Where do you tailgate in Ann Arbor?
Today is the first day I truly felt Fall coming all summer. It's in the mid-60s here in SE MI with a nice breeze.
It's in the air. Being at the Art Fair this past weekend accelerated thoughts of Football season and with camp starting a week from today, it's going to be here very quickly.
Where do you tailgate at? I've been tailgating at Jack's lot on Potter of Main since my first game when I was 9 years old but my family has been tailgating there for nearly 40 years in the back right corner of that lot.
The tailgate has grown in size and scale each year. We did different foods every game last season and that will continue going forward.
Our setup in the back corner is the first one there and last one to leave. Get there when it's dark and leave when it's dark.
Wolverine Little House
Featured in Angelique's book 100 Things Every Michign Fan Must Do
or Should Do
something like that
Porta John, catered before and after, two TVs
the best
Fingerle Lumber. 1x per year for the past few years. Plenty of people around and it's right next to the railroad tracks. My only complaint is that we get there early and they spot us wayyyy away from the porta johns. The Fingerle's showroom allows the tailgaters to use their one (1) inside restroom but it's always full. Last year we also got spotted next to a jersey shore-style dj setup complete with shitty beats.
Other than that, I like the lumberyard.
Uof M lot (SC 9 ... I think). Not sure what the building is now, but in the 1960's it's where Red Berenson skated for the Maize and Blue (my dad would take me to the games. place held probably 500 people !!). Love it. Elbel right across the street. Real bathrooms there, and the MMB does their warm up on the Elbel practice field. Kids love throwing the ball around on the turf field (ok - me too). Post game ... right out of the stadium, I call Cottage Inn for pizza (2 blocks away. I go get the pizzas and my sons set up the satellite for some post game football watching until the traffic clears. A great Saturday agenda .... can't wait !!!
Go Blue!
Just go to Jack's.....
Dominicks is a lot of fun before games. I've been meeting friends there for years. I realize that going to a bar/restaurant isn't exactly tailgating but the atmosphere, beer etc is great. The Ann Arbor Golf and Outing course is also a good choice.
Brown Lot brown out for me....
bother tailgating. But when we do, we go to a spot where the people next to us in the stadium are set up - on the edge of Greenview Park next to the west side of the Pioneer Woods. It's a very nice spot and we can park on the street for free (although you need to get there early enough to get a parking spot close to the grass area. Then, it's just a short walk through the woods and you're at Pioneer.
How this lot has so much green space is beyond me.
At home.
Get off my lawn damn tailgaters.
I used to tailgatge in Jack's lot on Potter too from 06-10. We were near the back corner as well. Moved over to the Michigan from the heart tailgate on Berkely since then.
With so many friends at the game, it's most fun to meet up with multiple groups at the golf course, the Blue Lot, etc. I make sure I have some travelers ("I love you Blue Solo cup") and go mingle.
When I was a kid, I would tailgate with my dad in the parking lot behind the old tennis courts. He'd back up to the chain-link fence, pop the trunk, and we had our tailgate! We'd usually walk down and follow the band up to the tunnel before the game.
These days, we go to AAGO. Been parkign there for I think 18 years, getting the season pass for about 5 years. We're always at the sand trap down the hill from the clubhouse. We get there early (season pass gets you in half-hour earlier than general parking) and spend probably 45 minutes setting everything up (canopy, bar, grill, food tables, satellite/tv, etc.). Sometimes I think my dad's way was much better! It's a pain having to pack up before going in to the game, then set up again after the game only to have to tear down again and leave the course 2 hours after the game ends.
We actually paid one of my nephews and his buddies to stay with our tailgate during a couple of games last year (they are poor UM undergrads) so we didn't have to pack up before going in to the game. Worked out pretty well.
One thing I've noticed since I've been tailgating at AAGO over the last 18 years: people are way more abusive to the course than they used to be. Between the tire marks and the trash left behind (looked like a trash moonscape after the Sparty game 2 years ago). Quite a few thefts going on from tailgate sites a couple of years ago, didn't hear of many last year, though. Porta-Johns can get really rank, we started bring a portable shower tent to our tailgates a couple years ago and using it as our private outhouse. Always paint up the piss bucket in the opposing teams colors! Wondering when AAGO will decide it's not worth parking cars there any more (probably never, they'll just keep raising parking prices).
Funny piss-bucket story: we, of course, had a Sparty logo piss-bucket at the game 2 years ago. After the game, we emptied it and left it sitting beside the trash barrel. A Sparty fan came along and said "hey, can I have this?" and picked it up and carried it off. Hopefully used it to mix up a nice salty batch of sangria...
Have an in on parking at chrysler. And i have to say, iv'e met many of celebs and players there after games... Nice spot.
Would it be alright if I swung by??
Bringing this back for a quick question:
A buddy and I are gonna be in town for the Sparty game, any tailgates open to the public for a fee?