GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
Things to Do in Michigan
*For the top yearly events in the Detroit area, click here. For the rest of Michigan, click here.
Detroit
Cars and Motown! That's what Detroit, "The Motor City," is known for. So, if you're going here be sure to check out the nearby (in Dearborn) The Henry Ford Museum, and in Detroit proper, see the Cadillac Building (once known as the General Motors Building...sounds like a coup happened to me...).
For the Motown side of things, see Hitsville USA, the original headquarters of Motown and current museum of the hitmaking record label. We're talking about songs by the Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson 5, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and SO many more! They all started here, in this small house.
Detroit also has Fort Wayne, which was built in 1845 against possible future attacks from British Canada and today hosts special events, outdoor activities, and historic re-enactments.
Joe Lewis Arm Statue
Motown Museum
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is a resort area in Lake Huron. The Algonquian peoples called the area Michilimackinac, which means Great Turtle. The name came from the shape of Mackinac Island. Filled with year round activities like kayaking, horseback riding, carriage rides, biking, snowmobiling in the winter, art shows, great restaurants, sightseeing the beautiful neighborhoods and homes, small and BIG, visiting Fort Mackinac...there's plenty to do here. Be sure to get fudge while on the island, Mackinac is known for its delicious fudge.
An interesting thing about the island is you ferry or boat over while the lake isn't frozen, then you can either snowmobile over the lake or fly over to the island during the winter. No cars are allowed. When it's not covered with snow, only horses and bikes are allowed, but they let the snowmobiles come in once the snow hits. When winter comes, all restaurants except for 4 shut down...and all hotels except for 2 shut down as well.
When I called to research going to the island...they tried to talk me out of it. You see, I want to see things specific to each area. When you look at Michigan in the summer, it has lovely lakes and canoeing, kayaking and the like...but I can do all of that where I live. So, I made the possibly crazy plan to go to the Great Lakes area in the dead of winter. This allowed for snowmobiling, ice fishing, and a chance to see the Ice Caves in Wisconsin. Well, I told this guy on the phone my plan, and he suggested I not come. This confused me, and I had to ask a number of questions as to why. At first I thought Mackinac Island was purely a tourist thing and that it closed in the winter.
"No, we're a town, and plenty of people live here year round," I was told. "But, there's only 4 restaurants and 2 hotels open during that time of year."
Well, that was more than enough for my family so we went, and I'm glad we did. It was like a beautiful Norman Rockwell painting of an ageless, snow covered town. I mean, does a town that boasts America's oldest grocery store, Doud's Market, not sound quaint and homesy? Just be aware, you have to fly to the island in the winter. Island Hopping Flights: Great Lakes Air
Fort Mackinac
Grand Hotel
Snow Covered Mackinac
Doud's Market
Fort Mackinac was a British fort during the Revolutionary War. Today they have battle reenactments, soldiers marching around, and cannon fire! Though...these reenactments and other activities aren't happening during the winter. It was still a lot of fun to walk around inside the fort area.
The Grand Hotel, a historic hotel and resort, has been open to visitors since 1887 (but is NOT one of the 2 open during the winter) and has been featured in Travel & Leisure's 500 World's Best Hotels. This is an enormous, beautiful hotel surrounded by golfing and the Straits of Mackinac. You can sit and enjoy the views on the world's longest porch! Keep in mind, if staying here, evening wear is required in all areas of the hotel after 6:30pm...
St. Ignace
Mackinac Bridge crosses the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Upper and Lower peninsulas. So this is the gateway to what you'll be hearing people call "the UP" (Upper Peninsula). Many call this bridge "Big Mac" or "Mighty Mac", and it's the world's 16th longest suspension bridge. In 1957, when built, it was the world's longest, but still is the longest in the western hemisphere. It's so long and giant that the bridge authority has to limit travel on it at times, so check traffic before going if the weather is bad (snowy, windy, etc).
Continuing my Griswold plan of seeing America's oddities, I want to find some of the many Paul Bunyan statues that reside throughout the country. St. Ignace has one of the big Paul's with Babe the Blue Ox. In the winter, they try to kill him by suffocation as they wrap his head in plastic...either the St. Ignacians have really dark senses of humor...or they're trying to preserve his paint job. The two sit just beside Castle Rock, a 200 foot column of rock that tourists climb it's walkway to find an unparalleled view of Lake Huron and Mackinac Island.
I'd like to give an honorable mention of things to do in St. Ignace to Java Joe's Café. Joe, the aging hippy that runs the place, was just fantastic to meet. Stepping directly out of the 60's, he was very friendly, fun, funny, and never met a stranger. He had pictures of his road trip following Route 66 at the front counter, so he and I embarked on a conversation about one of our favorite authors, John Steinbeck. We talked about Sonoma and some of Steinbeck's novels. Joe found out I hadn't read "Tortilla Flats" and truly seemed bummed that he didn't have his copy on hand to GIVE to me! You don't see that kind of personality often. He seemed to know everyone there. I overheard conversations he had with people who've not been there since the last time they were travelling through the area, and he remembered them and their stories from their previous visit. PLUS, the food was great. Java Joe's is known for its breakfast food, pizza, and the crazy amount of odd, character inspired teapots that litter the restaurant. However, it should be known for Joe.
Mackinac Bridge
