Traveling With Torie

Let me just start this piece of my blog with an honest opinion. You should know me by now and notice that I will give you my honest opinion. Would I have spent time in Detroit if it weren’t for my family living nearby? No. I’ve never considered Detroit as a place to visit. I was shockingly surprised at how much I enjoyed everything we did in the city. Did I feel safe at all times? NO. There were plenty of times were I questioned being in Detroit because I felt my safety was compromised. My biggest tip is to keep valuables hidden and be aware of your surrounding and where you are at ALL times. Maybe this is just because I’m not from the area? Not sure. Would I visit Detroit again? Of course, besides, I have family there! BUT I should warn you, this is not a place I would visit alone, personally would prefer going here with a group of people.

Now that honesty hour is over, I will give you a run down of the best things to do, see, eat, etc… in the city!

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Detroit’s airport is the most convenient for a lot of reasons. There are also plenty of areas right outside of the city that are so fun to visit; see my other posts under the Michigan section for more! Most things in Detroit are actually closed Monday-Wednesday. Check before you go and plan around this as well!

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What Should You Add to Your Itinerary?

There are plenty of things to do in Detroit! There are some things on this list we did not get to do because of time, but they all looked like lots of fun and came recommended by a local. ~Bare with me for TONS of info~

Tiger’s Game in Comerica Park-

Even if MLB isn’t your thing, going to one of the game with some friends is always a great time! Every major league game I’ve gone to I’ve had so much fun at! Comerica Park was incredible and was a great environment. The park is right in the heart of downtown and within walking distance to many things. Parking could possibly be difficult to find, but we managed to find parking for $10 at the Opera House which was super close to the stadium. 

Helpful tips:

• Don’t bring a purse/bag, it won’t be allowed in. 
• Have tickets downloaded ahead of time to avoid downloading them when you get there!
• Prepare for the high prices that come with most ballparks. 

Eastern Market and Murals-

I’ll be honest, street art isn’t really my thing. There were some really fascinating murals, but the others weren’t impressive to me. If you LOVE street art and murals then I’m sure this place you would love! There are murals surrounding the area of the Eastern Market which is part of the attraction of the market. Inside the market are different vendor who sell their products daily. They are open in the morning and typically close around 3pm. I personally did not feel the safest in this part of Detroit though, I would not recommend walking around in the middle of the day alone if you are not familiar with the area. That could possibly be why I didn’t enjoy the murals as much as I thought I would.

Detroit Institute of Art-

I’m not the kind of person who looks and reads everything in a museum, but I will say that you need at least 2 hours in this museum! I’m not an art museum kind of gal, but I was highly impressed by this beautiful building and all the exhibits. There was, at the time, a temporary exhibit dedicated to the cars and automotive industry in Detroit. That exhibit was awesome and very “Michigan-esque” if you wanted to see something special to the state. I will add pictures, but you should visit and see for yourself. I will add some museum info, but my experience may have been a bit different. My cousin, a resident, made reservations online in advance (which you need because of COVID) and when we got there we didn’t have to pay. Specific counties’ residents get in for free, but I did not have to pay either.

• Price: $14 per adult, $6 per youth, $8 per college student w/ ID
• Parking: $7 (we chose to park on the street with 2 hr. parking since we went closer to closing time)
• Hours: CLOSED (Mon-Tues); 9am-4pm (Wed-Fri); 10am-5pm (Sat-Sun)

Detroit Zoo-

The Detroit Zoo has to have been my favorite zoo that I have been to!! Unfortunately there were some animals that were not able to be seen and the penguin exhibit was closed, but there were so many other cool exhibits to view. One of my favorite animals was the polar bears (including the baby), which I had never seen in person before! Be prepared for TONS of walking and the heat on a sunny day. Luckily, it was overcast the day we went so it was bearable! The zoo currently requests that you make reservations prior to your visit.

Pricing: the prices change based on the day, but the ranges are-

• Adults: $14-$19
• Children: $10-$15
• Parking: $8

Detroit Riverwalk-

The riverwalk in located along the Detroit River. We honestly didn’t spend a whole lot of time here. We got a great view of Canada, which you can see behind me in the picture! Unfortunately the day was chilly and, as you can tell, it was about to rain on us. This was the closet I’ve been to Canada and since they still aren’t open, it’s closest I’ll be for a while!

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Rent Scooters in the City-

There are several different brands of scooters you can rent to ride around Detroit. Right outside of the Riverwalk are tons of scooters, but you cannot ride them within the Riverwalk area. Close to this area is the Dequindre Cut, which is a great place to take a stroll by scooter, bike, or on foot! The picture below is of me on my scooter in the Dequindre Cut.

We rented the Lime Scooters. You need to have your smart phone to scan the barcode, your drivers license, and a credit card to pay for your ride. It was a little pricey for the 30 or so minuted we rode, but it was SO fun!! Helpful tips:

• Go in the morning when scooters have a greater charge (battery life doesn’t last all day).
• Check the weather!!
• Be careful, it can be easy to wipeout and actually seriously injure yourself!
• Follow the rules of the road, don’t get ran over!

John King Used and Rare Bookstore-

The bookstore is the largest used and rare bookstore in Michigan! It was also voted #2 bookstore in the world. The John King Bookstore is located in an old glove factory, which gives it a really cool ambiance. There are 5 floors that are covered floor to ceiling with books. Most of them are older books or specialty books, but if you are looking for something older and specific you may be able to find it! THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS!!! It truly can be overwhelming, so I really suggest you give yourself plenty of time to look and explore the bookstore. They closed at 5pm the day we went and we had like maybe an hour to look, which was not near enough time.

Roller Skate on Monroe Street Midway-

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this activity because we actually didn’t do it while in Detroit. The space looked really cool and it is located right in the middle of downtown Detroit. If you want to do something different and active while in the city this would be a great option! Just dress appropriately for roller skating outdoors! This roller skating rink just opened Memorial Day weekend 2021. Here is the LINK to purchase tickets and more:

https://www.rollercadedetroit.com/midway