Detroit

Never been, but I would check out a Tigers game if they're in town.

Sorry Tigs are in Oakland next week. I'd recommend avoiding Detroit itself unless you are going to a game. The Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village is probably your best bet. If you are just looking for some place to hang out, try downtown Royal Oak. If you are up for a longer drive, you might like Ann Arbor.

REDWINGS UCK

Unfortunately, the Tigers will be out of town on the days you'd have available. There's the Motor City Casino, Greektown Casino, & MGM Casino that can be fun diversions...but if Tiges or Lions aren't playing, downtown can be pretty dead.

Downtown Royal Oak has some nice restaurants.

If you're into Casinos Take your passports along and drive over the border to Canady.

I'm a techy so I liked Henry Ford and the Greenfield Village.

Ethnic deli's and restaurants you'll find in Hamtranck (sp?)

There's a real nice Japanese deli near where you're going to be but I can't remember the exact location.

But...Detroit ain't Chicago.

Meadow Brook Hall

Find a way to get a tour of this wondrous mansion. It is a major trip back to the 1930's and 1940's when the rich could have anything they wanted. One of the stories concerns the daughter's birthday. At meal time, the family could faintly hear music coming from a distant part of the mansion. The went exploring and found the Dorsey Band with Frank Sinatra performing for her birthday.

Meadow Brook HallFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Meadow Brook Farms
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Estate of Matilda Dodge Wilson

Location within the state of Michigan
Location: 480 South Adams Road
Rochester Hills, Michigan
United States

Coordinates: 42°40?19?N 83°12?04?W? / ?42.67194°N 83.20111°W? / 42.67194; -83.20111Coordinates: 42°40?19?N 83°12?04?W? / ?42.67194°N 83.20111°W? / 42.67194; -83.20111
Architect: William E. Kapp
Smith Hinchman & Grylls
Architectural style(s): Tudor Revival
Governing body: State
Added to NRHP: 1979

Meadow Brook Hall is a Tudor revival style mansion located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It was built between 1926 and 1929 by Matilda Dodge Wilson (the widow of auto pioneer John Francis Dodge) and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson. In 1957, the mansion and the surrounding property and buildings were donated to the State of Michigan in order to found Michigan State University–Oakland, now known as Oakland University.

Brook Farms originally belonged to Matilda's first husband, automotive tycoon, John F. Dodge. He purchased the property along with the large white farmhouse off of Adams Road as a holiday retreat for his family. John Dodge had three children with his first wife, Ivy Hawkins, and three with Matilda Rausch. He also built a nine hole golf course, of which some holes still follow the current Katke-Cousins 18 hole course, on the property. The mansion, located on South Adams Road amidst a 1,400-acre (5.7 km2) estate, is now part of Oakland University. Throughout her lifetime, Matilda actually resided in the hall for a total of 16 years. Some of the family's time was spent away from the home on vacations in their summer home in Scottsdale, Arizona. The hall was also shut down for a brief time during the worst part of the Depression.

Often referred to as one of America's "castles," the 110-room, 88,000-square-foot (8,200 m2) mansion is currently ranked fourth on the list of Largest Historic Homes in the United States.[1] It was designed by William Kapp of the firm Smith Hinchman & Grylls. It's designed in a Tudor-revival style and European-inspired, however, most of the materials that were used to build the home were American-made. The playful Romanesque architectural sculpture that adorns the building was created by Corrado Parducci. Much of the original artwork collected by the Wilsons is still found at Meadow Brook including paintings by Anthony van Dyck, Rosa Bonheur, Joshua Reynolds, John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough and sculpture by Antoine-Louis Barye, Frederic Remington, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, and Herbert Haseltine. The home and the surrounding estate, known as Meadow Brook Farms, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1957, Alfred and Matilda Dodge Wilson donated part of their estate to Michigan State University, including Meadow Brook Hall, Sunset Terrace, the Wilsons' retirement home, and all its other buildings and collections, along with $2 million to found Michigan State University-Oakland (now Oakland University). The Wilsons lived in the Sunset Terrace home until Alfred's death in 1962. Mrs. Wilson returned to Meadowbrook Hall and lived there until her death in 1967.

I would say if you liked Polish food try Hamtramck. But it is no longer Polish. I hear it is now a REAL BAAAD NEIGHBORHOOD.

🙁

> I would say if you liked Polish food try Hamtramck. But it is no longer Polish. I hear it is now a REAL BAAAD NEIGHBORHOOD.
>
> 🙁

It'll remind him of the Bronx or Brooklyn. The Polish Restaurants are still there but there are also Yemenis (Yemen)and a couple of other ethnic groups that I can't think of right now.

Thanks To All...........

.........for the advice and suggestions.

All of the evenings will be taken up by various family and wedding functions. Afternoons are up for grabs.

As noted, Tigers are on the road, Red Wing playoff game (a 1 PM start, too bad) is sold out and I won't pay scalpers for my own home teams, much less any others.

The casino (ANY casino) only works for a short time, unless you are winning. Hamtramck does in fact, sound like Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so maybe a quick trip is in order. I understand the People Mover will give a good overview of the downtown area.

Thanks To All...........

The DPM is actually a pretty short loop. It goes past some attractions - Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Arena, Greektown Casino...and somewhat near MGM casino. Doesn't really pass by Ford Field or Comerica Park, though you may be able to see Copa at some point along the route...I forget for sure. The renaissance center has the GM buildings which are kind of a cool view. I think its just $1 or .50 cent to ride it, so worth that certainly.