Midwest Traveler: Ringing in the new year in Ann Arbor, Mich.

From the observation deck of the University of Michigan's Burton Memorial Tower, home of the Baird Carillon, you can see nearly the entire city of Ann Arbor, Mich., and it becomes clear why the city has hit so many of the 2014 "Best Places To … " lists (to live, raise children, beautiful cities, retire, etc.). It's a vibrant town, full of lovely architecture, higher education and an animated food scene.

Even if you don't make it to the top of the tower (it's one of the city's most recognizable landmarks but it's open fairly infrequently), you can at least enjoy its resonant carillon daily. With 4½ octaves of bells, the largest of which weighs 12 tons (the bourdon), and the smallest just 15 pounds, the carillon is rung each quarter-hour from 9:15 a.m. to 9 p.m., the bourdon striking twice each hour. The resounding, comforting tones can be felt deep within the bones, and heard throughout the town.

If the arts are your thing, visit Motawi Tileworks (1-734-213-0017; www.motawi.com) and enjoy a tour of the tileworks (no charge, every Thursday at 11 a.m.). We felt a bit of envy, watching the artists at work on their exquisite tiles. If you liked the bells, you can purchase a 4-by-8 tile commemorating the tower.

Heading out for a night on the town to celebrate the new year? We have some suggestions for you, whether you are interested in farm-to-table fare, high-end dining, delicious tapas or old-fashioned roadhouse cooking. Ann Arbor boasts more than 300 restaurants, with more on the way.

For a romantic evening, try Logan (1-734-327-2312; www.logan-restau rant.com). Order the tasting menu with wine pairings. The night we were in for a meal, chef Thad Gilles served four courses plus an amuse-bouche. The second course, especially, we won't soon forget: a tender leg of lamb marinated in a shallot- and garlic-infused yogurt, served over house gnocchi.

If you're looking for a bit of fun coupled with a memorable experience, check out the Slurping Turtle (1-734-887-6868; slurpingturtle.com/annarbor). This is flavor-rich Japanese comfort food (the Twin Cities needs a place like this). We pitched that idea to the director of operations, Tom Roche, and he said it's being considered. The Slurping Turtle opened first in Chicago, now recently Ann Arbor — next stop, MSP?

Another place we loved is Zingerman's — Deli, Roadhouse or Next Door coffeehouse. At the Roadhouse, you can taste work by James Beard award-winning chef Alex Young; we recommend the buttermilk fried chicken (1-734-663-3663; www.zing ermansroadhouse.com). Or hit the deli for a tender, bursting Reuben, graced with the brinery's excellent sauerkraut (1-734-663-3354; www.zingermansdeli.com).

After all of that decadent food and drink, how about some culture? First, make an afternoon stop at the Gerald R. Ford Library on the University of Michigan campus, housing the 1974-77 presidential papers. Also included: Chevy Chase's "Saturday Night Live" portrayal of President Ford.

For art and pop art, Main Street has a variety of galleries and shops such as WSG Gallery (1-734-761-2287; wsg-art.com), the Ann Arbor Art Center (1-734-994-8004; annarborartcenter.org), and (one of our favorites) the Vault of Midnight (1-734-998-1413; www.vaultofmidnight.com) for everything a comic-book lover could dream of owning.

If you have the time and energy for more shopping, don't miss Kerrytown (1-734-794-6255; kerrytown.com). There's a robust farmers market every Saturday during winter, and the adjoining building offers lovely shops selling everything from shoes to salmon. Of further note: It's just across the street from that tempting Zingerman's Deli.

Driving to Ann Arbor is probably not a day trip; we'd suggest staying near Madison or Wisconsin Dells the first night, and then traveling about another seven hours to get to Ann Arbor.