Experiencing the diverse offerings of Michigan requires more than just a few days but if that is all you are able to spare may we offer the following suggested itineraries and options to fill your days and nights.
For ground transportation please contact our preferred vendor:
Metro Cars - the leading provider of chauffeured sedan, limousine, and group transportation services in Michigan and the official curbside transportation provider at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Web address: http://www.metrocars.com
Direct line: 1-800-456-1701 (Sedans, Limo's and group transportation)
Each of these experiences will allow you to choose as much or as little assistance as you wish from a turnkey package to an a la carte menu.
Michigan lighthouses are the stars to our shores, beacons of brilliance and luminaries of lore. More than 115 Great Lakes lighthouses form a stellar constellation along the Michigan coastline, guiding sailors and capturing imaginations.
Some still shine for ships. Others share their stories with us first-hand as museums, as bed and breakfasts and as Michigan history in the making. This tour would include a trip round the exterior of Michigan, visiting and staying at a number of our beautiful beacons.
Michigan lighthouses are stars of the shore, beacons of brilliance and luminaries of lore. More than 115 Great Lakes lighthouses form a stellar constellation along the Michigan coastline, guiding sailors and capturing imaginations. Some still shine for ships. Others share their stories with us first-hand as museums, as bed and breakfasts and as Michigan history in the making.
Click on the following links for more information:
With more than 70 Michigan wineries situated within 14,600 acres of scenic vineyards, Michigan truly is wine country. Here, wine enthusiasts can let thier palates be thier guides through Michigan wine trails and tastings, for unhurried afternoons of sampling award winning Michigan wines.
This tour would concentrate on the West Coast
of Michigan including Traverse City and the
surrounding area.
These self-guided tours lead you to the vineyards and wineries where you can savor the award-winning efforts of world-class winemakers. Riesling, chardonnay, pinot grigio, cabernet and more. All patiently awaiting the chance to please your palate along the scenic wine trails of Michigan.
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail
Our cool-climate, Michigan wines go beautifully with food and have been winning more national and international awards and praise each and every year - making it a great destination.
Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail
Lake Michigan Shore...The Other West Coast! Come visit the wineries of Michigan's Great Southwest. With light, beach-like soils and lake effect climate, this small corner of the state is a designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) classified as 'Lake Michigan Shore.'
Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail
Southeastern Michigan's Pioneer wine making region is a great place to spend a few hours... or a few days!
Sunrise Side Wine & Hops Trail
The Trail consists not only of wineries and breweries but some very special attractions.
Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula
Jutting north between the azure arms of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay lies Old Mission Peninsula.
A visit to Michigan's art, science and history museums surrounds us with brilliance, enlightens us and gives us a deeper appreciation for the world around us. So let's have a look at the work of the masters. Let's see the stories of our ancestors. And let's learn first-hand what we've only read.
This tour would include museums in and around the Metro Detroit area including the Detroit Institute of Art, Cranbrook Institute of Art the Detroit Science Center and our crown jewel the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
• Day 1 •
Detroit Institute of Art
The DIA has been a beacon of culture for the Detroit area for well over a century. The museum covers 658,000 square feet that includes more than 100 galleries, a 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture/recital hall, an art reference library, and a state-of-the-art conservation services laboratory.
The DIA's collection is among the top six in the United States, comprising a multicultural and multinational survey of human creativity from prehistory through the 21st century. A hallmark of the DIA is the diversity of the collection. In addition to outstanding American, European, Modern and Contemporary, and Graphic art, the museum holds significant works of African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic, and Ancient art.
The DIA. Let yourself go!
Web address: http://www.dia.org/
Direct line: (313) 833-7900
Lunch at the Whitney (1 hour)
The Whitney, Detroit's most iconic mansion, retains all of its charm and refinement while appealing to contemporary tastes with a more comfortable and welcoming environment! Our 1894 mansion turned restaurant specializes in award-winning cuisine with unique presentation and flavors you will never forget. Our wine cellar provides the ideal compliment to each of our tantalizing entrees.
Web address: http://www.thewhitney.com/
Direct line: (313) 832-5700
Detroit Science Center
Featured Exhibit: Dinosaurs Unearthed
Release your inner geek! The Detroit Science Center was built to inspire children and their families to discover and appreciate science, technology and engineering and they certainly over deliver on that mission!
Just a few features:
Michigan's only IMAX® Dome Theatre
The IMAX® Dome experience wraps sight and sound around you like an astounding "techno-blanket," and allows you to truly experience film. One doesn't just "watch" a movie in the IMAX® Dome Theatre; it's a revolutionary sensory celebration.
Digital Dome Planetarium
In this virtual reality environment you'll not only be able to experience the wonders of a star filled sky, but also fly among them.
The Sparks Theater offers "spark-tacular" demonstrations using electricity.
The DaimlerChrysler Science Stage offers live programs covering a wide range of science topics.
Web Address: http://www.detroitsciencecenter.org
Direct line: (313) 577-8400
• Day 2 •
Henry Ford/Greenfield Village (all day)
Featured exhibit: Discovering the Civil War Exhibit
The Henry Ford. A place like no other. Where superheros live.
Our heroes may not have had x-ray vision. But they all had a vision. Whether it was to conquer the skies, or light up the world, you'll see them here at America's Greatest History Attraction - A place filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It has a Museum, Village, Factory Tour and IMAX Theatre. At Michigan's #1 cultural tourism destination, the exploits of America's heroes come alive in fascinating, breathtaking and educational ways. Model T rides. Ragtime music. Historic baseball games. Climb into the cab of the world's largest steam locomotive. Or explore the bicycle shop where the Wright brothers first gave us the power to fly. Sip tea amid the splendor of a genuine English garden. Or sit in the very bus where Rosa Parks showed us what it meant to be a hero. Coming to The Henry Ford is like stepping into a giant encyclopedia that is alive with three-dimensional storytelling. There's only one place where you can follow adventures like these. The Henry Ford.
Web address: http://www.thehenryford.org/index.aspx
Direct line: 800.835.5237
• Day 3 •
Motown Museum
Featured Exhibit: Marvin Gaye
The Motown Museum is one of Southeastern Michigan's most popular tourist destinations. Each year, the museum attracts thousands of visitors from across the nation and around the globe. Founded in 1985 by Esther Gordy Edwards, the Museum's mission is to preserve the legacy of Motown Record Corporation and to educate and motivate people, especially youth, through exhibitions and programs that promote the values of vision, creativity and entrepreneurship.
Web address: www.motownmuseum.com
Direct line: (313) 875-2264
Charles W. Wright Museum/African American History (2 hours)
Welcome to the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience! The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History provides learning opportunities, exhibitions, programs and events based on collections and research that explore the diverse history and culture of African Americans and their African origins.
Featured exhibits:
• Dance Theater of Harlem
• Heidleberg 25 Project
• Chris Webber Collection
• Tuskegee Airman Project
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Barely There Part II
Web address: http://www.chwmuseum.org/
Direct line: (313) 494-5800
Eastern Market Experience
Each week as many as 40,000 people flock to Eastern Market for its Saturday Market to enjoy one of the most authentic urban adventures in the United States. The market and the adjacent district are rare finds in a global economy - a local food district with more than 250 independent vendors and merchants processing, wholesaling, and retailing food.
At the heart of Eastern Market is a six-block public market that has been feeding Detroit since 1891. Every Saturday it is transformed into a vibrant marketplace with hundreds of open-air stalls where everyone from toddlers to tycoons enjoy the strong conviviality served up along with great selections of fruits, veggies, fresh-cut flowers, homemade jams, maple syrups, locally produced specialty food products, pasture and/or grass-fed meat and even an occasional goose or rabbit.
The Tuesday market is a rare opportunity to sample a cornucopia of fresh produce, flowers, specialty food and prepared food. Shop at local vendors offering everything from arts and antiques to spices and wine. Dine at Detroit traditions such as Bert's Pit BBQ served with a side of jazz, Supino's thin crust pizza – based on a recipe brought to Detroit from Supino, Italy, or Sala Thai serving some of the best Thai and sushi in Metro Detroit!
Web address: http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com
Direct line: 313.833.9300
"What do you want to go on first?" It's a question that guarantees a full day of fun and sums up Michigan amusement parks perfectly.
With five different theme parks in Michigan, there's something for everyone - ride the rails, shoot the rapids, conquer the coasters and float down the streams. Whatever we decide to do first, the excitement will last long after the sun goes down. So let's hang on tight and enjoy the ride.
• Day 1 • Detroit Zoo
Featured exhibit: Dinosauria
Start your day at the Detroit Zoo which is open year-round and often has special exhibits and kid-friendly events. Featuring 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits with 1300 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates of 250 different species. The Detroit Zoo was the first in the United States to use open natural exhibits. The Arctic Ring of Life exhibit takes visitors on a trek to the North Pole. Guests will experience the tundra, open sea and pack ice of the Arctic environment, and the animals that are distinctively adapted to life there.
Web address: http://detroitzoo.org
Direct line: 248.541.5717
• Day 2 • Michigan Adventure Amusement Park
Two great parks for the price of one! Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park and WildWater Adventure Waterpark with six roller coasters, fifteen water rides and more than 60 rides and attractions, is thrills and chills for all ages. Get drenched in WildWater Adventure Waterpark, 10 acres of body and tube slides, 3 wave pools, kiddie play areas, family rafts, and a giant funnel water slide --Funnel of Fear.
• Day 3 • Sleeping Bear Dunes
Sleeping Bear has 64 miles of beautiful public beaches, including lots of places where you can bodysurf the waves, make some sand castles, or take a long walk down the shore. Gather up your beach chairs and towels, your masks and fins, your boogie boards and rafts. The water is waiting!
Want to stay in Detroit? We’ve lined up a plethora of activities to fill your days and nights from shopping, to jazz and bbq to boutique or outlet shopping to the Segway tours of our beautiful riverfront to a baseball game complete with hotdogs and peanuts.
We live up to our nickname – the Paris of the West.
