Columbus or Detroit

Neither are hot spots for fun, but of those two choices, definitely Columbus.

Cincinnati and Cleveland have more to do than Columbus or Detroit.

Detroit is not Chicago. You kind of have to grow to appreciate Detroit. In my opinion Columbus isn't very interesting either.

Detroit has its bright spots. Enough for a weekend. Do you like to gamble? Do you have a passport? Canada is a nice little jaunt for the day.

The greater Detroit metro area has several good to great breweries, plus good Middle Eastern, Italian and Polish
food. It's also a quick trip over to Windsor, where the Italian food is even better.

If you end up in Columbus, the Germantown area just south of downtown has lots of nice shops, galleries and some very good restaurants. Very pleasant.

Columbus, & in fact, the area adjacent to German Village & Downtown is referred to as the Brewery District (located along S. High St.) On N. High between downtown & the OSU campus is the Short North, also a great place to meander. These may help - www.german-village.com, http://ci.columbus.oh.us/, www.theshortnorth.com, www.shortnorth.org/ There is no reason, btw, to visit Pt. Pleasant.

I've always had fun in Columbus but since everyone is touting it, let me play devil's advocate.

The biggest draw in the Detroit area is The Henry Ford. It's an indoor/outdoor museum complex that has a superb transportation collection, decorative and industrial arts and historic buildings. Highlights include the rocker in which Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and Thomas Edison's lab where he invented the phonograph, lightbulb and stock ticker and all the presidental limos through 1982.

They also have tours of the Ford Rouge complex which after 100 years is still the only auto plant to take-in iron ore and silica to make steel and glass, then turn out a completed a completed car at the other end.

There are the three casinos in downtown plus one across the river in Windsor. Depending on when you're going you can catch the Tigers, Red Wings or Pistons.

You can tour the auto baron estates. The Henry Ford House is on the campus of U of M-Dearborn. The 104-room Meadowbrook Hall is on Oakland U's campus about 20 miles north of downtown and near the Chrysler Museum and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate is in Grosse Pointe Shores.

The Detroit Institue of Arts reopened in the fall of 2007 after a major expension and renovation. Prizes of the collection are the Diego Rivera murals and a Van Gogh self-portrait.

If you like architecture, you can tour the Cranbrook Community which was home to Eliel and Eero Saarinen who designed the TWA Terminal at JFK and the St. Louis Arch among other works. Cranbrook also has a science center and art museum and you can tour the house and gardens of publisher George Booth.

For shopping, you could visit the Sommerset Collection in Troy. It's two malls anchored by Saks, Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Nordstrom and connected by a moving skywalk.

Another option would be to head to Ann Arbor, an hour west of the city and explore the Univ of Michigan campus. There are museums, the arboretum and shops in downtown.

Finally, you could cross the river to Windsor and tour the Hiram Walker distillery, Willistead Manor or visit Caesar's Casino. You could escape the city to Jack Miner's Bird Sanctuary, Point Pelee Park-the southern-most point in Canada, or historic Fort Malden which are all within an hour's drive south.

Citylights

Wow, what great information! Makes me realize we need to go back to Henry Ford/Deerborn

Jed, if you decide on Columbus, be sure to brouse the book store in German Village, something like 30+ rooms. Rent a car and do a couple days about an hour southeast of Columbus in Hocking Hills, a wonderfull area full of cabins with hot tubs where you are at peace with nature with that bottle of wine as you soak away your troubles. GREAT hiking with beautiful scenery. http://www.hockinghills.com/

Thanks for all the opinions/ideas. Got a lot more than I was expecting, considering I was asking about Coloumbus and Detroit.

I know there's not a tono to do in either place but we just like to visit places we've never seen. We've been to Cleveland twice.

We like to fly Southwest and they have $49 deals to many of their short flights (from BWI) and we want to take advantage of some long weekends. They also have for $49: Albany, Hartford and Pittsburgh. We've driven through Hartford and Pittsburgh but did not do anything in the area.

We have decided that if we do Columbus, we will pick a trip into Cincinnati over Pointe Pleasant. My wife is leaning towards Columbus.

