What would you say if I told you that we really liked the city of Detroit and highly recommend it for a long weekend getaway? What?! You think I’m crazy? You think that I’m so obsessed with traveling that I end up liking everywhere, just because it’s somewhere new? You think I’m easily impressed? While all of these questions are certainly valid questions (and true to some extent), one thing I can tell you is that T is not easily impressed. So the fact that T liked Detroit is really saying something.
Why Detroit? For us, it was a great (somewhat) half-way location for us to meet up with our dear friends, Jenna and Marc, who live in Colorado. We meet up annually in various cities around the country and go to an NFL game. I should mention that a goal of ours is to see a game at every NFL stadium within our lifetimes. Ten down and a lot more to go…so get excited for (hopefully!) future blog posts on cities like Buffalo and Cincinnati! Woohoo!
Detroit is a city undergoing significant revitalization and there has been a surge in residential and business development. Construction sites and development projects permeate the city and their promise is palpable. An exciting time for this city, for sure. While we were a bit unsure (dare I say a bit nervous?) at first on whether we were making the right decision to visit Detroit, it turned out to be the perfect place to spend a long weekend. And because you might be wondering: we felt completely safe and comfortable the entire time–we walked around the city, took taxis and Ubers and never encountered any issues). #travelsmartnotscared #8milebedamned
Highlights of Our Detroit Trip:
As with many of our trips, the food was our main focus here–we ate extremely well in Detroit and were thrilled with its impressive food scene.
Among some of our Detroit favorites…
Roast: Michael Symon’s highly-regarded restaurant surpassed our expectations. We absolutely loved this place. Incredible food, attentive service, and a sleek atmosphere all help this wonderful restaurant shine. Definitely worthy of all of its national accolades, and it easily earned a spot on the Hill’s Best Meals Ever list (a prestigious list indeed!).
Dime Store: A wonderful place for brunch/lunch. Their veggie burger was incredible. Highly recommend.
Selden Standard: A great place for brunch, although the service was a bit slow. Minimalist and modern decor.
Detroit RiverWalk: A very scenic walk along the Detroit River filled with attractive architecture, history, and lovely views. A really nice way to spend an afternoon.
*Greektown: A fun and quaint neighborhood to walk around and get some great authentic Greek food.
Calling All Gamblers: If you like to gamble (and all four us do!), then Detroit just might be your lucky place. There are several casinos throughout the city and we enjoyed playing the tables at the MGM Grand.
Football Funday Sunday: Detroit is a city that loves its sports and its main three sports venues are within minutes of one another. We watched the Detroit Lions play the Arizona Cardinals–in terms of stadiums, Ford Field is your typical football stadium–nothing to (literally) write home about.
Hockeytown Cafe: An awesome multi-level sports bar right adjacent to the stadiums–a great place to pre-game and/or watch the games.
Tears of a Clown at the Motown Museum: One of the things we were looking forward to most during our trip to Detroit was visiting the Motown Museum. Sadly, we didn’t realize that it was closed on Sunday and Monday! Smokey Robinson wasnt’ kidding about those tears. How did we let that happen? Learn from our mistake and plan accordingly! (And take lots of photos for me–especially of everything Jackson 5) #travelfail #travelbloggersmakemistakestoo
Planning Your Detroit Trip:
Where We Stayed (very convenient and safe downtown location)
Doubletree Downtown Fort Shelby Location
Detroit Deliciousness:
Around Detroit:
Henry the Hatter: A somewhat of an institution in Detroit, dating back to 1893. Worth a visit!
We traveled to Detroit in Fall 2015.
Slightly disappointed with this post- why did T have his shirt on the entire time in Detroit?!?? Hoping when you make it to Buffalo, it will be a different story.
Pingback: New Mexico: Making Waves and Playing in the Mud - dcglobejotters
Pingback: Long Weekend Love: Amelia Island, FL - dcglobejotters