Experience Detroit a variety of ways by hooking up with Inside Detroit. Inside Detroit began in 2005 when Maureen Kearns and Jeanette Pierce came together under the same thought: The more people know Detroit, the more they love it. As two people who lived, worked and played in Detroit they wanted to show people the great gems, many of them hidden, that Detroit had to offer, but they wanted to do it from an Insider's perspective.
Not only did they want to show people the history and architecture, they wanted to show them where they could find great boutiques and great beer too.Most importantly, they wanted to introduce people to the Detroit community, which is full of diverse, interesting and friendly people. More than 3 years later Inside Detroit is continuing to grow and educate people about the unique city of Detroit…and loving every minute of it!
Tee off with a round of Michigan golf! For those of us that love golf, Michigan's 850 public golf courses and world-class golf resorts speak our language fluently. Enjoy the day on one of Michigan's pristine golf courses for the perfect tee time. So whether you bring you're “A” game or your hopes and dreams, a round of golf is the perfect way to experience the pure magic that is a Michigan golf.
Michigan has been called "golfers' heaven." Play a Michigan golf course and enjoy a timeless place with long days, ideal weather and over 800 choices of where to tee it up. No matter what our handicap is, Michigan has a golf course made to order. Click the link below to explore golf courses according to city or region – get your game on!
Are you feeling lucky? With 26 different casinos within Michigan's boarders as well as several harness and thoroughbred racing tracks. We can promise an exciting time from the second you hear your first slot machine or the starting gun at the track! Casinos in Michigan are also known for their five-star restaurants, live shows and exhilarating nightlife, which help keep the evening fully charged.
Double down or play the penny slots all night long in a city boasting the best of Las Vegas casino's as well as gaming floors that are all about the "D".
If you want to experience one of Michigan's many Indian Tribe casino's click here.
Polish up the credit cards and enjoy collections to outlets, boutiques to big box stores. Enjoy three days of shopping the best that Southeast Michigan has to offer. Oh and there's great food too.
Shopping
Day 1 – Collection shopping
The Somerset Collection
Regal, singular, gracious and resplendent with style, the peacock feather represents Somerset Collection. With more than 180 stores - from Gucci to Gap, Cartier to Crate & Barrel, and four prominent department stores - Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Marshall Field's - Somerset Collection is a shopping destination unlike any other. After a day of shopping, relax at any of Somerset's full-service restaurants including P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Bon Vie, Brio Tuscan Grille, J. Alexander's, McCormick & Schmick's, and The Capital Grille, or the casual Peacock Cafes.
In addition to world-class shopping, visitors also enjoy Somerset's elegant character with its marble flooring, birds eye maple columns, soaring atriums and end-to-end skylights. Museum quality artwork is featured throughout the center, some of which is interactive for children and adults alike.
With a host of conveniences such as valet parking and an impressive, 700 foot-long moving skywalk connecting Somerset North to Somerset South, North & South Concierge Services Somerset Collection is the destination for power walkers, people watchers and power shoppers... like you.
Somerset Collection Hours:
Monday through Friday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Saturday (North) 10:00am to 9:00pm
Saturday (South) 10:00 to 7:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm to 6:00pm
Day 2 – Boutique shopping
Birmingham (3 hours)
Birmingham is vibrant and prosperous. Nestled amid some of the nation's most affluent suburbs, Downtown Birmingham is a center for business, social and cultural activities. The City has a lively, pedestrian-friendly downtown offering one of the Midwest's premiere shopping districts. Comprised of nearly 300 retailers, the City offers a wonderfully diverse assortment of restaurants, clothing and gift stores, salons, spas, antique shops, and art galleries. Movie theatres and a centrally located park complete the city center. Whether you want to stroll the streets with your family and grab an ice cream, or check out the latest in designer fashions capped off with an evening of some of Metro's Detroit's finest dining, Birmingham offers it all.
Web address: http://www.enjoybirmingham.com/Royal Oak (3 hours)
Direct line: (248) 530-1200
Royal Oak (3 hours)
A bohemian village located on the outskirts of Detroit, Royal Oak offers a fashionable selection of specialty shops, art galleries, antique stores, Parisian-style streetside cafés, and restaurants Downtown Royal Oak brings it all together creating an exciting place to shop, dine, play and reside. Nowhere else in metro Detroit will you find a greater concentration of award winning boutiques, restaurants, salons, galleries and theatres with funky vibe all its own.
Day 3 – Outlet shopping
Great Lakes Crossing
Touted by Taubman Centers as Michigan's first value regional mall, Great Lakes Crossing is an enclosed shopping center with over 160 manufacturer outlets and retailers. Great Lakes Crossing is also home to stores traditionally located in plazas, such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Sports Authority.
The mall has a race-track design, with two long corridors running the course of the mile-length structure, with thirteen anchor stores distributed around the perimeter. A 25-screeen movie theater sits at one end. An antique carousel, children's play area and enormous food court occupy the mall's biggest court, which connects the two main corridors near one end.
Great Lakes Crossing Outlets has over 25 stores and restaurants that can't be found anywhere else in Michigan, including Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Disney Store Outlet, Rainforest Café, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center, Victoria's Secret Outlet and Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill—just to name a few!