I want to add that I love Detroit! CityLights, thanks for such a comprehensive roundup of the many things to do there. I would only add the Motown museum (Hitsville USA), and underline the Institute of Arts, which is flat-out amazing. We also enjoyed Greektown for its homey ambiance. Yes, it's in the shadow of a giant casino, but the individual restaurants, and their staffs, are the original deal. Detroit has heart and soul, and I can't wait to go back.

How is Detroit as far as safety (walking around, looking like a tourist, etc.)? You know, you always here about how bad Detroit is....

For some reason, whenever we get to Detroit, my wife wants to go to the 8-mile.

Well, we've decided. We are going to do weekend trips to both.

As with any large city, there are bad areas but around the tourist attractions, you'll be fine. Just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.

Detroit isn't really much of a walking city and everything is pretty spread out. As most places have adjacent parking, you'll probably pull into the lot and walk the few steps to the building.

Downtown Detroit is fine. You won't look like a tourist because frankly, we don't get any.

Definitely get a rental car. Tell your wife that when most people say they are going to 8 Mile, they mean they are going to a strip club.

Absolutely do The Henry Ford. Greenfield Village opens up April 15. It is a wonderful source of history. Henry Ford bought these famous, historic houses and had them moved to the site, so you are actually standing in Edison's workshop, the Wright Brother's shop, etc. Have dinner at the Eagle Tavern. And the Rouge River factory tour is cool too.
http://www.thehenryford.com/

If there is any way to extend your Detroit trip to a week, I would highly recommend driving "up north" to northern Michigan. In the summer, it is a place of glorious beauty and wonderful things to see and do. It is why we all live here all winter long.

I did just read that during the Rouge tour, they don't produce cars on the weekend. We were there during a non-production period and it does sort of suck. So if you are taking a long weekend, do the Rouge tour on a weekday. You still might not see cars being made. I think you might have a better shot with a morning tour, but maybe someone at the Henry Ford can tell you better.

What kind of food do you like? My favorite restaurant in the Detroit area is Bastone in Royal Oak, which is a Belgian restaurant and brewery. They have really, really excellent beer- DH brews, and we're always pleased with the quality. The food is very good, although the specials are completely hit or miss- usually there's one great one and one almost inedible one, with no indication which will be which.

Dragonmead is another good brewery, but it's mostly a BYOFood. It's worth a visit.

Kuhnhenn's is the same, but does odd things- creme brulee stouts that basically taste like slightly sweet coffee, cassis "beer" that's really more of a flavored barley wine. We only go there when friends of friends want to (FoF's husband bartends there).

One of our other favorites is Blue Nile in Ferndale- it's Ethiopian.

We will be in both places (Detroit and Columbus) from a late Thursday evening to early Sunday morning. So, we'll have all day Friday and Saturday in both places.

I have pulled a ton of breweries and brewpubs from both places, there are a ton in Detroit.

While in Detroit: so far we are going to visit brewpubs, go to Ann Arbor to visit a friend, cross the border to Windsor and drive up to Point Huron to add another Great Lake that we've seen.

While in Columbus: so far we are going to visit brewpubs, drive to Cincinnati, cross over into Kentucky to add another state to our list of states visited.

Have not done much research yet except for the brewpubs.

As far as food, my wife and I like to try whatever might be considered a local dish/food and we also try to take advantage of as many happy hours as posible. Cincinnati is known for their style of chili right? is there any other food that we should look out for in Ohio or Michigan?

For Detroit, would we be better off staying outside of downtown?

Once I start looking up hotels, I'll probably post some questions about the address.

In Detroit, I would try to stay downtown at one of the new hotels. I don't know what your budget is, but there are at least two new ones that are open and nice.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29862968/

Inside the Book Cadillac is Michael Symon's new restaurant called Roast. He is an American Iron Chef. It is very good and not terribly expensive. But his weekends are now booked two weeks in advance, so when you know your dates, make some reservations.

http://www.bookcadillacwestin.com/?id=2473&lang=212

If you like barbecue, there is a great place downtown called Slow's. They too are very busy on the weekend, but a lunch there would be a good idea.

http://www.slowsbarbq.com/

Seldom Blues is another great place on the River.

http://www.seldomblues.com/

Can you catch a baseball game while you are here? The park is great. Or how about a hockey playoff game? Tickets will be a bit pricey if hockey isn't your thing.

