Ah, those lazy, hazy days of summer. Summer is almost coming to an end- so here’s a list of things not to miss before fall comes our way.
1. Take a glass bottom boat tour aboard the Lady Michigan. Experience the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay without getting wet. Through September 12, Lady Michigan cruises three times a day, seven days a week. For more information, click here.
2. Catch Spamalot at Thunder Bay Theatre, closing this weekend. Lovingly inspired by Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Get ready to laugh. Shows are Saturday 8/20 at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday 8/21 at 2 pm. Click here for ticket information. Connect with them on Facebook here for their upcoming announcements of fall & winter lineup.
3. Dine al fresco in downtown Alpena. Grab food and drinks at the Fresh Palate, or a glass of wine at Thunder Bay Winery. Or all of the above. People watching optional.
4. Or grab food to go & enjoy the parks of downtown Alpena. Take 5 Deli has a killer reuben (evidence here). And then refresh with an iced coffee or tea at The Marketplace or Cabin Creek.
5. View the works of art on exhibit through DIA’s Inside Out program. Bonus points if you visit all twelve. They’ll be here through October on various buildings & locations. Click for a map of all the works on display here.
6. And don’t forget to stop in downtown Alpena’s art galleries, too. Beat the heat by visiting Art in the Loft and Thunder Bay Arts Council, both featuring an amazing selection of works by local artists.
7. Take a photo by the fish mural downtown. Just finished this summer. Take in its grandeur. Post it on social media. Tag it with #downtownAlpena, of course.
8. Downtown Scoops. Ice cream. Enough said. Best enjoyed in the sunshine.
9. Flowers, flowers, flowers. Have you noticed how beautiful the flowers are in downtown? Take some visible sunshine home at The Marketplace, which now carries fresh bouquets from Falls Creek Produce & Flowers. Or grab some at the Alpena Farmer’s Market (open Wednesday and Saturday’s from 8 am- 1 pm).
10. Go for a bike ride. Take advantage of the bi-path that runs through Alpena. Also, through 9/4, those who bike to the Marketplace get 15% off their purchase.
Want to meet other leisurely biking enthusiasts? Join Harbourside Cycle & Sport for their Wednesday night group bike rides (details here) or join Performance Locker on their Slow Rides on the first Sunday of each month (details here).
11. Take a walk on the break wall in Alpena’s harbor. Drop by sunset for optimum viewing. Yinglings sail Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
August, “hanging at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn.”
Enjoy these last few weeks before that Ferris wheel drops to the chill of autumn.
Blog Downtown Alpena is written by Anne Gentry in conjunction with the Alpena DDA. Follow the blog on Facebook here. And share pictures of our downtown there while you’re at it.
