Hi friends, welcome back! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Jon and I flew to Michigan the Saturday before so we could avoid the holiday rush, and so I could decorate my parent’s house. We had a very easy flight and the Detroit airport was all decorated for Christmas. It’s like they knew I was coming 🙂
This year my family from Mississippi flew up and we all went to Downtown Detroit on Wednesday to check out the city. We parked near the GM Ren Cen and walked through. My dad used to work here, so he was our tour guide (although he walked VERY fast so I had to hustle to keep up while taking pictures). I went to Detroit quite a bit growing up for Redwings and Tiger games, plays, a turkey trot, two international half marathons, and our engagement pictures, but it was interesting to view it in the eyes of an out-of-towner. The city has come a long way in the last ten years as you can see.
First stop of the tour was The Spirit of Detroit Statue at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center off Woodward. The statue was created in 1955 and in the left hand the sphere symbolizes God, and the right hand symbolizes human relationships. A plaque in front of the statue says “The artist expresses the concept that God, through the spirit of man, is manifested in the family, the noblest human relationship”. The wall behind the statue includes the seals of Detroit and Wayne County. In 2017, the dress code for the statue changed so that only teams that won a championship can have their jersey’s worn. Better luck next year Lions…
We then walked through Campus Martius and checked out Cadillac Square and Cadillac Lodge. This area hosts cute shops and at the back there is a heated tent with a bar, food, games, and plenty of cozy seating. Cadillac Lodge is open Wednesday – Sunday from November to February.
The tree and skating rink area seemed empty compared to NYC. Everyone must’ve been getting ready for Thanksgiving.
We continued on towards the stadiums and the streets were all closed in preparation for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Unfortunately, the weather the day of the parade was pretty crummy so it wasn’t as packed as the Macy’s parade we watched Thanksgiving morning.
Comerica Park.
The Lions Den aka Ford Field.
We ended the night in Greek Town and had dinner at Golden Fleece. We had some saganaki, pita, and I think everyone ordered a gyro or some souvlaki.
On Thanksgiving morning Jon and I watched the Macy’s parade, and then my grandma, my great aunt and uncle, and my family from Mississippi came over and we caught up while watching the Lions lose. Some things never change… but the Thanksgiving table and dinner never disappoints!
Two turkeys this year.
So much food but I think my favorite is my moms stuffing!
A little bit of everything for me 🙂
For dessert we had quite the variety with chocolate cake, apple pie, and pumpkin pie.
We had a great Thanksgiving and made it back before all of the snow in Michigan! Jon had the best weekend because his Michigan Wolverines finally beat the Buckeyes. I’m very excited because the city was all decorated for Christmas while we were gone and I’m like a kid in a candy shop with all the trees 🙂 Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!! It’s going to be 24/7 Christmas over here the next few weeks, I hope you’re excited!
Great spread from your Mum!
Thank you!
You had a super Thanksgiving Lyssy! Be well!
I sure did! Thanks, you too! Just booked my booster shot 🙌🏻
What a wonderful Thanksgiving spread. I’m sure you all had a great time.
Thank you!
Enjoyed this very much Lyssy. Detroit is a city I’ve long been fascinated by, especially with its music history. The Christmas vibe there looked great, what a tree! As for the food, I have run out of superlatives. Glad you had a great Thanksgiving.
Thank you!! It’s come a long way and a lot of younger people were moving from the suburbs to Detroit before the pandemic. There’s definitely some tougher spots, but the downtown area is very nice. There’s a lot more to do in the summer when the weather is nice
Looks like a great time in Motor City, Lyssy. I only ever passed through Detroit once in 1973. It was a rough drive though downtown due to racial tensions. How are the suburbs doing since the 2012 bankruptcy declaration? I understand things are slowly improving. Your family meal looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. Allan
Thank you! That must’ve been a stressful drive. I grew up in the suburbs about 30 minutes outside Detroit. I think after Kwame left things have been improving. Quicken Loans/Dan Gilbert have been investing a lot in Detroit and the area, and as far as I know it’s working. The downtown area is very nice now, but I know the outskirts are still pretty rough and Covid keeps hitting Detroit pretty hard unfortunately.
Awww I miss Detroit! My previous company used to fly us for the Christmas party 🥰 thanks for sharing! Reminds me only good memories 🙂
How fun!! I’m so glad this brought back happy memories 🙂
Downtown Detroit is indeed a nice place to visit, between the old Art Deco buildings and the GM towers. The riverfront also offers nice walks, but it’s probably better in summer. Nice family Thanksgiving table.
Thank you! The winters are pretty brutal there. In 2023 the Grand Prix will be racing through the streets of Detroit, should be exciting for the city.
What a feast! 2 turkeys….looks amazing. I also love the huge Detroit Christmas tree 🙂
Thank you! It was quite the feast! Surprisingly not too many leftovers. The tree is very nice 🎄🎅🏻
Nice to read all of the pro-Detroit comments from your readers, and that the city is making something of a comeback these days. Also nice to see photos of the Ren Cen and know it’s still hanging it there. In architecture school in the ’80’s we studied the structure as an example of post-modern design. Of course you ended up in Greektown for dinner – I’ve heard Detroit’s is legendary. I came close to going but ended up in a bar in Windsor instead – ha. Finally, the tiger/lion statues at Comerica and Ford are really cool. And speaking of ferocious beasts congrats to Jon’s Wolverines! CFP! They’re a great story this year but the Spartans still claim the head-to-head victory 🙂
It’s a great city that is slowly making a comeback. The Ren Center was very cool inside, it was technically closed when we went so we had to walk through fast. The lower levels are very interestingly designed. Greektown was a little dead when we went, but it’s always a great stop for dinner! Jon was so nervous for the game we had to watch Elf instead and then I turned it on once they had a solid lead. Not sure how they’ll fare against GA but still feels great to make it to the CFP!