The food of choice downtown is the Coney Dog. Hot dog with chili on top. Not really my favorite.

If you are hungry near the airport, skip the chains and get real Middle Eastern food while you drive through Dearborn. Or if you are going to Greenfield Village. Here is a good one on Ford Road:

http://www.alameerrestaurant.com/

Mexican Town is very good. It is near the Ambassador Bridge. There isn't anything but food, but good food.

I would skip the drive to Port Huron. There isn't much to do up there and a drive through Grosse Point with the view of Lake St. Clare will look exactly like Lake Huron, which it basically is. You can ogle the old mansions along the lake.

Ann Arbor is a wonderful, wonderful town and I am glad you are going there. I'm not sure because of construction, but the football stadium might be open to tour.

List the brewpubs you plan on seeing for us. Some have fallen on hard times and aren't worth the drive such as Atwater's in Detroit.

If you are curious, you could take your own slum tour and head out into the lesser parts of town. Basically start downtown and head north. A gps would be helpful in getting you back home. Since they started the movie tax incentives, several films have been shot in Michigan. You can see that most of Detroit looks just like a back lot at a movie studio.

If you're up for a haul, you could go to Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo. It's a 2 1/2-3 hour drive. Their Hopslam (if you're into that style) is their equivalent of Dogfishead's 90 Minute IPA, only with more hops. If you're not up for the drive, they probably have it at Berkley Front in Berkley. They have 42 taps, but from what I can tell, they don't brew there (someone parked a junk site where theirs should be). I have not actually been there, but Tom and I are going to have a talk about that!

Let me know what breweries you're considering and I'd be happy to scout for you! I like the sweet/malty/wheat beers, and Tom likes the super-hoppy stuff, so we do pretty much cover the spectrum.

We always drive up along the river and Lake St Clair to Port Huron and it is fun to go through the little towns. We enjoy the drive - would not enjoy the drive on the fwy tho.

Where is the Joe Louis fist located?

Is Toledo anything to bother with since it is not far from Detroit?

Are Flint and/or Lansing worth a drive?

IMHO, Toledo, Flint and Lansing are not worth the drive. The shore of Lake Michigan is very nice, particularly Saugatuck/Douglas but this is a long drive.

Here are the brewpubs/breweries I have found in Detroit and within a decent driving distance. We are interested in brewpubs that actually brew onsite or breweries that give tours/samples.

Detroit Rivertown Brewing
Franklin Street Brewing
Woodward Avenue Brewers
Arlington Brewing
Frog Island Brewing
North Channel Brewing
Arbor Brewing
Arcadia Brewing
Atwater Block Brewery
Bastone
Harper’s Brewing
Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse
Big Rock Chophouse
Black Lotus Brewing
Blue Coyote Brewing
Charley’s Brewpub/Timeout Brewery
CJ’s Brewing
Copper Canyon Brewery
Corner Brewery
Dark Horse Brewing
Detroit Beer Company
Dragonmead Brewing
Fort Street Brewery
Great Baraboo Brewing
Grizzly Peak Brewing
Helmar Brewing
King Brewing
Kuhnhenn Brewing
Labatt Brewing
Lansing Brewing
Liberty Brewing
Michigan Brewing
Motor City Brewing works
Original Gravity Brewing
Prison City Brewers
Quay Street Brewing
Redwood Lodge
Rochester Mills Beer Company
Royal Oak Brewery
Sherwood Brewing
Stoney Creek Brewing
Traffic Jam & Snug
Walkerville Brewing
Woodward Avenue Brewers
Ypsilanti Brewing

I believe you now need your passport to cross the border at Windsor. A far cry from the days when I worked in Detroit and you could pass into and out of Canada without even showing a license! If you do go and can fit this in, several of the Chinese restaurants serve wonderful dim sum----may not be a big deal for you coming from the Baltimore area, but was always a treat for Michiganders!

