I have to take my son to Detroit on Saturday for an open house at the College for Creative Studies. It's over around 2pm, so I was thinking about finding something fun for him and I to do that we can't do around here. I was thinking about indoor karting, a car museum, or something like that, but I'm open to anything. Any suggestions?
Kart2Kart (www.kart2kart.com) and The Henry Ford Museum are two things that immediately come to mind.
I guess you could play "escape from detroit"
Henry Ford museum in Dearborn should certainly make your list.
Just because I was not familiar, I googled up the College. Seeing that it is located with Wayne State, my guess is you will be truly right in Midtown Detroit.
This makes a difference since the Metro area is quite large.
Indoors, on a cold day, Henry Ford Museum is a great choice but, their hours are only 9am to 5pm. Not much time with a 2:30 start.
Hoon about the empty, ruined, traffic-enforcement-free streets 
Film a STALKER fanfiction short movie
If you like art, the Detroit Institute of Art is right next the the CCS.
I'm sure it won't be on your radar, but on the border of the Wayne State campus is also the Detroit Historical Museum- right across Woodward from the DIA.
Racing wise, CG's suggestion is the only one. Good track, great facility- about a 30 min drive from downtown where you will be.
The Henry Ford is 20 min from there in Dearborn. Great museum, and if you roll around the area, you can see the Ford engineering campus (where I work). Heck the Henry Ford is across the street from the Dearborn Proving Grounds- but it's not likely that anybody will be driving on a Saturday. Or at least anything worthwhile.
Saturday, the Red Wings are in Columbus, but I do know that Michigan plays Michigan State in college hockey down at the Joe. Normally, I would suggest going if you like hockey. But this year, if you like hockey, I would suggest not going- both teams are having their worst seasons in about 2 decades or more. Terrible hockey.
Not sure what kind of food you want, but there are a lot in Mid-Town, but even more Downtown.
http://www.visitdetroit.com/ covers the entire metro area. as does http://metrotimes.com/
I think this thread is in jest, I mean really "fun in DETROIT"
aussiesmg wrote: I think this thread is in jest, I mean really "fun in DETROIT"
Get over it. Despite what you want to believe, Detroit has some great places, restaurants, museums, night life, arts scene etc. Tomorrow night is date night for me and the spousal unit. We're starting at Le Petit Zinc for dinner, then later going to the Ghost bar in the Whitney for a drink and the live music. I'm giving the bodyguard and swat team the night off as I have exactly ZERO concerns or worries about going downtown.
Detroit is actually a really cool place. Stay on the beaten trail, and you'll be fine, even after dark.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:aussiesmg wrote: I think this thread is in jest, I mean really "fun in DETROIT"Get over it. Despite what you want to believe, Detroit has some great places, restaurants, museums, night life, arts scene etc. Tomorrow night is date night for me and the spousal unit. We're starting at Le Petit Zinc for dinner, then later going to the Ghost bar in the Whitney for a drink and the live music. I'm giving the bodyguard and swat team the night off as I have exactly ZERO concerns or worries about going downtown.
+1,000,000
Most people who have bash Detroit have never been there. Others have not tried the areas that are very nice. Boost like to complain about the neighborhood he's from, which I'm sure is bad. But the square mile up to Mid-town, and even up to New Center is really nice.
Great food, great crafted beers, great music, great sporting venues, great museums, all there for the taking.
If you want to hate- great, don't come.
Thanks guys. To clarify/answer/ask...
I'm saving the Henry Ford Museum for the whole family some time, so we probably won't do that because of that and the time constraint. Alpha - I've actually been to the Ford Engineering building several times. I used to work in the professional hand tool industry, and every year we had a tech week in Detroit where we went to presentations by the car companies to update us on the new cars and what new tools would be required to work on them. Speaking of dining, what would be a good place in that area to go to? I'm thinking we may do something in the afternoon, eat there, and then head home. Any suggestions? Oh, and I agree that people that bash Detroit (and Cleveland) probably haven't been there in years.
alfadriver wrote:Adrian_Thompson wrote:+1,000,000 Most people who have bash Detroit have never been there. Others have not tried the areas that are very nice. Boost like to complain about the neighborhood he's from, which I'm sure is bad. But the square mile up to Mid-town, and even up to New Center is really nice. Great food, great crafted beers, great music, great sporting venues, great museums, all there for the taking. If you want to hate- great, don't come.aussiesmg wrote: I think this thread is in jest, I mean really "fun in DETROIT"Get over it. Despite what you want to believe, Detroit has some great places, restaurants, museums, night life, arts scene etc. Tomorrow night is date night for me and the spousal unit. We're starting at Le Petit Zinc for dinner, then later going to the Ghost bar in the Whitney for a drink and the live music. I'm giving the bodyguard and swat team the night off as I have exactly ZERO concerns or worries about going downtown.
