6:02AM 5/7/2000 http://www.aaamich.com/travel/tips_services/michigan_living/treasure_awards.asp?SubCatID=9&SecondNav=5 MICHIGAN LIVING MAGAZINE Readers Choice: State's Best Bets Stories by MEGAN SWOYER Thanks to our readers' enthusiastic participation, this year's Michigan Living Treasure Awards recognize an outstanding selection of favorite products, shops restaurants, cultural institutions, sports venues and other attractions. From the avalanche of entries received, we drew a name for a free getaway. This year's winner was Betty Wood of Michigan Center near Jackson. She receives a two-night getaway for two at Crystal Mountain Resort near Thompsonville. Michigan Living readers selected this Up North four-season resort as having the best cross-country ski trail in the state. "I think Michigan is the greatest," says Wood, a lifelong resident who grew up in the Jackson area. "I wouldn't live anywhere else." We'll publish a 2001 nomination form in the October issue. So keep your eyes open and your pencils handy to keep track of your favorite Great Lakes State gems. Ron Garbinski - Editor ©Copyright 1996 - 2000 AAA Michigan, All Rights Reserved PUBLIC GARDEN 1. Frederik Meijer Gardens, 1000 E. Beltline, Grand Rapids, (616) 957-1580 Plan to spend at least a half day at this 5-year-old plant and art lover's playground. The 118-acre botanical garden and sculpture park features everything from unusual and exotic blooms to one of only two castings of the monumental, 24-foot-tall bronze Leonardo da Vinci's Horse sculpture. Along with more than 100 works of 20th-century American sculpture, the gardens also brim with neat things to buy (and make), wetlands, woodlands, a winding boardwalk passing Mother Nature's finest works, huge conservatory spaces and more. Older folks can take a load off their feet and enjoy an outdoor tram tour on the weekends, May through October. Spring events include the "Foremost's Butterflies Are Blooming" exhibit, which runs through April 23 and the Annual Perennial Plant Sale, May 12-13. 2. Dow Gardens, Midland 3. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor 4. Cranbrook Gardens, Bloomfield Hills 5. (Tie) MSU Horticultural Gardens (4-H Children's Garden), East Lansing (Tie) Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton SMALL MUSEUM 1. Ella Sharp Museum, 3225 Fourth St., (Exit 138 off I-94), Jackson, (517) 787-2320 When community activist Ella Sharp died in 1912, she left her farmhouse, estate and 800 acres to the city of Jackson. "Everyone was shocked; she kept it a big secret," says Heather Price, who now works for the result of Sharp's generosity: The Ella Sharp Museum. Made up of several small historic buildings, a modern exhibit building, Ella's Granary restaurant, a gift shop, three children's discovery areas, plus Ella's house, the complex today would make Ella, who grew up in Jackson and lived a life that served others, proud. The intriguing complex is set inside Ella Sharp Park, which also contains an 18-hole golf course. The exhibition, "Sunlight and Shadow: American Impressionism," runs from April 29 through June 18. 2. Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Ann Arbor 3. Impression 5 Science Center, Lansing 4. U-M Museum of Art, Ann Arbor 5. (Tie) Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Kalamazoo (Tie) Cranbrook science and art museums, Bloomfield Hills (Tie) Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit SLEDDING HILL 1. Cascades Falls Park, Jackson 2. Kensington Metropark, Milford 3. Echo Valley, Comstock (tobogganing) 4. Balduck Park, Detroit 5. Stony Creek Metropark, Washington MICHIGAN WEB SITE 1. www.aaamich.com (AAA Michigan) 2. www.michiganweb.com 3. www.dnr.state.mi.us (Michigan Department of Natural Resources) 4. www.uptravel.com (Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association) 5. www.visitdetroit.com (Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau) CHERRY PIE 1. Cherry Hut, U.S. 31, Beulah, (231) 882-4431 2. Grand Traverse Pie Co., Traverse City 3. Crane's Pie Pantry, Fennville 4. Achatz Pie Co., Armada 5. Mabel's, Traverse City Come May 27, the lines will start twisting through the parking lot at the downhome-style Cherry Hut restaurant. Sure the turkey dinners (served every day) are great. And so are the cinnamon rolls. But the apples of everyone's eyes are the cherries, especially when they come tucked within two flaky triangles of buttery crust. The secret to the Hut's cherry pie success? "It's an old recipe and we don't put any filler in," says owner Leonard Case. "And the cherries are from a local orchard, so they're really fresh." Open from the end of May through about the middle of October, the Hut, which has been run by the Case family since 1959, serves lunch and dinner and may start serving breakfasts. "My son just graduated from Michigan State and will be running the restaurant. He wants to do breakfasts," says Case. Bring on the cherry pancakes. PLACE TO WATCH SPORTING EVENT 1. Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, (734) 647-BLUE Even a few Spartan fans admit they enjoy their occasional visits to Michigan Stadium, thanks to the Wolverine arena's cool setup. Built in 1927 for $950,000, the stadium sits on a former strawberry patch and underground spring. The site's high water-table area led to nearly three-quarters of the stadium being built below ground level. A big plus is its location across from the U-M Golf Course, which makes it easy for tailgaters to find a great spot to tip a tall one, crank up the porta-grill and rev up for the game. Fashioned after the Yale Bowl, the stadium now seats 107,501. In 1998, the stadium broke its attendance record with 111,238 fans watching the Wolverines take on the Michigan State Spartans. 2. The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills 3. Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 4. Tiger Stadium, Detroit 5. Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids WEEKEND GETAWAY 1. Mackinac Island 2. Frankenmuth 3. Traverse City 4. Saugatuck 5. (Tie) Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant (Tie) Petoskey FAMILY ATTRACTION 1. Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, Dearborn 2. Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak 3. Frankenmuth 4. Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, Muskegon 5. (Tie) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire (Tie) Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek NATURE CENTER 1. Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge, Kalamazoo, (616) 381-1574 Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the 1,000-acre Kalamazoo Nature Center gets high marks for its many educational --and fun-- exhibits. "There have been some visionaries involved with this since the beginning," says Kit Almy of the center. "We bring nature to everyone and show everyone the value of it." Visitors can view large samples of nature upclose. "Some of the models are 10 times the size of an actual item," says Almy, "including giant tree trunks and birds' nests and an 8-foot-tall prairie flower." Located five miles north of Kalamazoo, the center also features an aquarium with reptiles, fish and amphibians that are native to Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo River. An art exhibition space presents various shows, including "Wild About Plants," which runs through the end of April. 2. Kensington Metropark, Milford 3. Dahlem Center, Jackson 4. Blandford Nature Center, Grand Rapids 5. Stony Creek Metropark, Washington GENERAL STORE 1. Dixboro General Store, 5206 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, (734) 663-5558 You never know what you might find at the Dixboro General Store, housed in a 160-year-old building. "We've got everything from penny candy to furniture," says shop owner Allan Goode, noting that the building has "a typical general store look." Goode, with his wife, Cheryl, purchased the building 10 years ago. "It had been an antique store and was closed. When we bought it, we filled it with country furnishings, gifts, jellies, jams, penny candy, antique accessories," says Goode, whose antique reproduction furniture is crafted all over the United States. Open daily, the charming emporium now boasts a new garden in the back. "We sell plants, too," says Goode, "and garden accessories." The Goodes also run a greenhouse in Salem Township. 2. Rau's Country Store, Frankenmuth 3. Symons General Store, Petoskey 4. Lexington General Store, Lexington 5. Frontier Town, Washington Township MICHIGAN CHEF 1. Jimmy Schmidt, The Rattlesnake Club, Detroit 2. Craig Common, Common Grill, Chelsea 3. Brian Polycn, Five Lakes Grill, Milford 4. Harlan "Pete" Peterson, Tapawingo, Ellsworth 5. Aldo Ottaviani, Andiamo Italia, Warren TUBING AREA 1. Rifle River 2. AuSable River, near Mio 3. Muskegon River 4. Platte River from Platte Lake to Lake Michigan 5. Boardman River, Traverse City BIRD-WATCHING SITE 1. Kensington Metropark, 2240 W. Buno Road, Milford, (248) 685-1561 This scenic 4,357-acre facility attracts winged beauties throughout the year, including Canada geese and ducks as well as migratory birds. The beautiful Kent Lake and Huron River, ringed by wooded hilly terrain, draw plenty of waterfowl in the spring and fall. Bird-watchers can trek the many nature trails, which are open from daylight to dusk, or rent a paddle boat or rowboat, available at the Boat Rental Building near Maple Beach. If hitting the well-marked trails, be sure to pick up a map and information on services provided by the park naturalist at the Nature Center. Insider's tip: The park's variety of trees and shrubs makes it one of Southeast Michigan's best spots for autumn color tours. 