We are more into trying local dishes, something the locals eat, something that is a area tradition. Similar to cheesesteaks in Philly, beef-on-weck in Buffalo, blue crabs in Maryland.

We fly out of Baltimore but actually live right outside of D.C.

With the brewpubs, just found that Prison city is a brew club. Scratched that one.

Is there one of the big national brewers still in Detroit, not sure who it is/was. Stroh's maybe......

So far, I would say we are going to do Detroit, Ann Arbor, cross into Windsor for a bit and most likely make our way to Lake Huron. Most likely will cut out drives to Lansing, Flint and Toledo unless we end up with free time.

If we were to stay outside of the city, what areas are best? We travel on a budget as far as hotels, usually stay at the Choice Hotel chain.

The Wright Patterson AFB Airforce Museum, about 75 miles south of Columbus (on the way to Cincinnati)is well worth a visit. It has a huge collection of historic and modern aircraft that IMO beats that of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum annex.

For hotels, try Dearborn or Livonia. Both are just west of the city and have quick access to the airport and downtown with a selection or places that ranges from The Ritz to the Red Roof.

Unfortunately, Stroh's closed in 1999 and the brewery was demolished for an office park. For local restaurants, try Buddy's Pizza. There are several locations around the city and in addition to deep-dish pizza, they have sandwiches, salads and pasta. Dearborn is also home to many Arabic restaurants or you can have lunch at the Henry Ford Estate.

For a nicer dinner, the Roma Cafe in Eastern Market has been on the same corner over 100 years and has great food. If you like Jazz, head to Baker's on Livernois at 8 Mile afterward. It's only been there around 75 years, but it's still a great place to catch top acts.

If you'll be traveling after June 1, 2009, you will need a passport or passport card to return to the US from Canada. Also, make sure the rental agreement on your car specifies that you are permitted to take the car into Canada. Some companies charge big penalties if you do so without their knowledge and the Border Agents can give you a hassle about it if they want.

What great information on these 2 cities! The brewpubs in Columbus that come to mind are Columbus Brewing Company (CBC), Barley's, Gordon Biersch, and The Elevator. The first Saturday of each month is the Gallery Hop, where galleries, shops and restaurants in the Short North area of town stay open late. This draws a large and diverse crowd. Many of the city's best restaurants are located in this area. The Blue Jackets (hockey) may be going into the play-offs soon - not sure if tickets will be available to non-season ticket holders. The Columbus Clippers (AAA baseball) will be playing in a new stadium this year. No one has mentioned the art gallery or the Columbus Zoo - both top-notch. During the summer there are many outdoor concerts and festivals, including the Columbus Arts Festival, which is usually the first weekend in June. The first week in June also offers the Memorial Golf Tournament in Dublin. And let's not forget that Columbus is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes! Each Saturday in the fall on home football days will find 100,000+ fans tailgating at the university. I hope you enjoy your stay in Columbus!

I guess if I HAD to choose, I'd choose Columbus. Detroit is nasty. However, why would anyone want to go to either really? With the exception of Chicago, the Midwest is one giant sleeping pill with a boring "culture" if you can call it that.

I know Big Buck has been out of business for several years, so they can definitely be scratched off your list. I think Franklin Street's closed too.

Arcadia's really, really good, but they're in Battle Creek, which is a hike from Detroit (but might not be bad from AA).

They do have a Blue Tractor in AA- we're not sure whether they brew on site, but the food is supposed to be really good, and the beer is from Bastone if they don't brew there (we've been impressed by everything from this restaurant group). Bastone's Maibock is my absolute favorite beer.

Kuhnhenn failed to impress on the first visit, and the beer on their website just really pissed me off (they have a whole line of "Panty Dropper" fruit beer), so we won't be going back there.

Black Lotus was just horrible the when it first opened, but was not too bad on our second visit (we're guessing adapting a recipe from keg size to vat size took some tinkering). There's a great sushi bar/Japanese grocery two or three doors down if you want food (we eat there about once a week- the sushi is great). We haven't tried the food at Black Lotus.

