Although I was only here for the Women of Color in STEM Conference, the 60°F weather prompted my team to explore what to do in the city. Turns out the Crowne Plaza and Detroit Marriott Renaissance Hotels are equidistant from Greektown and right next to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel! Granted we couldn’t really skip a day of the conference to cross the border into Canada but it would have been a thing to consider prior our departure, adding a day to walk the waterfront and visit the Caesars Casino.
On the Detroit side, Hart Plaza provides a nice promenade and sculpture garden to enjoy while taking a stroll or having lunch to go. Covering a few city blocks, you can get from the COBO Center to the GM Renaissance Center while enjoying a view of the Ambassador Bridge. Right next door to the Renaissance they have the Joe Louis Arena home of the Red Wings until the end of the 2016-2017 season. Then they will move to the Little Caesar’s Arena which is a few blocks away from the Comerica Park, home of the MLB Tigers. If you decide to stay in the waterfront area, there are various people movers that will get you to your destination for just a dollar!
Crowne Plaza and Marriott Renaissance
If you are more of a basketball fan, The Palace at Auburn Hills is a must. You will enjoy the famous Detroit Pistons and their fans in all their glory. Unfortunately, in October there are very few pre-game dates available and none coincided with our trip. 😭 The NFL Lions weren’t in town as well so I had to cut my loses and plan to return at later dates to catch them all. For those not interested in sports, Motown offers an alternative for music lovers and The Henry Ford Museum for car aficionados. There are also a lot of marathon opportunities and many use the Windsor-Detroit tunnel to add some international flair to the affair.
Food wise we noticed that cheese and cherries are EVERYWHERE! You will find cherries in your drinks and in your salads. The food is fresh and very well priced and the locally brewed beers are delicious! Granite City Food and Drink is a good option for those staying at the Renaissance Hotel. Their beer infused meals are a treat, and their offerings are very American. No surprises there. I had The Duke accompanied by The Bennie mac and cheese lunch special. Paying less than $14 bucks with a beer included was a steal. If you like to venture out, visit Santorini in Greektown (or any restaurant for that matter) for a nice lamb shank or flaming sausage plates. It is all about showmanship in Detroit. Their sangría wasn’t bad either.
Because of the vast convention center host capacity, you may find yourself visiting the area sooner than you think so add a day or two to your itinerary to tour the Motor City. It is totally worth exploring because the people are nice, the place is booming and bouncing back from the recession and the location is gorgeous! Stay away from 8 mile and notorious shady areas unless you have the balls or ovaries to venture and meet the people. You’d be surprised at what you may discover.
PS Use the Be Relaxed spa a the McNamara terminal. Just make sure you don’t miss your flight. The terminal is loooooong. Use the expresstram for gates A55 and up. 🙂 Enjoy!
Mrs. Enginerd - Nerd Whisperer 