RU at Michigan on Sept 23, 2023
- Thread starter Kool RU
- Start date
Probably too late to get a hotel downtown. But try. It is nice walkable downtown with many good places to each and drink. This is one of the harder towns to book a hotel that is not on the outskirts adjacent a shopping mall on game day.
Short half hour ride from Detroit Airport. Longer on game day of course.
Some nice and interesting shopping if your travel partner enjoys that.
For the football fan the Big House is a bucket list visit of course. Be prepared for tight seating like most other older Big Ten venues. The building is impressive, the crowd was large but not overly intimidating. I assume they were not that jazzed to be playing RU. I'd like to go back someday for a Michigan St or Ohio St. game. I'd guess they'd be fired up.
You'll probably need to work to find a really bad meal in the main entertainment district. It is one of the few road game towns you can bring a real foodie and they will have many options.
Some places I have enjoyed in the past are:
Cottage Inn Pizza You won't forsake Jersey pie but it is good and the original location has a nice authentic college joint vibe.
Zingerman's Roadhouse really good food of a elevated down home style that outward appearances do not suggest. I've not eaten at the downtown location, the Deli. Also the bakery and related stores toward the edge of town are good.
Plenty of other options but not sure what the current food scene is as haven't been since our last trip.
There has been game day parking on the nearby golf course but they close that option if the weather is bad. You can also use adjacent Pioneer High School that becomes a commercial parking lot on game days.
If you asked what Big Ten town was the best to bring someone not that into football that they would enjoy, it is definitely Ann Arbor. We'll see how USC/UCLA change that analysis.
Destination Ann Arbor a decent place to start.
Short half hour ride from Detroit Airport. Longer on game day of course.
Some nice and interesting shopping if your travel partner enjoys that.
For the football fan the Big House is a bucket list visit of course. Be prepared for tight seating like most other older Big Ten venues. The building is impressive, the crowd was large but not overly intimidating. I assume they were not that jazzed to be playing RU. I'd like to go back someday for a Michigan St or Ohio St. game. I'd guess they'd be fired up.
You'll probably need to work to find a really bad meal in the main entertainment district. It is one of the few road game towns you can bring a real foodie and they will have many options.
Some places I have enjoyed in the past are:
Cottage Inn Pizza You won't forsake Jersey pie but it is good and the original location has a nice authentic college joint vibe.
Zingerman's Roadhouse really good food of a elevated down home style that outward appearances do not suggest. I've not eaten at the downtown location, the Deli. Also the bakery and related stores toward the edge of town are good.
Plenty of other options but not sure what the current food scene is as haven't been since our last trip.
There has been game day parking on the nearby golf course but they close that option if the weather is bad. You can also use adjacent Pioneer High School that becomes a commercial parking lot on game days.
If you asked what Big Ten town was the best to bring someone not that into football that they would enjoy, it is definitely Ann Arbor. We'll see how USC/UCLA change that analysis.
Destination Ann Arbor a decent place to start.
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Thanks! We booked a room at the Homewood Suites by Hilton. It looks like I should be able to walk to the stadium. Thanks for the restaurant tips. We are going in Friday, any suggestions for the night before the game?
We went to Ohio State when RU first joined the BIG10. The seating was tight but everyone we met were nice to us. I think its because they were still wondering what a "Rutgers" was. It's their homecoming this year so the place should be jammed. Thanks again.
I’ll disagree somewhat with the ‘foodie’ and ‘entertainment district’ connotations above. Sure, there are options aplenty and none of them are bad. True. It’s a few square blocks a bit larger than typical college towns or small cities as the case may be. Strip mall suburbs, with a BWW of course. With one exception, the only allure is football.
The one foodie exception, mentioned above as an aside, is the original Zingermann’s Deli. On a game day you’ll have to order at least an hour before your pickup time. It’s the only thing worth the trip even if there were no game. it’s a foodie bucket list destination by itself. Can’t say that about any other resto in Ann Arbor.
The one foodie exception, mentioned above as an aside, is the original Zingermann’s Deli. On a game day you’ll have to order at least an hour before your pickup time. It’s the only thing worth the trip even if there were no game. it’s a foodie bucket list destination by itself. Can’t say that about any other resto in Ann Arbor.
This will be my 3rd trip to Rutgers at Michigan (2019 and 2021), and my second consecutive with @rutgersal. I'll be doing a day trip. Fly in to DTW in the morning back out right after the game. Wanted to be home for a full day Sunday.
Visited Ann Arbor a few months ago, first time there. It's not a college town, but a college city, Downtown was a Midwestern, grid-pattern version New Brunswick. Tried booking a room there when the 2023 schedule was announced but turned off by the hotel room pre-pay policies at places I tried to reserve there for that time of year.
Places I ate at:
Bandito's (Mexican), near the North Campus. Small place, good food, nice decor
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery (Downtown) - Good food and beer
Knight's Steakhouse (Downtown)- Good, was very busy on the weeknight I went.