Royal Oak Brewery, Rochester Mills Beer Co and Detroit Beer Co are the same company, but they do all brew on site. We haven't been to any in quick enough succession to know whether they taste the same or not. The beer is really good.

We have a large enough Middle Eastern population that we do consider schwarma a local food.

The "local American food" is a coney or a hani (breaded chicken breast with lettuce and tomato on a pita) from a coney place. It's just gross- I couldn't even finish when I was utterly drunk and really hungry.

There's also Loui's Pizza in Hazel Park, but I think they've changed something (I'm guessing the pepperoni), because it's not nearly as good as it used to be. It's not as spicy and greasier. Detroit style pizza is most like Chicago style, but I've always stopped listening by the time they get to the actual differences.

Whatever corli33. I would make an eye rolly icon if I knew how. Thank you so much for your helpful insight.

I'm glad you are scratching surrounding areas. You really won't have enough time for them.

What are your dates? That would help in finding hotels. Southfield is a good place to stay. You aren't too far from anything there.

Now for the breweries:

Detroit Rivertown Brewing - ?
Franklin Street Brewing - Might be closed
Woodward Avenue Brewers - About 8 miles north of Detroit on Woodward in an old brick warehouse. Nice place.
Arlington Brewing - Out in Brighton - pretty far away.
Frog Island Brewing - Out in Ypsilanti, easy to hit on your way to or from Ann Arbor. Haven't been, but I think this is a pretty good size label. They sponsor many things in the area.
North Channel Brewing - closed
Arbor Brewing - Nice place in Ann Arbor. Small, but good beer. Grizzly Peak might have better food, but Arbor's is good too.
Arcadia Brewing - In Battle Creek. Waaay too far. Other side of the state.
Atwater Block Brewery - Has changed hands a lot recently and depressingly gone down hill. But their Vanilla Porter is delightful.
Bastone - More of a restaurant in Royal Oak. But a good restaurant. Especially if you like mussels.
Harper’s Brewing - Lansing, too far.
Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse - closed
Big Rock Chophouse - Much more emphasis on the pricey steak house. Fairly far from downtown.
Black Lotus Brewing - Have been inside, looks more like a restaurant.
Blue Coyote Brewing - Lansing, too far.
Charley’s Brewpub/Timeout Brewery - Windsor, says they only brew 2 beers.
CJ’s Brewing - pretty far away I believe
Copper Canyon Brewery - In Southfield. Easy to get to if you are staying in Southfield. Not really my favorite place, but I'm not sure why. Has a big restaurant.
Corner Brewery - part of Arbor in Ann Arbor
Dark Horse Brewing - Marshall, Mi. Very far away.
Detroit Beer Company - They also own Rochester Mills and the Royal Oak Brewery. This is a good place to go downtown. Nice menu and lots of beers.
Dragonmead Brewing - One of my favorites. No food, but they do have menus that will bring takeout to the brew pup. Nice decor and live music sometimes. Non-smoking. Tons and tons of yummy beers.
Fort Street Brewery - Never heard of it, but looks great. Mentions tours.
Great Baraboo Brewing - Brew pup in a strip mall. I've been and nothing special. Pretty far away too.
Grizzly Peak Brewing - The other big one in Ann Arbor. Definitely hit this one and Arbor, but probably eat here.
Helmar Brewing - Never heard of it, but also sounds cool. This one would be good to hit if you are going to Bastone.
King Brewing - All the way up in Pontiac. Pretty far. And Pontiac isn't that great.
Kuhnhenn Brewing - Supposedly just like Dragonmead, but I haven't been.
Labatt Brewing - My husband and I did this tour last year. It is about a two hour drive from Detroit into Canada. It is a major brewery obviously, but the visitor's center really hasn't caught up to the times. It is actually their old break room. The tasting center really leaves a lot to be desired as well. It is just the other side of the old break room, and they have a set tasting menu out of bottles and it includes several Budweiser products since they are the Canadian brewers of it. Still the tour is cool, I just don't know if worth it for your limited time.
Lansing Brewing - I'm assuming in Lansing and too far.
Liberty Brewing - In Plymouth. Never heard of them. Could also hit this on the way to or from Ann Arbor.
Michigan Brewing - Too far. On the way to Lansing.
Motor City Brewing works - Downtown. Haven't been.
Original Gravity Brewing - Haven't been. Could possible do from Ann Arbor.
Prison City Brewers - I assumed this was in Jackson and I was right. Avoid.
Quay Street Brewing - Port Huron. I assume your Lake Huron destination.
Redwood Lodge - Flint. Too far. Avoid.
Rochester Mills Beer Company - Same as Detroit Beer, but farther away.
Royal Oak Brewery - Same as Detroit Beer, but farther away.
Sherwood Brewing - Out in Macomb. Could hit on your way to or from Port Huron.
Stoney Creek Brewing - Wait, Stoney Creek was the one with the great Vanilla Porter. But they might be or have been Atwater. I'm not sure about this.
Traffic Jam & Snug - Downtown. Never heard of it, but it looks cool.
Walkerville Brewing - Oooo, that looks great. We should try to hit that this summer. Okay, just remembered I'm pregnant. Drat!
Woodward Avenue Brewers - Mentioned at the top
Ypsilanti Brewing - Looks like this might just be a brewing supply store.