2. Seney Wildlife Refuge, Germfask 3. Whitefish Point, north of Paradise in the Upper Peninsula 4. Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary, Jackson 5. (Tie) Tawas Point State Park, Tawas City (Tie) Tobico Marsh, Bay City (Tie) Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Richland U-PICK FARM 1. Blake Orchards Cider Mill, 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada, (810) 784-5343 2. Middleton Berry Farm, Lake Orion 3. Long Family Orchard & Farm, Commerce Township 4. Crane Orchards, Fennville 5. Erwin Orchards and Cider Mill, South Lyon In 1946, the Blakes moved from Detroit to the country to run a small orchard. Today, Blake Orchards Cider Mill in Armada brims with several U-pick options, a cider mill with doughnuts, Christmas trees (cut your own), a bakery (try the fudge and caramel apples), pumpkin patch, farm market and more. "We have three locations (two in Armada and one in Almont), and the one on Armada Center Road is the biggest," says Raymond Blake, one of the three Blake brothers who run the June-through- December operation. U-pick crops include strawberries, cherries, raspberries, tart cherries, pumpkins and apples. "You can drive your car out to the orchard or ride out on a wagon," says Blake. HOME TOUR 1. Marshall Home Tour (Sept. 9-10, 2000) 2. Northville Holiday Home Tour (in November, date TBA) 3. Meadow Brook Hall, Oakland University, Rochester Hills (ongoing) 4. Grand Rapids Heritage Hill Home Tour (Oct. 7-8) 5. Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores (ongoing) CROSS-COUNTRY SKI TRAIL 1. Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville 2. Kensington Metropark, Milford 3. Boyne Mountain, Harbor Springs 4. VASA Trail, Traverse City 5. (Tie) Corsair trail system, East Tawas (Huron-Manistee National Forest) (Tie) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire MICHIGAN-MADE WINE 1. Trillium, Good Harbor Vineyards, three miles south of Leland on M-22, (231) 256-7165 Good Harbor Vineyards, a small, family-owned Northwest Michigan winery founded in 1980 to produce high-quality table wines, sits behind Manitou Farm Market on the Leelanau Peninsula. The vineyards take advantage of Lake Michigan's moderating effect to grow a variety of wine grapes, including Seyval, Vignoles and Riesling varieties that all blend to create the delightful taste of the vineyards' most popular wine --Trillium. "It's a nice, clean, fruity wine," says winery owner Bruce Simpson, who produces about 20,000 cases of wine per year. "There's nothing done to it, it's just what Northern Michigan gives to it." You can sample Trillium and other wines from late May through Nov. 1 at the vineyards. 2. Winter White, Leelanau Wine Cellars, Omena 3. Reserve Chardonnay, Chateau Grand Traverse, Old Mission Peninsula 4. Fishtown White, Good Harbor Vineyards, Leland 5. Traverse Bay Winery Cherry Wine, Chateau Grand Traverse, Old Mission Peninsula NEW RESTAURANT IN 1999 1. Dan's River Grill, 223 E. Main St., Manchester, (734) 428-9500 2. 221B Baker Street, Clarkston 3. Logan's Roadhouse, Roseville 4. Mico's, Traverse City 5. D'Amatos, Ann Arbor If you've been to the Moveable Feast in Ann Arbor, you're up on owners Dan and Carol Huntsbarger's talents. This time, the restaurateurs go to the country with Dan's River Grill, which opened last August in an 1880s building in downtown Manchester. Initially a hardware store, the renovated space now draws folks hungry for everything from duck and steak to chicken and pasta. "People love our steaks that are marinated in a beer concoction," says Dan, who lives in Manchester. "When I saw that the building was up for sale, I told myself I couldn't drive past it knowing that it wasn't mine." Gutted and stripped down to its original brick, the cozy eatery, located on the Raisin River, serves lunch and dinner. CIDER MILL 1. Franklin Cider Mill, Bloomfield Hills 2. Yates Cider Mill, Rochester 3. Uncle John's Cider Mill, St. Johns 4. Wiard's Orchards, Ypsilanti 5. (Tie) Robinette's, Grand Rapids (Tie) Parmenter's Cider Mill, Northville ART GALLERY 1. Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit 2. Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson 3. (Tie) Gwen Frostic Gallery, Benzonia (Tie) Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills (Tie) Flint Institute of Arts, Flint (Tie) Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester (Tie) Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids