor, being a college town, provides an unusually large selection of recreational activities. For example, apart from excellent recreational sports facilities, some 30 museums are located in the city that are of interest to children (“Hands-On Museum”) as well as adults. We will arrange inexpensive day passes for you to work out in the Central Campus Recreation Building if you so wish. There are lots of possibilities for enjoying the warm weather in Ann Arbor: biking, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking and golfing to name but a few activities.
You can visit this website for more detailed information.
PRE- or POST-NACOB 2008 VACATIONS
Before or after the meeting you and your family can vacation in any of the many hotels, bed & breakfasts, rental cabins, and state campgrounds along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan where there are huge sand dunes, on Macinac Island (where only bikes and horse drawn carriages are allowed) between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas connected by the Macinac Bridge, or in the Michigan’s Upper Peninsula along the north shore of Lake Michigan or the south shore of Lake Superior. Canada is only 50 miles east of Ann Arbor and you can drive north to wonderful vacation spots near Tobermory in Georgian Bay and in the Batchwana Bay area at the east end of Lake Superior. Rental cabins and camp sites abound.
Detailed information can be found here.
The city of Ann Arbor has roughly 150,000 inhabitants in a rural setting. It is small enough to bike across in an afternoon yet diverse enough to attract top performing artists from throughout the world and support a host of gourmet restaurants. Ann Arbor offers all of the advantages of big city living – museums, live theatre, expansive parks, extensive shopping and a diverse population – all combining for a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.
The Huron River flows southeastward through Ann Arbor toward Lake Erie some 40 miles away. The surrounding countryside is partially wooded and gently undulating glacial moraine left by receding glaciers during the last ice age.
What to do? The choices are many; savor the sights and smells of a farmer’s market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, listen to an impromptu jazz concert or lecture. Breakfast or lunch in one of the world’s top-ranked delicatessans. Visit one the many museums or an antique shop. Browse in some of the finest bookstores in the world. Shop in unique art galleries and boutiques, or sip cappuccino and people-watch at an outdoor café. There is plenty to see and do – whether you’re here for just a day or an entire week. Golf, hike, run or mountain bike the 17-mile Potawotami trail loop 30 minutes northeast from town in the Silver Lake Recreational Area, jog in the university’s Arboretum (museum of trees) or along the Huron River to Gallup Park, take a canoe trip down the Huron River from one of several canoe liveries, swim in one of the many lakes, bike along Huron River Drive – recreational opportunities are abundant throughout the area.
Best of all, however, is the small town appeal with the advantages of friendliness, accessibility, and easy lifestyle. You are invited to explore the many attractions, which make this community one of the Midwest’s most popular visitor destinations. The city has an award-winning public transportation system and bike paths for easy access. Some city buses will take your bike on front-mounted carriers.
You can find a list of attractions here.
ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILDREN IN ANN ARBOR
The Ann Arbor City Guide for Kids
City of Ann Arbor Department of Recreation and Education Camps (sign up for a camp)
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum (for children young and old)
Leslie Science & Nature Center (more hands-on opportunities)
Domino's Petting Farm (located about 3 miles northeast of Ann Arbor).
Ann Arbor Canoe Liveries (about a mile from the conference venue)
The Gallup Park camp (about a mile North East from the Conference Venue)
And, of course,the City of Ann Arbor outdoor swimming pools
In Washtenaw County (which surrounds Ann Arbor):
Stony Creek Park (because it has a great water park with a wave pool, slides, lazy river, etc.)
In the Greater Metropolitan district (the Metro parks which are within about 20 miles of Ann Arbor)