Night 12 - Connections to the Past

Michigan has developed an amazing history over the years.  We have pretty strong ties to the past throughout our cities, with some great architecture in towns big and small.  Get off the highway sometime and drive the old 'state routes' to your destination.  They run through small towns that barely show up on a map, but at some point were important centers of commerce, housing, or a place where a family took root and others joined them to battle the wilderness and scratch out a living.  

Jackson isn't the smallest town out there, but it isn't a huge destination for a lot of people.  But they have two amazing pieces of Michigan's architectural history in the City, not to mention some great old houses near the downtown.  The Michigan Theater downtown was opened in 1930 and anchored the downtown until 1978.  After years of neglect and decline, a non-profit group stepped up in the nineties to bring the building back to its former glory. Movies, concerts, theater, and even the Rocky Horror Picture show are on the marquee now, bringing a new generation of Jackson-ite back to the downtown.  Check the schedule online and head over for a show.  

But really, seeing a movie or a play isn't the most unique night out, right? Especially if you are on a date.  You need something memorable. So follow up a night at Michigan Theater with a trip south of downtown to the Sparks County Park.  There you will find The Cascades.  Which, like any great civic institution, were one man's vision of something great for the City.  Since 1932, the Cascades have wowed visitors.  For lack of a better description, they are man made waterfalls. Which may not sound like much, but in the 30's, they were likely viewed as a wonder of the modern world.  And through community support and long term management by the County, they are still wondrous.  It really is a one-of-a-kind end to any evening.  

For pure uniqueness, Jackson certainly has things to offer that make it a place to visit.  That is really what Michigan tourism is all about.  Go off the beaten path a little bit and find something really cool to tell your friends about.  And they will come and the cycle will start anew for a new generation of Michigan explorers.

Night 11 - Entertainment in the Exurbs

I worked in the exurbs of Detroit for a while when I first moved to mid-Michigan.  It was far away from Detroit.  Very far.  When you are that far away from the core of the region, there is a certain segment of the population that don't go to the big City anymore. You are too far away, it takes too long to drive down, it's just not convenient, yadda yadda yadda.  So the exurbs really are a melting pot of the local tastes, since they tend to serve a more local population, rather than the regional draw of the big city.

One of Detroit's exurbs is Novi.  At the crossroads of I-96, I-275, and the M-5 connector, it was destined to be a bedroom community.  Over the years the City worked hard to diversify its tax base, bringing in more office/industrial uses to complement the strong housing market.  But undoubtedly, when people think of Novi, they think shopping.  There are two super-regional malls, several regional malls, and, sadly, a fake downtown.  It was intended to be another regional mall, but it never really got off the ground.  There are several interesting businesses that have stuck it out, but one really sticks out. The Grapevine of Novi started off as a second career for the owners, Brian and Lori (who are very cool folks), and has turned into a destination for a night on the town.  Now mind you, I don't like wine.  It is growing on me slowly but surely, but I really am not a big fan.  But The Grapevine is a great place to slowly try it out.  Very accessible wine list and Brian, Lori, or one of the very knowledgeable staff members will definitely help you out if you are a noob like myself.

If you are thinking about doing a date there, be aware, it is more of an after dinner place.  They have a very small, tapas-esque menu, with some larger items mixed in.  The menu is definitely intended to be secondary to the wine, not the other way around.  I have been several times and haven't been steered wrong on a bottle of wine yet.  In the summer, they have an outdoor patio to enjoy the weather.  As I recall, there is occasional live music; quiet, jazzy type stuff.  And they used to have some special events to help the community learn about wine and enjoy it, although I don't know if it they are still doing that.

All in all, a good place to enjoy a glass...bottle...flight...let's just say you can enjoy wine there.  Say hi to Brian and Lori for me and ask them what they recommend. 

Night 10 - 5 Minutes of Glory (Special Event!)

At some point over the course of the last three-five years, the younger generation in Michigan has been getting a might bit fed up with business as usual. The political system is pretty well broken, the jobs we thought would be here are hard to find, and the outlook is grim.  But in every corner of this State, there are people that want to talk about the good things the State has to offer, the good things that they have to offer the State, and other sometimes mundane, but hilarious topics.  People want Michigan to succeed, but one voice is tough to hear through all the noise.  But what if a few hundred of them got together in some vacant building somewhere and talked about how to fix things, all while having a drink or two with their friends?  Would that get people's attention?

...Cuz tonight...is Ignite...and I'm feeling, alright...

I really don't know how I made the connection between Whitney Houston's first number one hit and a frenetic five minutes of energy, information, and applause.  But I did.  Ignite Lansing (along with the little siblings in Ann Arbor and Detroit) is built on a fairly simple premise.  Founded by some folks at O'Reilly media, the basic idea is that, If given 5 minutes to talk about anything in front of a rapt audience, what would you say? In short, the creative class' wet dream.  Or, as one of Ignite Portland's organizers called it "Attention Deficit Theater."  

...Just five stolen minutes is all that we share...

Basically, presenters get five minutes and 20 powerpoint slides in which to enlighten the general public on some topic.  But why exactly is this on a 'nightlife' blog?  Well, I can't vouch for Ann Arbor or Detroit, but in Lansing, we make it an event.  Plenty of food and beer, a professionally built and lit stage, professional sound, and 500 or so people packed into some previously vacant or underutilized building in the area.  For one night, we bring a party to your neighborhood.  Maybe you are just there for the atmosphere and afterparty.  Maybe you want to learn about ice climbing.  Perhaps you just stumbled into a ticket and were curious.  In any circumstance, you will leave enlightened and feeling better about where we are going as a State. 

...We'll be making love the whole night through...

Okay, so the Play-on-Whitney's-Words doesn't hold for long.  But hey, Ignite is a hellacious time.  And if you are actually reading this, you don't have tickets, and you want to check out Ignite Lansing 3.0, drop me a note.  I will get you in.  I know people.

Ignite Lansing 3.0 is Friday, March 5th at the Knapps' Building in downtown Lansing.  Door is 6:30.  Tickets are free, but are already gone as they sold out in record time.  Keep an eye out for 4.0.