P.S. the midtown area is at over 95% occupancy, it's hard to move there as prices are and competition are so high for apartments. It's a happening place.
as lame as this sounds - I like to always drive by the giant tire on I94.
as weak as this sounds - I actually like driving past the Big 3 headquarters and plants. The GM HQ is cool.
http://gmrencen.com/happening/tourrencen.axis
as illegal as this sounds - I actually like crawling through the woods and cutting a small hole into the fencing over near Milford..........
Not just a drive by of production facilities but a full-on tour.
Ford's River Rouge Plant (F-150 production.)
http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/thetour.aspx
Last tour starts at 3pm.
You can very easily make this from Mid-Town.
Try the Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills. About 45 minutes up I-75 from Downtown. An hour or 2 to see the whole thing and it's never crowded.
Try Race Rochester for karts.
Gearheadotaku wrote: Try the Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills. About 45 minutes up I-75 from Downtown. An hour or 2 to see the whole thing and it's never crowded. Try Race Rochester for karts.
Nope. She's shut down.
http://m.autoblog.com/2012/12/31/walter-p-chrysler-museum-closing-today/
Stop at the Luna Pier exit right after crossing the border and hit the Beef Jerky Unlimited store. You will have snacks for the visit and whatever else you do. Then you can stop for some to take home when you head back out. Get the honey pork jerky. Its my favorite!
In reply to bravenrace:
What kind of dining are you looking for?
The "traditional" is the Whitney, which is just south of CCS on Woodward. It is very nice, but more "romantic" than great food. Good but not great.
In the Book Cadillac, there are two restaurants- Mike Simon's Roast (which was over rated the last time we were there) and 1924 Grille which is awesome- it's in Downtown area.
Slows BBQ is pretty nationally known. These guys are great- putting a whole lot of mone back into Detroit. http://slowsbarbq.com/ It's west of downtown on Michigan Ave. The reputation is well deserved.
There are supposed to be good restaurants in both the MGM and Motor City Casinos, but we have not tried them, yet. Down in Greektown, there are a number of good smaller places- but we've not been there for quite a while, and can't suggest a single place.
It kind of depends on what you want to eat. Or what your son wants. (or if he's of age to have a beer- Motor City Brewing is just south of WSU, and has great beer)
alfadriver wrote: It kind of depends on what you want to eat. Or what your son wants. (or if he's of age to have a beer- Motor City Brewing is just south of WSU, and has great beer)
No, but he's of age to be a designated driver!
My wife and I took the Motown museum tour. Its the original building Motown was started out of and all recording was done at before Motown relocated to California. E36 M3ty neighborhood, great tour.
alfadriver wrote: Most people who have bash Detroit have never been there. Others have not tried the areas that are very nice. Boost like to complain about the neighborhood he's from, which I'm sure is bad. But the square mile up to Mid-town, and even up to New Center is really nice. If you want to hate- great, don't come.
I had a great response all typed up then I got the dreaded 502 gateway issue again. I'm fighting the flu and simply don't have the energy to argue with you Alfa. I don't like to "complain about the neighborhood" I'm from. Simply explaining that while "the square mile" is nice, Detroit is bigger than that.
To give you the perspective I'm coming from, a city is made up of more than just the downtown area, in fact, more than just a select pocket or two of said downtown area. When the people flee the neighborhoods, some have noticed, the city looses money. When the city looses money, those of us that LIVE there, not just frequent the square mile, notice that cops, firefighters, teachers, and others get laid off. Then city street lights get turned out. Then EMS service lags or becomes non-existant. No bus service for those that can't afford a car. For those of us that lived there, we heard of plans to improve areas of downtown. We weren't fans. Why? Because we need the money to keep us safe. Trust me, those of us that lived or live there shake our heads when the lilly-white suburbanites proclaim the city as fixed because of Campus Martius but they never go into the neighborhoods and see what it's really like.
I planed on posting a link in this thread recommending that the OP go to The Redford Theater, a true gem of Detroit. But they aren't showing anything this weekend. I had a GRM meet and greet there a while back. I was hoping to see you there Alfa. It's in a neighborhood though.
Anyway, I can't argue with you, and I won't. I speak from 25+ year of LIVING there, and 15+ years going back to visit, so my perspective is very different than someone that jumps on I-94 and spends a few hours in a spot isolated from most of the city, then goes back to the suburbs.
It's a city that has some very nice stuff to offer, but until things are fixed, it's going to keep going downhill. That being said, there are lots of cool things to see and do in Detroit and I love it when people actually spend money there. There was a time that I wouldn't spend a dime there because I didn't want my money padding Kwame's pockets. He's gone now, so I'm willing to frequent the various neighborhoods and neighborhood establishments that really do make the city great.
dankspeed wrote: My wife and I took the Motown museum tour. Its the original building Motown was started out of and all recording was done at before Motown relocated to California. E36 M3ty neighborhood, great tour.
Don't talk about the neighborhoods, some folks get bent out of shape 
And yes, that is a VERY cool place to see. I was born right across the street too!
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