I’ll be going to Detroit next week to meet the family of the gentleman I’ve been seeing, and they’re a bit worried about how I’ll occupy myself. While I am interested in meeting them, I’d also like to know what else I should see while I’m in the area. Any suggestions? Also, would any Dopers be interested in getting together while I’m in town? If you want to contact me privately, my e-mail address is in my profile.
I hope I do get to meet some of you!
CJ
Henry Ford Museum of course, you can sit in Rosa’s famous bus even! The available tour of the Rouge Factory isn’t what it once was, but it’s still a nifty way to while away an afternoon. Dearborn is also a nice city to mosey in, lots of good places to grab a bite while touristing.
The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Science center are great, and if you’re courageous it can be fun to drive about downtown looking at all the beautiful old theaters next to the burned out buildings. Well, that one can be kind of depressing actually, maybe not.
A trip across the bridge to Windsor, maybe a day in Ann Arbor, a lot depends on how much time you’ve got free and if you’re driving and where your starting point is. Realize that you must drive everywhere, we haven’t so much heard of public transportation here, and that it’ll take you twice as long to get anywhere since every major route in and out of the city is under construction currently.
I’d love to get together, drop me a line. 
Going to Detroit are you? I’m so sorry
Do check out Windsor and Ann Arbor. The more time spent outside of Detroit, the better off you’ll be! 
The Henry Ford Museum and the Museum of African American History are worth a visit, though.
Are you actually coming to the city of Detroit, or one of the 'burbs? There’s lots of fun stuff to see and do in the city itself, but also in the burbs. F’rinstance, the HF Museum is actually in Dearborn.
The Casino’s!!!111!!!1
If you are into gold capped teeth, Ostentatious Bling of Unusal Large Sizing and a plume of smoke. Or you could go to the Windsor Casino’s and get the same thing but only pensioners wheeling their O2 tanks around and rolling their own smokes. (YMMV)
Seriously, you need to do Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village ( outdoors, weather can be a multitude of suckiness.)
The Zoo is nice and a doable 2-3 hour dealie. The Polar Bear Exhibit (Called the Artic Ring of Life-or something like that- is awesome.)
The DIA and the **Detroit Science Center ** are right next to each other and a good way to spend a day. The Science Center is awesome if you are into that kinda thing or have kidlets to entertain, ehich you don’t, but there will be a gaggle of kids there, FYI.
You can do a tour of Ford Feild which is about $7 and takes maybe 1 hour. Well worth it and don’t forget your camera. We did this with Zee German Relations and it was a really nice affordable behind most of the scenes tour.
Lest we forget what Michigan is all about: ** Shopping!!! ** (We are pathetic, but dress well.) If you get a chance, hit ** Somerset Mall in Troy.** Very $$ and you can see where the UberPretty People Shop. There are other fabulous malls, but frankly, I’d rather shop online. I can do it in my pjs.
If you feel like some chicken and who doesn’t? the #1 tourist attraction in the state is ** Frankenmuth**, where it is obligatory to eat at either Zehner’s or Bavarian Inn at least once in your life if you want your Good Michigander Card. There is also fabulous and Nic Nacky shopping in town and The Outlet Mall of the State: Birch Run ( at I-75 and whatever exit for Frankenmuth. Can’t miss it. It’s bigger than Rhode Island.)
For eats: You must do a Coney Island. Order a chili dog with everything. It is heaven.
Hmmmmmmmmm…I think I’ve covered it all.
Oh, and enjoy the potholes!
Detroit pot holes don’t scare me – one around here one winter is reported to have swallowed a VW Bug!
Shopping also won’t be an issue. The gentleman’s mother and sister are expert shoppers who consider my top limit – 2 hours or $200 – to be a good start. On the other hand, it could be fun to take his sister’s kids to the zoo or one of the museums while she shops.
You know, I think I might actually be looking forward to this?!
CJ
Shirley makes me giggle.
Remember it’s not just the potholes, it’s every single major artery in and out of the city being under construction. Decades of neglect that we’re trying desperately to fix in time for a flipping football game. :rolleyes:
I’ll second the Frankenmuth suggestion, perfect for a day trip. We’re really nowhere near as bad as …well as we used to be! See? Nothing to worry about at all. 
