Wandering Around Ann Arbor

I decided to head over to Ann Arbor yesterday.  They were having a thing called Festifools (more on that in the next post).  Since I parked a little away from Main Street, I decided to take a few pictures in Ann Arbor.

 I think this is an AT&T building.  I'm not sure what they use it for now but I thought the architecture on it was pretty interesting.

 The Blue Nile Restaurant in Ann Arbor.  It is an Ethiopian restaurant and from what I remember it was pretty good.  I think there used to be one in Detroit as well but that closed down a long time ago.

 A shot from the front.  Once again, it looks like it is part of the standard Midwestern town template.

I kind of liked the reflections in the window of this building.  I need to try more shots like this.

 A shot from the back of the First National Building in Ann Arbor.  I'm pretty sure I've covered this building here before.

 Looking up at the building.  I kind of like how these old buildings look like they go up forever.

 I really liked this angle with the clock.

 Looking from the front.

 Some of the details on the building.

 One of the Ann Arbor Police cars.  The Ann Arbor Police Department was established in 1847.  The first Police Chief was H.K. Stanley, originally it was an elected position.   This particular car had a K9 officer.

 The Commander's Car.

 Looking down Liberty Street from an angle I don't normally get.

 I've never tried this restaurant...but the name annoys me because I always think of the song.

 Another reflective shot.

 This used to be a restaurant called the Pan Tree. 

 This is a restaurant called "Le Dog".  I've eaten here a couple of times in the past and it was pretty good but he has pretty odd hours.

 A street musician.

 Part of the window display for The Dawn Treader which is a pretty good used bookstore.  Although the book interested me more.

 I pulled back a little bit to get a shot of the full window display.

 Looking up at the Michigan sign.

 Looking at just the Michigan sign.

 The Michigan Ticket Window.

 And then a picture of the State Theater.

 The window display of a Sushi Restaurant.

 Hill Auditorium.

 Looking at the Grad Library.

And looking up at the Burton Memorial Tower.

Sunny Day Wolverine

Before wandering about today, I decided to get shots of the Wolverine.

 I was getting a late start, so I wasn't sure if  I could catch it at Depot Town, so I just stopped nearby.  I might have made it but I'm not sure as it was a couple minutes later.

 I didn't realize they banked the curved tracks.

 Looks kind of cool.

 And just like that it passes by.

A shot of the rear engine.

The Belle Isle Aquarium

It has been over a year since I've been to the Belle Isle Aquarium.  In that time, I've found out that they have been opened on Saturdays but I haven't had the opportunity to go there.  Yesterday, I decided to take that opportunity.

 The building itself was designed by Albert Kahn.  And it is a pretty nice looking building.

 A shot of the entrance.

 A sign proclaiming it to be the oldest in the country. 

 I think this is a gar pike but I am not sure.  One of the things I noticed was that they had more fish in the aquariums.  Slowly they are working their way back to what they were.  I suspect that they found some aquariums not in the best of shop.

 A pair of red eared sliders.  It would be nice if they had turtles that were native to Michigan.

 A moray eel.

 The interior of the building is pretty nice.  Albert Kahn designed it this way to give the illusion of being under water.

 Looking back towards the front of the Aquarium.

 They've used some of the tanks for other displays.  I'm hoping that they get fish in these some day.

 One of the things I remembered from before the aquarium was closed was the electric eels.  They finally got a pair of them.

 Looking back from the front.  I will have to go back when I can spend a little more time there. 

Another shot of the front of the building.  It is pretty cool that they are in the process of restoring the Aquarium.  I'm not sure if it will ever get back to its original glory but I would be happy if it got closer.

Random Shots from Belle Isle

Just some random shots from wandering around the island.

 I kind of liked the way the sun was hitting the sit.  I really liked the way the ice looked on the river.

 So much so, that I took another shot.

 The Bristol Bay at the Coast Guard station.  With all the ice around, I would think she would be out and about but maybe she has issues.

 An attempt at framing.

 A Detroit School District police car.

One more shot of the skyline.