Day 1

Spend the day in exploration at the Cranbrook Science Institute and Planetarium - a great place to explore science, technology, and natural history. From sparkling diamonds to the towering T. Rex, to live animals in the Bat Zone, you will find something of interest. Reflections café is available for lunch and snacks – or stop on the byway in Birmingham at Papa Joes and pick up a picnic lunch to enjoy on the beautiful grounds.

  

Start the day strolling- - - or bring your skates - - - along the Riverwalk in downtown Detroit. Ride the handcrafted and Detroit specially designed Carousel. The Carousel features creatures native to the Detroit River, including sturgeon, egrets and walleye, along with the mythical River Mermaid and River Monster.

Make geography fun studying the map of the river crafted with the beautiful varieties of in-laid granite that creates an interactive and educational map of the Detroit River at Rivard Plaza. Kids can trace the 32-mile long river's course and find their hometown. The map also highlights the Detroit River's importance to the region. If you can’t find your hometown on the Detroit River map - - - maybe you can on the St. Lawrence Seaway Map. This standing, sculptured glass map is a beautiful display of the St. Lawrence Seaway and highlights Detroit and the Detroit River's role in the international shipping and transportation route.
A visit to the Riverfront is never complete until there is time to play in the fountains – both the GM dancing fountains where the water shoots in patterns from the ground and the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain, designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1978 at Hart Plaza. You might want to bring a change of clothes. (If your visit is in the winter – substitute this activity for skating at Campus Martius Park).

Lunch - Hike over or drive to the American or Lafayette Coney Island for an authentic byway lunch. The Coney Island Hot Dogs is an original byway food creation. In 1912 Greek immigrant sheepherder Constantine "Gust" Karos hoping to find a $5 a day job with Henry Ford instead ended up opening a small restaurant with flashing lights in the window mimicking the amusement park in New York where he first landed. He wanted to replicate the New York hot dogs with sauerkraut but sauerkraut was expensive and he couldn’t afford it for his newly opened restaurant so he added onion, mustard and chili – which became the talk of the town.

After lunch head up the byway to the Garden Bowl. What could be more fun than a couple of games of bowling at America’s oldest active bowling alley and home of rock and bowl – glow in the dark fun.

Day 3

 Lunch – Take your choice…Elwood Bar & Grill, the historic restaurant across from Comerica Park, Chelis’ Chilli for a great nacho where you might see a famous athlete, a sandwich at Aubon Pain in Campus Martius followed by an ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, a trip over to Greek town to take in a flaming cheese or the other 120 plus downtown places to eat.

Ever wonder what the Streets of Old Detroit looked like a century ago? Wonder no more….walk the streets in the lower level of the Detroitcrowd favorite for years; the Glancy Trains are from the collection of Alfred R. Glancy Jr. (1908-1973), real estate financier and former co-owner of the Empire State Building in New York City. During the 1950s and 1960s, Mr. Glancy, enjoyed hosting “train parties” for friends, neighbors, schoolchildren and scout groups each holiday season in his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. After his death in 1973, the Glancy family donated their extensive collection to the Detroit Historical Museum. Historical Museum. Enjoy the Motor City exhibit with a replica of the first car to travel the streets of Detroit and an actual working body drop from the Cadillac plant. Kids of all ages will enjoy.

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