summer for a detroit family (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills: house, to buy, camping)

[usroute10]

Belle Isle has a 1/2 mile long beach on its northeastern side near the Yacht Club. It's nothing like L.A., though. Also, it has a little-used 200-acre forest area on the eastern end of the island that has hiking trails. Also, you can rent little boats and sail though the island's canals and lakes. It also has a botanical gardens and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Sadly, the island contains the now closed Aquarium, which was the oldest fresh-water aquarium in the country.

Also, a great park to go to that spans Oakland and Macomb Counties is Stoney Creek park/

For Saturday entertainment, I would suggest going to Eastern Market. It is a great, great experience. Also, the Riverwalk is also a good spot to walk around and take in the waterfront.

[Coldjensens]

Del Ray is also not part of downriver, it is part of Detroit. You keep it we do not want it. In fact, while you are at it, we will reassign River Rouge and Ecorse and Melvindale to Detroit as well.

"Downtriver" is actually used to describe everything downstream from detroit to about Newport. After that is is pretty much Monroe. It also includes quite a way inland, including Taylor, Southgate, Brownstown. Some people include Dearborn, Romulus and even Livonia (Livonia is just plain silly to include). Some people include Inkster (we do not want that one either).

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by [JS]

Hazel Park and Warren are considered to be the "geographical center" of the region because they're at the intersection of the three counties, although culturally the center is Downtown Detroit. There are Detroit suburbs that have formed their own Downtown areas though, namely Royal Oak and Ferndale, but also Berkley, Birmingham, Clawson, Hamtramck and a little bit of Hazel Park and Center Line.

Woodward Divides the east and the west, and generally I see Ford Road as the division between the north and the south.

Warren, Eastpointe, Royal Oak, Ferndale and others in that area are considered to be east; while Livonia, Farmington Hills, Dearborn Heights, Westland and the vicinity are considered to be west.

Dearborn, Lincoln Park, Taylor and the cities around there are considered to be "Downriver" which is not east or west but rather south.

Obviously these boundaries shift around because there's no set definition of where these areas are like in Los Angeles. Some people say Dequindre divides east and west, others say I-75 does, others even say Southfield Highway does. The general belief is that the metro area is organized into those three key areas that I listed above.

Downtown is the "geogrpahic" center based on the infrastructure, the Warren/Hazel Park area is just the population centers.

[Coldjensens]

Kensington is one of the best parks you will find anywhere. It is really that great. There are 12 metroparks altoghter. They have various sizes and amenities. Some are tiny, Kensington is huge (5700 acres). Kensington has a large 1200 acre lake, 2 beaches, boat rental, golf course, petting farm (this is a fully operational farm, not just a pen full of sad dirty baby animals), Miles and miles of trails, some islands, loads of picnic areas of all types (open wooded, waterside, etc. One of the beaches has a water slide.

Erie Metropark has a wave pool that is really neat, but people seem to get killed there every couple of years. Not sure why, it does not seem that dangerous.

THe best beaches are along Lake Michigan (south haven is a favorite place of ours). The beaches are far prettier than California beaches, less crowded. The water is shallow, crystal clear and generally pretty cold (but not always). The sand "sings" if you shuffle your feet while walking in it. THe are quite a few lighthouses along the beaches and some places have giant sand dunes (more like small mountains of sand). Every place has something different to experience. Visit traverse city, pictured rocks, Leelanau peninsula, Tahquamenon falls. this is only a scratch the surface list.


A trip to Hell (near Pinkney) cna be fun for jkids. Nothing there really, but how many people can say you went to get ice scream in hell? There is a canoe livery, but the canoing is mostly on lakes. One lake has a great tire swing on a tree that hangs out over the water.

There is an indoor waterpark in Dundee. Another in Traverse city. Some others too. I cannto remember where.

Cedar Point in OOhio is an amusement park that is wortht he trip, but I would nto go there on a weekend during the main season.

What was your question? I cannto remember. .. . .

[Coldjensens]

Oh I found your qeustion.

Detroit Zoo is in royal Oak. Toledo also has a nice zoo.

Lots of neat festivals and other events in Detroit and Ann Arbor to bring family to. Some decent shows in Detroit too.

Shipshiwana in indian is a nice day trip. It is a kitschy quaker tourist place. If you get out of the main part of town (where they sell quaker things that say "made in china") there are some really neat shops.

Colon Michigan is billed as the Magic Capitol of the worl. THey have a good sized magic factory (Abbots) and host the annual magicians convention each year (it is in August).

I really like to visit Marshall, Dundee, Milford, Plymouth, Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Rochester and Birmingham. All are great places to just go walk around, watch people, grab lunch, shop a little, etc.

You ahve undoubtedly been to The Henry Ford/Greenfield Villiage by now. However they are alsways changing thins, having special events etc. It is worth buying a membership and watching their list of events.

The redford Theater in redford Township has a great three stooges festival each year. They also have a laurel and HArdy event. It is a classic 1930s theater with a large pipe organ Sometimes they have silent movies form the old days and play the organ just like they did way back.

Becuase we live in a place that is like a summer camp, we do not get out as much as I otherwise might. There are so many pleasant things to do right on our little island that there is little reason to leave. Thus, we do not get out exploring all that much. A few places each year, but we have not run out of new parts of Michigan to see. Then you can start on canada, Ohio, Chicago,. . . .

[detwahDJ]

I should have mentioned ALL the metroparks and Rec Areas are great places for individuals and families. Most have a nice mix of activities and nature.
Huron-Clinton Metroparks
Huron
http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/ParkMap.aspx

[apt2110]

great places to go for the summer with the family: Northern Michigan. "Up North" is very family oriented, quiet, clean, with lots of trees and fresh water all around! It is the place where all Michiganders go for the summer. Lot of opportunities for watersports. I'm sure you'll find someone who has a family member who owns or rents a cabin upnorth.

Northern Michigan is BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend Torch Lake, MI. There is a resort not too far away called The Homestead that you can stay at. There is also the Sleeping Bear Dunes right by Torch Lake. Of course, you have to go to Mackinac Island--very touristy and there are no cars on this island. Plus, you can buy some Mackinac Fudge, which is pretty good!

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by apt2110

Northern Michigan is BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend Torch Lake, MI. There is a resort not too far away called The Homestead that you can stay at. There is also the Sleeping Bear Dunes right by Torch Lake. Of course, you have to go to Mackinac Island--very touristy and there are no cars on this island. Plus, you can buy some Mackinac Fudge, which is pretty good!

A disappointment for me is that BingMaps hasn't gotten around to creating close-up views of many desirable northern areas, including The Bear. I guess it's a work in progress.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by Shinhiryuu

. wheres good family places to go in summer? in l.a. we loved walking hiking trails and beach walks. do you guys know something like that here is? we went to belle island today and liked the greenhouse, i felt bad theres no longer a zoo there..

Head north...There are tons of all this kind of stuff in the rest of Michigan. Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior all have great beaches...and there are trails everywhere in Northern Michigan. If you cant go to where the best of Michigan is...you can always go up into the thumb. It is awesome there, with great beaches and trails....very underrated.

[Shinhiryuu]

thank you all so much for the info. I'm looking into North, we have a friend who has 100 arces up there so I might check that out.

I really wanna see Eastern Market, I need to buy a bike