Things to Do in Ann Arbor

Senior Master Dean L. Wainwright—a 6th Dan master in both tae kwon do and hap ki do—builds his team of instructors not only from other decorated masters, but also those students whose exceptional dedication and skill might help their peers learn the martial arts. Assistant instructor Ian Bejster, for instance, uses his massive talent and youthful stature to help educate Mini and Little Ninjas as young as 3 years old. Together, this team reaches out to students of all ages, engaging them in learning the swift, graceful kicks of tae kwon do or the soft, circular redirections of hap ki do, the only known method for fighting a revolving door.

Once upon a time, the grounds surrounding the Mill Lake Outdoor Recreation Center was filled with the gleeful laughter of children, but today only screams can be heard cutting through the darkness. First opened in the 1930s, the camp's cabins have sunk into disrepair since their closure in the ‘90s, but that doesn't mean they've remained empty. The festering site now serves as home to a whole host of ghouls, foul creatures, and lingering campers still struggling to master the square knot.

If they make it through the sinister paths, guests can calm their chattering teeth while warming up by a bonfire or embrace a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing a portion of the haunt's profits goes toward restoring the historic Mill Lake Cabins.

Working at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1994 World Cup are a few of the sporting events on camp director Shelly Watkins's resumé, which she draws on to run a summer camp for kids of all ages. A mother herself, she believes in giving each child individual attention, recognition, and respect, rewarding campers with high-fives and compliments for jobs well done. Together with assistant camp director Cortney Spiegel, she runs fun-packed day camps focused on arts, sports, field trips, and specialty programs. Professional counselors work with pintsize Pacinos in the Lights, Camera, Action class to make short films; kick off Nerf-themed sports events in the Nerf Extravaganza class; or venture out to bowling, movies, rollerblading, and laser tag during the Mega Adventure Field Trip. Shelly and her friendly crew also lead precamp and aftercamp activities for early-morning and evening supervision, and junior camp for campers aged 4¬–7 or 10-year-olds having their pre-preteen life crisis.

Passionate staff members stroll through bell-shaped fairy doors at The Bead Gallery’s Ann Arbor location, which has housed a voluminous spread of crafting accessories in an idyllic Victorian abode for more than 20 years. Both here and at the store's Howell locale, sprawling aisles house an epic selection of Czech pressed glass beads, Swarovski crystals, and semiprecious gemstones, which customers can buy loose, by the strand, or in repurposed Skittles bags. Crafters can also sign up for classes that cycle through beadwork, metal and stone techniques, and methods for manipulating wire and glass. Along with their expert instruction, The Bead Gallery’s crackerjack staff can also flex their restringing skills to repair beaten-up baubles.

The course at Lake Forest Golf Club keeps golfers of all abilities on their toes with two unique nines that wind through 176 acres of natural terrain, which helped earn it a spot as host of LPGA Futures Tour events for five years in a row. The links-style front nine lets big hitters pummel their drives without fear of getting permanently stuck in dense forestation or hearing the unsettling scream of a falling tree. Bookended by par 5s on holes one and nine, the front nine rewards long drives but requires that golfers remain nimble, as the second and eighth holes are both treacherous par 3s that punish improper club selection. Between the 9th and 10th tees, golfers see a rapid transformation from links-style to a back nine more reminiscent of northern Michigan, with tree-lined fairways, wetlands, and areas dotted with wildflowers. Here, course-management capabilities become starkly apparent, as golfers must repeatedly make the choice whether to lay up short of water, muscle shots over water onto the green, or wait for the next drought.

In addition to plenty of opportunities to take strokes that count, Lake Forest Golf Club encourages game improvement through risk-free practice strokes at its 5-acre practice facility. Players work on their entire games from long bombs off the tee on a three-tier driving range to short-game dexterity on two large putting greens, two sand bunkers, and a chipping area. Headed up by LPGA teaching professional Debbie Williams-Hoak, the facility also teaches the game through individual and group lessons with male and female instructors.

Course at a Glance:

• Par 72 course
• Length of 6,620 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.8 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 135 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options:m]]