Welcome to Detroit!

Welcome to Detroit! Today I am going to take you on a tour of the Detroit Metropolitan Area, some things you may know about and others you may not so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

First stop is the Henry Ford, which encompasses the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. There is something here for everyone. The Village has many historical buildings but you can also take a ride on a Ford Model T, some of them are the originals that have been repaired while others were built to celebrate Ford's 100 Year Anniversary. After riding on the Model T be sure to head back to the carousel, it is a Herschell-Spillman carousel from 1913, the animals on this ride are special, the horses' tails are made with real horse hair and the frog is only 1 of 5 that are in existence. Be sure to check out the homes of Noah Webster and Robert Frost as well as Thomas Edison's Menlo Park. Even the food here is historical in A Taste of History you can eat historical foods...that does not mean food made in the past and served in the present...yuck, but the same kinds of food that you would have eaten in the past.
Next let's go inside to the Museum to check things out in there. History becomes interactive as you watch yourself dancing in music videos with Duran Duran, Cindy Lauper, or the Talking Heads; build a Model T car; or take a stroll through history and all the generations from 1890 to the present. Where do you fit in? It is easy to find out then compare all the things your generation is known for compared to the other generations. Have you ever wished that you could just pick up and move...house and all? If you had a Dymaxion house, you could have done just that. The Dymaxion house was designed by Buckminster Fuller and was a concept totally ahead of its time. Just for fun, don't miss stopping by the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile on the way out to our next destination.

Our next destination is right down the street at the Henry Ford Estate. The house is closed for renovations but we can see the rest of the estate. There is a pond which used to be a reflecting pool in a rose garden, the roses are gone now but it is easy to imagine how beautiful it once must have been. We will next make out way to Jensen's Meadow where all the trees planted around the meadow are all native species. The Rouge River runs right behind it which must have been great for boating.

The next stop on our agenda is the Dearborn Inn which is an historical inn with a touch of Greenfield Village to it. You have the main inn and then then historical buildings and homes behind it which you can sleep in. It is almost like going on vacation to Greenfield Village.

Our next stop is downtown Detroit in Greektown. Greektown is still a great spot to go to for a nice dinner. There is also Greektown Casino which is inside what used to be Trapper's Alley. Trapper's Alley was a trendy place that people could shop or eat inside. The Bouzouki Lounge used to have bellydancers and singers but now is home to adult entertainment. Even though many people might be afraid to stop in Detroit because of its reputation, Greektown seems to be the exception, people who would otherwise be nervous about being in Detroit are fine with going to Greektown.

Last but not least is my favorite area. Northwest of Detroit is the lake area. We are going to travel north on Orchard Lake road until we reach Orchard Lake itself. From there we can travel from lake to lake. There are so many lakes up here and the setting is so beautiful and tranquil. There is nothing like being on the water to bring you peace.

I hope you have enjoyed our tour of the Detroit Metropolitan Area.