Go Blue. A Journey through Outlets, Ann Arbor, and the Elusive Donuts

 

Our day started bright and early, the kind of early that only a dedicated shopper could appreciate. We were determined to be at the outlet center the moment it opened its doors. A few minutes after 10am, I found myself stepping into the first store, filled with high hopes for unbeatable deals. Unfortunately, this shop didn’t quite live up to the dream — no good deals, and the sales racks were more miss than hit. While I was still busy trying on clothes, Scott, ever the conversationalist, chatted up the sales assistant and learned all about her life as a nanny and a nursing student. And guess what - we even knew the house, she was babysitting last night.

With not much to show for our first stop, we got back in the car and drove to Howell, where the usual spectacle of Halloween displays awaited us. Imagine a whole front yard turned into various movie set replicas — just pure Halloween fun! It didn’t disappoint, except for one of the ten displays that left us scratching our heads, unable to figure it out.

Onward to the second mall, where we grabbed a quick burger lunch and did a bit more shopping. The day’s biggest disappointment came when I walked into the Swarovski store. Let me tell you, it looked more like a cheap market stall in Asia than the crystal-laden wonderland I was expecting.

Next, we headed for Ann Arbor. We arrived at the hotel, did a quick change, and rushed downtown for a dinner with Rebecca. Or so we thought. A slight miscommunication turned our dinner plans into "dinner without Rebecca." It wasn’t all bad, though — I enjoyed the thinnest slice of salmon I’ve ever encountered. Thin but tasty!

After that, we were on a mission to satisfy our sweet tooth. Peace, Love, and Little Donuts was calling our names, but by the time we arrived — 8:43pm to be exact — the doors were locked and the lights were out, despite the closing time being 9pm. There they were, piles of tiny donuts sitting in the display, taunting us through the glass. Foiled again! But fate hadn’t entirely turned its back on us; a quick walk down to Bakehouse 46, where cupcakes awaited, saved the evening. At 8:52pm, the lights were still welcoming, and I scored a vanilla latte cupcake for free — victory at last!