While in Windsor, definitely hit Little Italy on Erie Street. Wonderful homemade pastas at a decent exchange rate!

http://www.viaitalia.com/

There isn't a large brewery in Detroit anymore. Really the biggest brewer in the state is Bell's.

http://www.bellsbeer.com

That is in Kalamazoo, about an hour and a bit from Ann Arbor down a boring freeway. They also don't give tours. Probably the best thing to do is to just sample Bell's at local bars. They all have a Bell's tap. Oberon is the big summer brew. It is seasonal and Oberon opening day is a local holiday. It is this glorious, almost orange color. They call it summer in a glass. I can't believe I'm going to be pregnant all summer and not have any. I'm going to have a nice cold case waiting for me when I get out of the hospital.

Another place you might want to visit in Ann Arbor is Ashley's.

http://www.ashleys.com/

They have 70 beers on tap there. It is cool to see the taps lined up all along the bar.

I keep remembering places you have to go.

While in Ann Arbor, you should hit Zingerman's. They are the best deli in the midwest. They also sell amazing cheese, breads, meats, olives, etc. The owner travels the globe and brings back products or techniques and makes the items himself. The imported a gelato machine and started a huge bakehouse that makes bread the old fashioned way.

http://www.zingermans.com/

Wow! Great job on the list Kellie!

Kuhnhenn's is the same kind of place as Dragonmead, but Dragonmead is the better of the two.

Thanks for all the help. I think I've gotten more information on these two places than any other thread I've ever started.

~Travel date: May 28-31

~Big Buck is open but is located in Gaylord, MI. Sent them an e-mail and they got back to me very quickly. (http://www.bigbuck.com/index.html).

~Detroit Rivertown Brewery - 237 Joseph Campau Street but can't find much else on it.

~Is Pontiac and Rochester really that far away, they look like suburbs of Detroit. Also, kelliebellie, you mention Pontiac not being that great. What areas are the ones that should be avoided as far as crime/safety? As citylghts mentioned, every city has it's bad parts, but what are they so we don't end up in trouble. I live in a high crime county and just outside D.C, there are certain areas I know to avoid.

Kelliebellie, it sounds like you are like me and my wife with brew visits.

I will look at your travel dates this afternoon. I will be out of town all day.

There were two Big Bucks. The buildings have a giant bottle of beer on the outside. One is right by my house on I-75 near Detroit, and the other is in Gaylord on I-75 very near where we go up north. So my little kids love to look for the "big bottle of beer!" at the beginning and end of that trip. They actually went public years ago. Traded on the stock market and everything. It didn't go well. The one here near Detroit has been empty for several years. The one up in Gaylord is going well. It is about a 4 hour drive from Detroit though!

To get to Pontiac or Rochester, you are probably looking at around a half an hour drive. Maybe a bit more. When I say things are far, I am just meaning for what you get. Like why drive to Rochester Mills when the Detroit Beer Co. will be serving the same beer? It will be a nicer setting and you can sit outside in Rochester. Actually Rochester is a very nice little town. You just really don't have that much time for everything you want to do.

Definitely skip Pontiac. It is a charmless city. I wouldn't be afraid to go there (although their police force has been cut so drastically that they have no detectives, therefor they can actually investigate no crimes), but it just isn't a great place.

Detroit in general isn't doing very well. If you are scared easily, you might want to restrict your visit to the suburbs.

Yes, I love a good brew and brew pub. I don't understand the people that only drink Miller LIte!

"Whatever corli33. I would make an eye rolly icon if I knew how. Thank you so much for your helpful insight."

You're so welcome. Detroit is nasty as I said, avoid it like the plague. Choose Columbus even though it is a dull place. Better dull than dangerous.

Corli33.....we are going to both places.

Kelliebellie.....agree, I only drink domestic if there is nothing else. My wife and I keep a running list of places that we've visited that brew onsite and we are trying to break 100 this year. Should have no problem since we'll be able to add a few in Detroit and then another few in Columbus/Cincinnati. Plus, we are headed to North Carolina soon and will hit one or two down there, plus one in Richmond on the way.

Pontiac doesn't have much to offer and is pretty unsafe in my opinion, but Rochester is very nice. I love to go there. They are both about 25 mi from downtown Detroit. Not that far. I'd skip Pontiac unless you have a reason to go there. Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham are both very nice. I love the downtown area of Birmingham. It is busy and has lots of neat places. Also enjoy Ann Arbor. I agree, go to Zingerman's.

I was looking at your dates and these looked good:

Downtown: Hilton Garden Inn. A newer place, not huge on the amenities, but nice and in a good location - $95 a night

Airport - Marriot Airport. Would be good location for going to Ann Arbor or Greenfield Village, but not much else. A pretty boring area. - $79

Southfield - Springhill Suites - $99

Dearborn area - Wow, you can actually get the Ritz for $149 a night. The Dearborn Inn is a nice historic property by Marriot - $129.

Livonia - This area looks good. Lots of nice places for not too much $$$. It is a good, safe location that would put you not far from Ann Arbor and downtown. You'd be right on most freeways to go anywhere. Hyatt Place - $97, Fairfield Inn - $79, Marriot Livonia - $99.

This was all from tripadvisor.com.

And the thing with Pontiac, is that years and years ago, it had a lovely river going through it. City council decided to force the river underground, so they could put up more parking garages. Not cute.

Actually Rochester is close to M-59 which you could take over to your way up to Lake Huron. Especially if the day is nice, it would be good to stop at the Rochester Mills Place. There is a very cute river going through the town and it also has a cute little downtown.

Wow kelliebellie, you are full of info. Figured staying on the outskirts of Detroit on the Ann Arbor side would be best since we will be visiting friends in Ann Arbor Friday night.

Is the Pontiac Silverdome still standing? I am a big NFL fan.

Where exactly is the Joe Louis fist?

Can someone explain in detail what exactyl is "8 Mile".

The Silverdome is standing, but dormant as there is no plan for the site or money for demolition.

The Joe Louis fist is in the intersection of Woodward and Jefferson Avenues, across from the City-County Building/Coleman Young Center.

When the Great Lakes area was platted after the American Revolution, the planners placed a major road every mile. The East-West roads became known by their relation to downtown. Eight Mile Road is approximately 8 miles away, followed by Nine Mile Rd, Ten Mile Rd, etc.

What became Eight Mile was the first line the surveyors placed on the map and measured all other lines from. Thus, its original name of Base Line Road, which is still shown in some places. It's also known as Vernier and Hwy M-102 in some areas. It's about mid-way between 42º and 43º latitude and extends across the map through Lake Michigan to become the basis for the boundary between Illinois and Wisconsin.

Physically, Eight Mile is a surface-level state highway withn 8 to 10 lanes of fast-moving traffic, high-tension power lines and a mix of industry and retail property. It's also the northern boundary of the City and Wayne County.

Figuratively, it symbolizes the divide between Detroit and the suburbs. Because it borders many communities along its north side, there have often been problems coordinating improvements and policing. As a result, many stretches became run-down and for many years were a haven for adult bookstores, strip clubs, prostitution, drug dealers and related issues. Recently, the cities, state and large property owners have formed a partnership to improve landscaping, security and attract new businesses. (And I thought all those history classes were wasted. )

Thanks for the info citylghts, very detailed.

Just FYI, the Air Force Museum at Wright Patt is great, but it's not on the way between Columbus and Cincinnati. Wright-Patt and Dayton are 60 some miles due West on I-70 and Cincy is 100 miles SW on I-71.

Both 8 mile and the Silver Dome aren't worth seeing IMO.

I only wanted to see the Silverdome because it is an older NFL stadium that has not yet been torn down.

Is there anything sports related outside of the baseball stadium or basketball arena worth seeing (statues, memorials, etc.)

My wife wanted to see 8 Mile because of the Eminem movie. I really did not know what it was until I asked here. I knew it was a certian area of the city but did not really know what was there.

I agree that the Silverdome isn't worth the trip. It's a long drive from the city to drive past and see the building across a massive parking lot that's surrounded by a ten-foot fence. And there isn't anything noteworthy on Eight Mile unless...never mind.

The only thing I can think of besides the stadiums is the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in Cobo Hall. It's literally a hall tucked on the second or third floor at the rear of the building. There's a picture of each inductee and a tablet with his/her bio, so it's more of a way to kill time while you're waiting for something you really want to do than a destination by itself.

DancingBear - you are right that the AF museum is not directly on the shortest route between Columbus and Cincinnati, But if you take 70 and then 75 toward Dayton and 75 to Cincinnati, it is no more than 25 miles extra and well worth the detour.

There is a great science museum and zoo in Columbus. You can also go to the original Wendy's Restaurant. But Detroit does have some great places to visit as well.

AnnElizabeth
http://www.beachfamilyvacation.net

The original Wendy's closed in March 2007.

Ford Field Tours:

http://www.fordfield.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=191&top=1&level=3

corli must be like, what, like 16 ??!! OMG, she needs to get out more since she doesn't have a clue what she is talking about...

Bummer about the Original Wendy's closing! Is the science museum still active?

I think I got a ton to work with for the Detroit trip. Looking for more info on the Columbus/Cincinnati area.

Isn't Cincinnati known for their own style of chili?

Yes, Cincinnati-style chili has a unique flavor (created with the spices of the Greeks that invented it) and is usually served over spaghetti with cheese (3-way) and/or onions and/or beans (4-way or 5-way). Skyline is a ubiquitous chain in the area. My preference is inverted (cheese goes under the chili rather than on top, so it gets really melted) and drained (the chili is a brothy style).

Gold Star is the other chili brand in Cincy. Something else for Cincy www.newportonthelevee.com See prio posts for Columbus. COSI - http://www.cosi.org/

Well, we are back from Michigan. My wife and I were able to add 10 more brewpubs/breweries to our list in just two days. I will post a trip report when I get a chance.

Ditto on the Hitsville USA (Motown Museum). I grew up in Detroit and never went. On trip to visit family last year, it was my husband who suggested doing it and I now I recommend to anyone who goes to Detroit.

Agree on the car rental. Detroit, being home to the automobile, was never designed to be public transportation friendly.

forgot to post the trip report. Will do it when I get a chance. we really liked Detroit and surrounding areas. Very much under appreciated.

Interesting thread. When do you go to Columbus?

Actually, we decided to cancel our trip to Columbus. we are going to use our SWA credit to go someplace different. Have not figured where yet.

Well, if you still go to Ohio & are in Cincinnati, the "other" chili place is Camp Washington (one location -- did not become a chain).

Oh good heavens -- no contest. Columbus!

(If you like little B&Bs make a side trip to Granville and stay at the Fraley House. It's sweet.)