Day Trip: Lansing and East Lansing

Sept. 14, 2014

The Greater Lansing area is home to more than just Spartans. There’s actually too much to do to fill a weekend – better make a couple trips.

GAS

It’s 180-220 miles from Northern Michigan to Lansing. You’ll likely spend $40-$60 on gas for a round trip. The best route from here is to take M-115 south of Cadillac to U.S. 10 until just past Clare, where U.S. 127 splits off towards Mount Pleasant.

KNOWN FOR

Lansing is our state’s capitol, so there are a lot of state government buildings and staff. It’s also the county seat for Ingham County (more government). East Lansing is home to Michigan State University with close to 50,000 students. MSU is of course known for its agriculture programs, College of Veterinary Medicine, two medical schools, and its athletics, including a Rose Bowl victory and a men’s basketball Big 10 Conference Championship in 2014.

STAY

Budget: Typical of any lodging situation, the farther you are away from the action, the cheaper the stay. The Days Inn on West Saginaw, about 11 miles from Spartan Stadium and 8 miles from the Capitol, costs $70/ night. There’s a heated indoor pool.

Upscale: The Radisson Hotel on North Grand Avenue is a block from the capitol and other government offices (including City of Lansing offices) and an easy stroll to several restaurants. $148/night.

Unique: The Wild Goose Inn is a B&B right amidst the action of East Lansing. Walk to Spartan Stadium (about a mile) or feel like you’re in the middle of the woods in the Great Lakes Room, which has a 20-by-14- foot patio, said Manager Paul Martin. Rates range from $139/night Sunday-Thursday to $159/night on weekends. The most popular room, according to Martin, is the Autumn Arbors, with a bed framed with branches and a Jacuzzi tub.

PLAY

There’s no admission fee to visit the State Capitol, designed by Elijah E. Myers. It took six years to build and was dedicated in 1879. Tour hours are 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday. Call (517) 373-2353 or (517) 373-2348 for times or to schedule a tour for groups of 10 or more.

The MSU Dairy Store has two locations on campus – Anthony Hall and the MSU Union. The ice cream is legendary, and there are flavors honoring other Big 10 teams (try the Huskers Sweet Corn). The Sesquicentennial Swirl is the most popular flavor, says Chad McFee, marketing manager. It’s green and white (of course) with white cake batter ice cream and thick green fudge. Dagano Cheese, developed at MSU in the 1960s, is also popular, and there’s Grilled Cheese Monday, where you get a free cup of tomato soup when you buy a sandwich.

Red Cedar Spirits is the showcase for the Michigan State University Artisan Distilling Program. You can even pair your drinks with cheeses from the MSU Dairy Plant. It touts itself as the largest distillery in Michigan. Try the Gin Spring Thyme Collins, and then get something to take home. The distillery is open Thursday and Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1-1 pm. 2000 Merritt Road. Tours are available.

The Wharton Center for the Performing Arts on campus offers big-name artists (David Sedaris, Oct. 26), Broadway shows ("Once," Oct. 14-19) and student performances (Freshman Showcase, Nov. 6-9); www.whartoncenter.com.

THE EVENT

The Old Town BluesFest is a free street concert scheduled for Sept. 19-20 at Turner and Grand River in Lansing. Old Town is one of Lansing’s coolest, yet undiscovered neighborhoods. Besides blues acts, there are workshops, a beverage tent and ethnic food.

"It’s pretty laid-back, kinda cool," said Pete Skiba, manager of Meat BBQ on Turner Street, one of the streets closed off for Bluesfest. "It’s good music. It’s blues, but whether you like blues or not, there’s something to listen to."

There are kids activities including helping make a 3-D model of the Broad Art Museum, riverboat tours (and even a riverboat taxi to get you to the party) and the "Turnaround Lounge," which features happy hour (free admission) from 4 to 6pm, Friday, Sept. 19.

For more information, go to www.oldtownbluesfest.com/

WHO KNEW?

Crego Park is Lansing’s biggest park – and it’s been closed for 28 years.

The park, off Mount Hope Road at East Jefferson, reopened this summer after contamination closed it in 1986. The culprit?

More than 200 drums of paint and other toxic waste. FMC Corp. of Philadelphia did the bulk of the cleanup and state grants got it back into park shape.

There’s even a lake: The 15-acre Fidelity Lake had a lot of summer recreation programs. Paths connect Crego Park to the new Lansing River Trail, which runs from Jolly Road (east of Lansing) to Old Town.

The 200-acre Crego Park was previously known as Red Cedar Flood Basin Park before being renamed to honor former Mayor Ralph Crego.