Whenever I am in Detroit, I play poker at Greektown. They spread a $1/2 NL $100 Max game that is not hard on the budget even if you suck.
I’d second hitting Dearborn, but then again, I’m partial (my hometown). There’s good bars and clubs, and good Arabic food-- La Pita, La Shish, The Salad Bar. Plus, there’s Henry Ford Museum, and the Henry Ford Estate on the campus of the University of Michigan.
Heading into the city of D, I’d recommend Greektown. You’ve got the casino, Fishbone restaurant, and one of the best Irish sing-along bars in The Old Shillelagh. Go on a Friday or Saturday; it’s loads of fun.
Happy
I’m afraid I’ve been told Frankenmuth is a bit too far to fit in amongst the relatives, but I’m seriously considering the Henry Ford. I appreciate reading the suggestions, though!
CJ
Siege In my experience this is what Michiganders always say, so don’t you believe it. My ex-in-laws had a cottage on a lake near Tawas, Michigan (top of the mitten), and in years of driving from the Grandparent-in-laws’ house near Detroit, (Lathrup Village) to the cottage never once was I able to convince them to stop at Frankenmuth. I mean, it’s not like there was anything time sensitive to do once we got to the cottage, and one year our xmas vacation was increased by a couple of days because we were snowed in. Would it have killed them to indulge the Pennsylvanian just once? Huh? Well, its no wonder that I divorced them. Of course I haven’t a clue if Frankenmuth is worth the trip because I never got there. But don’t believe for a minute that it’s too far away!
Are these folks native to the area? We’re motor city, we drive, it’s what we do. I’ve never heard anyone say “it’s too far” that lives here, wow.
A very-not-fun but important place to visit is the new Holocaust Memorial in Farmington Hills, just west of Detroit on I696 @ Orchard Lake Road. It’s got amazing and gut-wrenching architecture. Not a light-hearted romp, for sure, but still…
Frankenmuth is 93 miles, roughly, from Dee-troit on a very dulllllll stretch of Michigan road.
The Henry Ford Museum is great for an indoor day out, as is the Charles Wright African American Museum, which happens to be right near the Science Center and Institute of Arts.
Belle Isle has lovely acres of greenery and fountains that were laid out by the same person who planned Central Park in New York.
On the way to Belle Isle, you could take a tour of Pewabic Pottery on Jefferson as well, they have tours and such where you can watch pieces being painted, fired, designed, etc.
The General Motors Renaissance Center has some nifty cars, old and new and great views behind it of the Detroit River; there’s a fantastic walking promenade that can get windy but allows for seeing Windsor w/o paying the tunnel toll.
Then there’s Fort Wayne, which is also on Jefferson Avenue. Heck, just going up and down Jefferson you see some amazing views of the river, historic buildings, etc. Turn left into Indian Village and see where Detroit’s first millionaires lived; stunning mansions.
I’d go on and on and on about Detroit’s gems and how I hate when people are down on my birthplace, but I fear the wrath of the impatient hamsters…
I’ll point out that one of the things I don’t like about Detroit is the weather, which is why I’m moving to Charleston, SC on Thanksgiving Day!
If you’re going to be here on Thanksgiving Day, by the way, Detroit has a bit of a parade you may have heard about!
I’ve been in that parade, it’s great fun! I’d recommend it to anyone who’s going to be around on TD, especially if there are lil’ ones involved.
The Ford Museum in Dearborn is nice, take the factory tour if you get over there. Greektown is nice. Park your car in the Millender Center and take the People Mover for a loop around town. There’s the Old Mariner’s Church right down by the tunnel entrance and the RenCen. Drive by old Tiger Stadium if you have a car. The Detroit Zoo is quite nice, and you shouldn’t miss Belle Isle either. Take the elevator to the observation deck of the RenCen, have lunch in the rotating restaurant if you can afford it.
That ain’t nothin’. There’s a pothole in Detroit that swallowed Hamtramck.
Speaking of Hamtramck, you absolutely need to visit their bakeries! Try the meat market too, for the smoked meats and hunter sausage.
Sorry, but I think that’s been closed since GM took over the RenCen.