Zingermann's (to-go lunch order) - Disappointed biting into rock-hard toasted bread bread, otherwise a good sandwich.
The Session Room (West of town and west of Zingermann's Roadhouse)- Had the same sandwich I had a Zingermann's but better. Sports bar-ish. Good place,
The Big House will have new, big scoreboards on both ends when you go to the game, they were under construction when I was there.
Also tried visiting the Ford Presidential Library on campus. Got there just as it closed for the day and one of the staff told me on her way out it's just a National Archives facility that holds all the Presidential records. There are small exhibits in the lobby, but also told that the museum for the library is in Grand Rapids.
Also got to do Michigan's version of a jughandle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left
Places I ate at:
Bandito's (Mexican), near the North Campus. Small place, good food, nice decor
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery (Downtown) - Good food and beer
Knight's Steakhouse (Downtown)- Good, was very busy on the weeknight I went.
Zingermann's (to-go lunch order) - Disappointed biting into rock-hard toasted bread bread, otherwise a good sandwich.
The Session Room (West of town and west of Zingermann's Roadhouse)- Had the same sandwich I had a Zingermann's but better. Sports bar-ish. Good place,
The Big House will have new, big scoreboards on both ends when you go to the game, they were under construction when I was there.
Also tried visiting the Ford Presidential Library on campus. Got there just as it closed for the day and one of the staff told me on her way out it's just a National Archives facility that holds all the Presidential records. There are small exhibits in the lobby, but also told that the museum for the library is in Grand Rapids.
Also got to do Michigan's version of a jughandle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left
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We must be a popular homecoming pick. We are going to the Wisconsin homecoming.
Night before the game, R Fund usually sponsors something at a local bar, and if you post here, someone should be able to provide details. Have fun!
RFund does a great job with the away game alumni socials and the pregame tailgates. Experience has gone up significantly over last few years. Credit to RFund team.
I would look to park in one of the decks downtown then walk around and browse, shop, eat, drink what strikes your fancy. Some of the obvious choices will be packed. But you should be able to find something. Basically the blocks bounded by E. Huron and E. William St (East/West) and S. 1st and S. State St (North South)
Is Rfund the same Rutgers Foundation? They are having a Tail Gate from 10:00 Am to 12:00 Noon.
Not the same. Not at all. Rutgers Foundation is general University fundraising . R Fund is Athletics. Night and day experiences in dealing with each. R Fund rocks.
Someday I'll get there, as I have a standing invitation from a very good friend with very good season tickets there, but I just don't want to invest in going to see us blown out - hoping we're close to narrowing the gap enough. Might've gone this year, except for below...
And this year, I can't even watch the game live, as we're having a big family and friends gathering in Vero Beach, FL for my dad's 90th birthday and it starts at 11:30 am at his favorite bar and grill and I don't think they have the B1G network (and not sure I even want it on during the party - would rather watch it later with full attention).
And this year, I can't even watch the game live, as we're having a big family and friends gathering in Vero Beach, FL for my dad's 90th birthday and it starts at 11:30 am at his favorite bar and grill and I don't think they have the B1G network (and not sure I even want it on during the party - would rather watch it later with full attention).
#s....I understand the family obligation keeping you from visiting Ann Arbor this time, but 'fear of getting blown out' shouldn't be a reason for staying home since by that logic you may never travel, especially until after 2028.
Enjoy the game day experiences, visit the college pubs and put it out of your mind that we're the Washington Generals for the conference. There would be no Ohio State games if the opposite sideline were vacant. The conference is 1300 miles wide. Take advantage. Enjoy the corn in Lincoln and lutefisk in Minneapolis.
If accumulating conference losses under Ash-Schiano Cratering Epoch (ASCE) would spoil interest in RU football, this forum wouldn't even exist anymore. Take pride in losing, Charlie Brown.
Enjoy the game day experiences, visit the college pubs and put it out of your mind that we're the Washington Generals for the conference. There would be no Ohio State games if the opposite sideline were vacant. The conference is 1300 miles wide. Take advantage. Enjoy the corn in Lincoln and lutefisk in Minneapolis.
If accumulating conference losses under Ash-Schiano Cratering Epoch (ASCE) would spoil interest in RU football, this forum wouldn't even exist anymore. Take pride in losing, Charlie Brown.
Since my wife doesn't go to football games, especially away games, when I go, I usually just go for the game and don't spend much time in the town, so that angle is minor. That's why I went to a bunch of away games when our son was about 11-15 and was into going to away games with me (that was also 2005-2009, some of our best years) - we'd enjoy the games and the town. It's also why I enjoyed the bowl games so much.
For me, being competitive to invest in an away game is important, which is why I'm ready to start going to the competitive away games, since I think we're getting there. If we get to 5 wins, I might just go to the Iowa game, although one other barrier for me is how far away all the B1G opponents are, as I like driving way more than flying - that's something I loved about the BE, where most away games were under 5 hours by car