Parish House Inn: April 2015

This is a new series of posts from my daughter Martha as she travels the area exploring the highways and byways of our area. The trips all begin at the Parish House Inn and downtown Ypsilanti and then go wherever the road takes her. She will be our in - house guide, and can assist you as you plan your next visit to the Parish House Inn and the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti area. CLICK HERE to select your favorite room.

Michigan Ave - US 12

EXPLORING WITH MARTHA...

Destination: Pizza Rolls

I have been planning to make this trip ever since I went to the Ypsilanti Farmer's market last November and tasted the pizza rolls made by the Stone Hearth Bakery in Brooklyn, Michigan. My son, Joe and I decided to take advantage of a beautiful Spring day, and so we set our GPS and were off to explore Michigan Ave going west from our home base, the Parish House Inn, in Ypsilanti. Along the way we discovered some hidden gems that looked interesting for future explorations.

Saline is a bustling community and only 20 minutes down the road. In the center of the city is the Rentschler Farm Museum, circa 1901, a large historic farm house, barn and a very large yard. We plan to visit again to go on a tour and see the events. At the main intersection of Ann Arbor and Michigan Avenue, there are several restaurants, shops and a large parking area.

Clinton, only 30 minutes from Ypsilanti, I saw tree lined streets with older houses, quaint shops and restaurants with the Historic Clinton Inn on the corner of the downtown. It was as though we had stepped back in time. There 's even a golf course!

The Irish Hills, 40 minutes into our trip, brought my mind back to the lake areas of Southern Maine, where we lived for 8 years, where there are small resorts with individual cabins and camp grounds. There is a recreation facilities include a miniature golf course and an Old West Town. If you can picture rolling hills, small lakes and winding roads, this is it.

Brooklyn, about 50 minutes to our destination. Brooklyn is where the Michigan International Speedway is located, and is the center of activity when NASCAR races are there. We followed our directions, turning north on M50, and found the Stone Hearth Bakery. Pizza Rolls it seems are their THING!....but they also make lots of other yummy treats and a wide variety of breads. After deciding on which type of bread we wanted, and how many pizza rolls to get, we walked around a bit to see some of the shops and began our journey back to the Parish House Inn.

It was a successful trip and we had a good time exploring. There are many more places and sights to see as well. In the summer, there are fresh vegetable stands and ice cream shops every few miles. Looking forward to seeing you and sharing even more tips...