Last weekend, my friends and I enjoyed a trip to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Every year, we make the short journey to attend a football game at one of the most famous collegiate stadiums, the Big House.

This year, we saw the Michigan Wolverines host the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. Despite being from the Chicago area, we were staunchly rooting for Big Blue.

The football game itself was one of the most exciting games I have ever attended and will probably go down in history as one of the biggest wins in the illustrious history of Michigan football. The Wolverines prevailed 67-65 in three overtime periods.

After the game, we enjoyed a fine Italian meal at Ciao Amici in Brighton, Mich. The food was outstanding. I had a seafood angel hair pasta dish which was so flavorful and tasty, I was sad to see it finished. This was definitely one of my top 20 meals ever.

On Sunday, on the way back to Chicago, we stopped at a little sports bar in Bridgman, Mich., called the Get Away Grill and Cubbie Bar. This was a lucky choice, as we were looking for a place to watch the Bears game and Get Away was actually a Chicago-themed pub run by Tom Ackerman, a former scout for the Cubs. This is exactly the type of place I would love in my neighborhood. Excellent food, friendly and fun staff, amazing pictures on the wall and an interesting but not crazy crowd make this a memorable place.

It’s always good to simply get away, but the game, the food and the friends made this a really great weekend.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist