coming to town need pointers

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 01:15 PM

HI All,

We were in Detroit last fall and loved the area. We will be picking up where we left off and need pointers as to where to go. We love cars, museums, architecture, great food,
old vintage resturants.. Last fall we saw Belle Island, Henry Ford [[interior museum), Edsel Ford and Henry Ford Home, Fischer Building, and drove around several great neighborhoods. We also want to visit auction houses.

Are there any RV parks in town? We looked on line and found nothing.

HELP PLEASE! What are the must sees of the areas?

Thanks!

**vetalalumni** · September-19-09, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by GRALR

HI All,

We were in Detroit last fall and loved the area. We will be picking up where we left off and need pointers as to where to go. We love cars, museums, architecture, great food,
old vintage resturants.. Last fall we saw Belle Island, Henry Ford [[interior museum), Edsel Ford and Henry Ford Home, Fischer Building, and drove around several great neighborhoods. We also want to visit auction houses.

Are there any RV parks in town? We looked on line and found nothing.

HELP PLEASE! What are the must sees of the areas?

Thanks!

Sounds like fun - I'm jealous

. RVing can be great adventures but does take a little extra planning and work. Pulling a small vehicle behind? Doubtful you will find many RV parks inside city limits though.

Maybe you can develop a trusting [[offline, emails, private messaging) relationship with a fellow DYesser who has a backyard or driveway to share with you.

Surely the knowledgeable local DYes community will provide information or help. When you are done, please consider sharing photographs of your adventure. Good luck.

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 01:52 PM

We will be coming in with a truck/camper and car trailer. When we found out we were able to come excitement filled our beings! My wife is sick of me telling everyone how great Detroit is. Being from Scotland she is totally amazed at the area.

Several years ago she was in Pheonix, there was a big battle over the demolition of a school building she made a comment in writing, which later appeared on bill boards throughout the city. She said something to this effect " Americans come to Europe to see buildings that they destroy, why destroy your history "

**Diehard** · September-19-09, 01:56 PM

Better hurry if you want to see that last scraps of Tiger Stadium, or the window paintings on the Lafayette Building.
Oh, and welcome! I had some family members come to town in an RV last year and they parked somewhere in Belleville, despite our offering to look for a closer spot.

**jcole** · September-19-09, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Diehard

Better hurry if you want to see that last scraps of Tiger Stadium, or the window paintings on the Lafayette Building.
Oh, and welcome! I had some family members come to town in an RV last year and they parked somewhere in Belleville, despite our offering to look for a closer spot.

Don't worry, there are plenty of other window paintings

**Pam** · September-19-09, 02:00 PM

We love cars, museums, architecture, great food, old vintage resturants

Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, Eastern Market, Motown Museum.

**Kathleen** · September-19-09, 02:13 PM

Pewabic Pottery.
T-Plex [[Henry Ford's 1904 plant).
Guardian Building.
Fisher Building.

For eats, Roma Cafe [[the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the city), Honest John's [[a neighborhood bar/restaurant in the Cass Corridor), Nemo's [[great bar burger, located a block east of Tiger Stadium)Good Girls Go To Paris [[for crepes--both sweet and savory; try their new location a block north of the Detroit Institute of Arts). Also Greektown and Mexicantown for Greek and Mexican specialties with a variety of price and ambience to choose from.

Let us know when you are in town. Maybe we can schedule up a DYes meetup at the Park Bar!!

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 02:47 PM

that will be great! we will be there around Oct 14 and staying a long as possible. We will try every restaurant we can. Please tell us what is a must have in each restaurant. We will print up this thread later.

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 02:49 PM

is there any realtors on this site that know historic properties?

lilpup · September-19-09, 02:51 PM

There's Sterling State Park about 30 miles south of Detroit in Monroe, right on Lake Erie, that's nice in that you could also explore the historic Monroe [[the battlefield has now officially been added to the National Park system but I think the visitor center is weekends only this time of year) and Toledo areas, too, for a day or two [[Fort Meigs is a much more re-created site than the River Raisin site right now). The Monroe and Toledo attractions [[and Fort Malden in Amherstburg, Ontario - passport required for border crossing) are nice historical respites that also show how connected we can be with Canada given our common experiences along the Great Lakes and Detroit River.

There's so much to see and do here you could camp out for quite a while and stay busy.

[[There are a lot of other attractions that are worthwhile, too, like Nankin Mills.)

**East Detroit** · September-19-09, 03:19 PM

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...sults&resnum=5

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 03:33 PM

thanks East Detroit. Does any one have experience of the campgrounds in these parks?

lilpup · September-19-09, 03:44 PM

The state park website is here. If you guys are AAA members AAA also provides regional campground listings for available parks [[KOA, etc.)

[[East D, none of the state parks in Wayne County have camping facilities.)

Another thing you might find of interest is the MotorCities National Heritage Area website. The MNHA, like other National Heritage Areas in the country, is an affiliate of the National Park Service.

**East Detroit** · September-19-09, 04:10 PM

lilpup, sorry, you're right.

Here is a much better list from Michigan tourism:

http://www.michigan.org/Places-to-St...spx?city=G2974

**Bobl** · September-19-09, 05:36 PM

Kathleen's suggestion:
"...Let us know when you are in town. Maybe we can schedule up a DYes meetup at the Park Bar!!..."

Sure sounds good. I am told that they have some of the best chicken schwarama [[sp?) around!

**gazhekwe** · September-19-09, 07:27 PM

More Auto Baron mansions:
Fisher Mansion, now owned by Hare Krishna, and has Govinda's restaurant [[might be by appointment after Labor Day)
Meadowbrook Mansion [[Dodge)
You saw Edsel and Henry Ford Home. Was that two different places?

Here are some campgrounds. I have not tried any of these but they are fairly close in:

Campgrounds beyond the immediate Detroit area Pontiac Lake Recreation AreaWaterford30 Wayne County FairgroundsBelleville30 Addison Oaks County ParkLeonard34 Proud Lake Recreation AreaCommerce Township
Here is a link to more;

http://www.michigan.org/Places-to-St...spx?city=G2974

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

You saw Edsel and Henry Ford Home. Was that two different places?

Yes the Henry Ford home was near to the Ford museum and the Edsel Ford home was at Grosse Point. Of the two the Henry Ford home was more interesting for its behind the scenes power supplies it was amazingly advanced, unfortunately Mrs Ford didnt leave any money for the upkeep of the house so most of the furniture etc is gone. The edsel Ford house is beautiful from an architectural point with many of the original family pieces still there. Well worth a visit if you havent seen them.

**Diehard** · September-19-09, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Kathleen's suggestion:
"...Let us know when you are in town. Maybe we can schedule up a DYes meetup at the Park Bar!!..."

Sure sounds good. I am told that they have some of the best chicken schwarama [[sp?) around!

Yes, they do. It's awesome. You'll be sweating garlic for days, but it's worth it.

**GRALR** · September-19-09, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by Diehard

Yes, they do. It's awesome. You'll be sweating garlic for days, but it's worth it.

A meet up sounds good and if its got good food all the better!!

**EMG** · September-19-09, 10:05 PM

Since you seemed to particularly enjoy the Ford homes, you would probably also like to see the historic buildings at Greenfield Village in Dearborn right next to the Henry Ford Museum.

Also, you'll want to see Meadowbrook Hall - http://www.oakland.edu/mbh/

For a day trip further north - WAAYYY north - north of Flint - you might consider seeing the German village of Frankenmuth: http://www.frankenmuth.org/ and if you do go there, be sure not to miss out on having an all you can eat world famous Frankenmuth Chicken Dinner at either the Bavarian Inn or Zehnder's.

For a really long day trip to the west, Marshall, Michigan is another nice town with some historic places - http://www.marshallmi.org/ If you go, be sure to have a meal at Win Schuler's restaurant - http://www.marshallmi.org/attraction...25C2574AB59C4D

**GRALR** · September-20-09, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by EMG

Since you seemed to particularly enjoy the Ford homes, you would probably also like to see the historic buildings at Greenfield Village in Dearborn right next to the Henry Ford Museum.

Also, you'll want to see Meadowbrook Hall - http://www.oakland.edu/mbh/

For a day trip further north - WAAYYY north - north of Flint - you might consider seeing the German village of Frankenmuth: http://www.frankenmuth.org/ and if you do go there, be sure not to miss out on having an all you can eat world famous Frankenmuth Chicken Dinner at either the Bavarian Inn or Zehnder's.

For a really long day trip to the west, Marshall, Michigan is another nice town with some historic places - http://www.marshallmi.org/ If you go, be sure to have a meal at Win Schuler's restaurant - http://www.marshallmi.org/attraction...25C2574AB59C4D

We hope to do Greenfield Village, last time we just didnt have time because there was so much to see inside! Thanks for the ideas for day trips. I know of Zehnders as my family business used to sell to them in the 50s -90s but have never been so thats a great idea. I am realising that I may just have to move there to do and see everything I want to! And people say there is nothing to do and no culture in Detroit! ha they have no idea

**eriedearie** · September-20-09, 09:34 AM

I have friends who stay here year after year when they want to visit the Detroit/Windsor area. They highly recommend it.

http://www.michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspx?p=G10164

Wherever you stay, I hope you enjoy your sightseeing all around the area.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-20-09, 10:42 AM

Don't most Walmarts allow camping in their parking lots? If so there is one near Greenfield Village at M-39 [[Southfield) and M-153 [[Ford).

Other than that the closest I can think of is a campground S of Ypsi that used to be a KOA, Hass Lake, or Proud Lake.

lilpup · September-20-09, 11:25 AM

Sterling really is the best option - the northern locations like Proud Lake will require driving through suburbia to get anywhere. Sterling is a straight, fast shot up I-75 without the suburbia hassle.

**GRALR** · September-20-09, 11:34 AM

Does anyone know the difference between Wayne county and Sterling in Monroe. Last time we were there the 75 was closed. Which one has the better drive to D ? Which one looks better?
Wal Mart stores vary by area some are safer than others! I would rather be close in. We want to see the Dodge house which as I recall is north of town. Same for Cranbrook. OMG there is just so much to do ! We were there for almost a week and just touched the tip of the ice berg.