|
| |
Detroit - Part 1
A family fun destination
Written by: Janet Pope
Our writer discovers that Detroit is a family fun vacation with amusement parks, baseball games and candy factories.
Our last travel adventure took us to a quiet Victorian bed and breakfast, ideal for rest and contemplation. By contrast, on this trip to Detroit, Michigan, we discovered "a city on the move," according to its visitors bureau. It was settled over 300 years ago and is currently known to home to Ford, GM and Chrysler.
We stayed at a fantastic hotel with its own indoor water park! The Best Western Sterling Inn is a deluxe 225-room hotel, housing not only a busy banquet and conference center, but also a 22,000 square foot water park. What a concept! The hotel no longer becomes the place to rest after a day of sightseeing, but the travel destination itself.
When we entered the water complex, it was a busy hub of activity. Having been raised on the streets and beaches of Brooklyn, a water park was a new adventure for me. Besides the 5,000 square foot swimming pool, there was also a lazy river ride, a 3-story water slide, and 2 Jacuzzis. The sports facilities included an indoor basketball quart, running track, saunas and 24 hour fitness center. There is definitely something to keep every family member busy here!
There is a wealth of prospective local guests for this hotel to draw from. Poolside, we met Jeff and Kelly Kubik, who are residents of this suburb of Detroit, Sterling Heights. They came to this Best Western with their 4 children as a mini vacation day. By sleeping over at the hotel, while taking advantage of all of its amenities, it is an inexpensive overnighter even though they live only 5 miles away.
Also unique to this Best Western is that it is independently owned and operated. We met one of the co-owners, Victor Martin, who was on the premises. How often do you come across the owner of a large hotel actually on the premises and greeting guests? He excitedly told us of his Inn like a proud Papa describing his brood. His latest "addition" is the water park, which opened in November 2001. He told us how there are some other water parks located in hotels, but they are all in resort areas. This Best Western is in a busy corporate area.
After a busy day in this Detroit area we enjoyed relaxing in the water and then in our beautiful rooms. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me backtrack to the beginning of our day...
After arriving, we visited the nearby Morley Candy Factory. A chocolate factory sounds like a great start to anyone's day! We toured the candy-making process up close, and I must admit, as I saw the ladies in pink smocks and white tissue hair nets, I had visions of Lucy and Ethel popping chocolates in their mouths as the assembly line sped past them!
We also viewed a 20-minute film chronicling the history of chocolate making. In the 17th century, chocolate was very popular in Europe, and in 1765, the first chocolate factory came to America in Boston. European settlers eventually brought with them their love of chocolate.
The Morleys, Irvin and Julia, introduced chocolate in this area in 1919. They began their confectionary enterprise by opening a small shop in Detroit and serving desserts and homemade chocolates. During the next 40 years, the three Morley children took over the fine craft of chocolate making. In 1962, the Morleys expanded into the fund raising business causing a huge swell in their production. Now, many third and fourth generation Morley makers continue this tradition. Currently, the candy factory is the largest producer of chocolates in Michigan. This store makes over 25,000 pounds in an 8-hour day. That's a lot of chocolate! They continue to use family-tested recipes in large copper kettles.
After smelling the chocolates and caramels being melted, there is no way anyone can resist stopping at the gift shop for goodies to take home! This was definitely not a good day for my husband, Don, to start his diet.
The next destination was a local Dave and Buster's. I was not familiar with this chain establishment, and I was in for a treat. This is basically a recreational playground for adults. Guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a parent. Another innovative concept! A funhouse just for us.
Dave and Buster was created in 1982, by two men who wanted to establish a place where adults could eat, drink, and most of all play. Over the next 18 years, Dave and Busters grew nationwide.
I naively thought I would come in and watch the activities, but the atmosphere is contagious. I started to feel like a kid in a toy store! As you play various interactive games like skee ball, basketball and racecar driving, you win coupons which accumulate to points, and then prizes. I discovered an untapped affinity for skee ball. By the end of the afternoon, I had accumulated 1,500 points -- all from the Brooklyn kid who was going to watch! I cashed in my points for T-shirts, caps and a travel mug. I was exhilarated! I was a winner! I had forgotten the thrill of the win. So this is how a kid feels when his team wins the baseball game.
Basking in my glory, my husband, Don, and I enjoyed a relaxing dinner in their restaurant. I had a large Caesar salad and a juicy Jack Daniels ribeye steak. To the victor belongs the spoils, so I topped that off with a strawberry and whipped cream-covered pound cake.
So now, back to the hotel and back to the pool. The water park is open until 9:30pm. Not being much of a swimmer, I thought I would just wade a little, but somehow the kid in me was let out today. She popped out during skee ball. Anyway, somehow I found myself on the water slide and in a whirlpool, screaming and laughing with a bunch of kids!
Today was a fun day in Detroit. So far, it's a place for families with kids and adults who still wish they were.
Read part 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
