Finally Attending My First Game at the Big House!! Need some info please...

Bigalora(owned by a relative of our's--Luciano Delsignore) Knight's Steakhouse(two locations--one on Main Street and the other on Dexter avenue), Gratzi($), Gandy Dancer(old train station,$), Pizza House..to name a few. Ann Arbor also has plenty of the chain restaurants as well.Red Robin, Macaroni Grill, Applebee's,  etc.

Bars: Ashley's, Conor O'Neill's,  Melánge, Arbor Brewing Company, Grizzly Peak...it's a college town. It has a lot of bars. Just walk the downtown area and you'll find plenty.

Make some time to either tailgate (if you have a car) or just walk around the golf course prior to the game. Nothing gets the juices flowing like the sea of maize and blue you'll see at the golf course hours before kickoff.

As far as walking distance to the stadium goes, unless you know someone in town, or you’re willing to fork over a lot of green, you’re likely out of luck at this point. There might be some openings in hotels on State St by the highway, maybe the Red Roof Inn, but at this point, I don’t know. There might be some rooms at the Kensington, and it’s a nice hotel, but you’ll be playing a lot of money if there are any rooms left. Anywhere in downtown like the Bell Tower was likely booked solid a LONG time ago. You may very well have to find a place in the surrounding area like Plymouth, or even by the airport. But I could be wrong. My guess is there are rooms, but next to nothing near  the stadium, and jacked up prices everywhere else within the city. Supply and demand. What can you do?

But enough of the negative. As far as restaurants go, you really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. If you’re looking for formal, get a reservation in the Chop House ASAP. Best steak in town. Pacific Rim is fantastic as well, as is The Earle, the Blue Tractor, Café Habana, and Real Seafood Company. But you might want to put in reservations now, because if you try week of, you’ll likely be SOL on anywhere that isn’t Bell’s Pizza. For breakfast, try the broken egg, Fleetwood diner, Frita Batidos, or the best one of all, Angelo’s. Lunch wise, Zingermann’s for the best sandwiches you’ll ever have outside of NYC, Maize and Blue Deli is great pre/post-game, and then Blimpy Burger is an absolute must.

As far as what to do in town, there’s obviously touring the university. I personally like heading back to all the great bars/breweries in town. Can’t go wrong with any of them. If you like a good beer, going to Ashley’s is an absolute must. And then there’s Rick’s, of course. Quite a festive American café. On gameday, wherever you’re staying, get to the stadium area early. At least a couple hours before kickoff. Walk by the State/Hill area to see a bunch of passionate, albeit quite inebriated students gear up for the game. Head down Hoover to see the band start their pre-entrance routine and heading over to the stadium. And get to your seats at least half an hour before kickoff. DO NOT miss the band coming out. And of course, make sure to boo the OSU band as loud as humanly possible.

Lastly, make sure at some point to take it all in when you head into the stadium. I’ve been in countless times over the last few years, and walking in through the section tunnel and seeing the whole stadium, even when the team is down, is still an awe-inspiring, goosebump-inducing feeling. You truly feel part of something bigger than yourself. Just calmly observe, and remember that you are bearing witness to the greatest rivalry in American sports.  

Agree 100% with making sure you check out central campus. Also co-sign getting down there at least 2 hours early to soak or all in.

I don't live in AA anymore, but surely some MGoBlogger will invite you by their tailgate. Right folks?

If you don't go anywhere else in A2, got to Blimpy Burger! Best burgers around!! Just to watch the grill crew dump on someone for not ordering their burger properly is worth the trip by itself.

I went to my first Michigan Game in 90 VS Iowa. I have been to four OSU games 3-1 I would say take the bus if you want to get a seat go to Best Western next to Weber's. Go Blue.

To do U of M & A2 right you've got to try Angelo's for breakfast

Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burgers are a must.

Outdoors at Dominick's once is a must.

Fleetwood after the bar is a must for the crazy goings on.

Obviously Zingerman's.

Walking or sledding through the Arb is a must, as are walking through the law quad and law library, spinning the cube & of course the diag.

If you're into things cultural & have time do the art museum, natural history museum and the Kelsey Museum for mummies! There will probably be great national or international music, dance or theater at Hill auditorium, the Power Center, Kerrytown Concert Hall or elsewhere. Downtown the famous Blind Pig is a place to see great bands or singers up close in a small packed space just before they stop playing bars and clubs in favor of bigger arenas.

If you're into good film you'll find things at the beautiful historic Michigan Theater, the State theater or campus screenings at the Natural Science building or Angell Hall that you won't find at the multiplex.

There will probably be any number of interesting lectures, speeches, readings or conferences involving authors, professors or other public figures or intellectuals.

To get some cool photos of Ann Arbor aside from the game & campus, or just for the views, go to the top of Hunt Park at the corner of Spring and Sunset overlooking the town below from the northwest. Turn onto Ceder Bend off of Broadway and stop at the cutaway a few yards down the road for a great view overlooking the hospital complex and the rest of town. You can also get great views from the roof of parking structures downtown & the upper floors of city hall with panoramic views, and when you're in the stadium look out over the top from south endzone and southeast corner for a good view.

On game day definitely check out the wild pregaming at frats and co-ops from Hill and East U. to Hill & State and then down State to Hoover until it's time to follow the river of humanity that fills and flows down Hoover on the way to the game. On that first block of State street off Hill you'll see Pizza Bob's where all your Michigan heroes have had shakes, subs and pizza over the years, and peek in at the Michigan memorabilia museum that is the Coach & Four barber shop where Michigan Men from Bo to Beilein, and probably Harbaugh, get their hair cut.

As you know Michigan Stadium is mostly underground in "the hole that Yost dug," and you'll enter at row 73 & look down, which will take your breath away. When I was a kid the crowds for the average games were only 75, 85 or 90 thousand people, with plenty of empty seats in the endzones and up high, so when Staee or Ohio State came to town and you walked in and see the stadium completely full it was amazing and double breathtaking! So if the timing is right and you get there early you might try waiting until it's about 80+ percent full and then go out for a hotdog or a souvenir, check out the hall of fame display and go back in just before kickoff to see it full and behold!!! But be careful of the line to get into your section so you don't miss kickoff! 

After the game, if you have kids with you, I assume you're still allowed to wait outside the tunnel to get autographs of Harbaugh & the boys, like I used to with Bo & his boys, & or, follow the band back to Revelli Hall and watch the drumline show, which is sometimes a battle with the opposing band's drums.

Saturday night if you want to see the student party life in action, those that don't go home for the holiday anyway, then by 11:30/midnight go to Scorekeepers, Rick's, the Brown Jug, Blue Lep, & Charlies. If we win you'll probably see the players out at the bars if you're interested in that, if we lose they probably won't go out, but either way depending on their schedules you'll probably see Bball guys around.