This place has many different locations inside the campus…read more This was my first time visiting the planetarium. OMG the mineral exhibit is spectacular. Please make it a point to check them out online and in person the events hosted has a wonderful selection and the people attending are so nice.

This is an amazing space! There is a lot more to see and do that. I did not show, but this is a…read moreperfect place to take children (and adults) who love science. There are different exhibits with varying levels of hands on experiences. Check their website for days and hours I also found out they have a "Free First Friday" experience each month.

Still being up at 5:20 am, after watching Westworld and browsing the internet and diving into…read morewriting a Yelp review about a place I've been to exactly once four months ago... welcome to week three of quarantine. But enough about me, right? The Roush Automotive Retail Store and Museum is a hidden gem in Livonia, a large square shaped Detroit suburb that isn't known for too much. I've lived in the Detroit Metro area my whole life, over 40 years, and never even knew this impressive place was here until maybe five years ago when a friend who works in the industry and I were having a discussion about motorsports that led to him regaling me with the tale of how awesome this little known Roush museum is. I never sought it out then, but stored that nugget in a little recess in the back of my head, and when I found myself on the west side of town with some time to spare I put the ol' Googler on my phone to use and tracked it down. This museum is housed in a plain looking cavernous warehouse on a non-descript industrial drive. Look for the little blue awnings. The street is dotted with other Roush buildings. Roush, by the way, is named after Jack Roush aka The Cat in the Hat, known for the Panama hat he habitually sports at NASCAR races and other motorsports events. It's a performance and racing division of Ford. Now, this is a big building, but it's no Henry Ford Museum. You could probably make your way through the array of autos in half an hour if you wanna breeze through, or more like an hour or so if you wanna gawk over them and take too many photos like me. Fortunately, you won't find the hefty admission price of the Henry Ford here. In fact, it's absolutely free! (That might have been one reason why Todd's tale remained lodged in my noggin after several years.) Plenty of Mustangs of all sorts rest in here, along with Thunderbirds, GTs and concept cars and racecars from way back in the day to modern times. You'll find NASCARs, NASTrucks, pace cars, old school open wheel racers and GTs from touring series like you might have seen in Ford v Ferrari. It's fun seeing how some have grease, grime, marred paint jobs from rubbing alongside competitors and even occasionally confetti from victory lane and Sharpied signatures from the driver and crew right on them. There's even a Sharpie sponsored ride in this massive garage. The staff was nothing but friendly on the cold winter weekday I paid my visit with one employee giving me his blessing to ignore how the stairs on an overhead catwalk were roped off so I could get a nice pictorial overview. I didn't ask him either; he saw me snapping away and thought I might like some shots from up there. They even have a pinball and a video game in there. I forget what the video game was, as I didn't play but naturally the pinball was stock car themed. You enter and exit through the gift shop, but it was a soft sell and I didn't buy anything. They could use something cheap like refrigerator magnets for sightseers like me who don't have too deep of pockets. This House of Blue Oval was a nice little adventure for me to end 2019 on, and more people should definitely know about it. Here's hoping all of us get out to have more adventures this year...

What an amazing place and it's absolutely free. So many great cars. If you're a NASCAR fan, this is…read morethe place for you. There are so many different cars and trucks from different NASCAR eras. Cool gift shop. Did I mention it's free?

Throughout the year, the Plymouth Historical Museum puts on some amazing events. My kids' favorites…read moreare their Christmas events. All the volunteers are so invested in their characters! The museum itself is quaint but we'll thought out. They have a large exhibit and information on Abraham Lincoln as well as the Daisy Air Rifle Factor. When we visited during the holidays, the exhibit was all about old toys. The staff is friendly and kind. They also have an archive section that you're able to set up a time to peruse. We live in an older home in the area and I'll be back one of these days to set up a time to look into my house and it's former inhabitants. Additionally, there is a strain caboose in the back the museum purchased not long ago. You can explore it with museum admission and during the holidays, Santa takes visitors there. It's a wonderful place to support and learn about Plymouth's history.

Wonderful way to spend an hour or so. Large enough to cover all aspects of their current decade but…read moresmall enough to make your tour feel intimate. Enjoyed it with two of our grandchildren.

This is an eye-opening museum and worth a trip from other areas of the Detroit metropolis…read more The museum and connected Academy of Art has a distinguished alumni, as well as a fascinating rotation of exhibits. I visited here over a Thanksgiving holiday many moons ago. My wife Kelly is a native of the Detroit Metropolis and introduced me to this gem. In turn, I introduce it to you and give you my fullest recommendation to visit as soon as you possibly can.

I visited this museum during Black History Month and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of…read moreAfrican American artists featured. Mostly large canvases, masterfully created by local artists. The museum is very well curated. Small and intimate. I was extremely impressed. I'm looking forward to visiting during the summer months as well as on Fridays (when they allow you to tour the archival collection).

Whether you are looking for something to combine with an outdoor event or to spend some time with…read morethe family in a quality place then 'Chi-Town Union Station' is a great place to go. The cost of admission is reasonable for children and adults. There is plenty of seating inside to view the trains and the wonderful model setup they have along with it. From big city Chicago to what appears to be a row of colorful beach or San Francisco houses to small time life at various points in American history it's all there. Amazingly it is woven together so well that the change from one tableau to another is hardly noticeable. Older attendees can find a convenient seat. The aisles are accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. The entry door takes a little navigation but it large and accessible as is the small reception area and exit. The parking lot is spacious. Keep in mind that this venue is cash only. There is a bank two doors down as I discovered (haha). The place is clean and neat as are rest rooms. There is memorabilia around the place which could, if one desired, fill an afternoon all by itself. There's no running for kiddies, of course, but as they move around the modelers have made sure there is plenty of easy viewing for them and anyone in a wheelchair. It's enjoyable family fun and a great place for a date too.

Am here now with my Thomas the Train obsessed 3 y/o son and he is loving it. So much so that I am…read morenot even sure I will be able to get out of here without a screaming fight. This place is definitely a model train enthusiast's wet dream. The many, many trains roll through tunnels, mountains, towns, cities and underground. It's all pretty neat to see. It's a pretty big building and most of the display is in the center and you can walk and view in a circle. There's a place with a mix of chairs and couches where you can take a load off and watch the action by the fly-over country section. The price is now $5 for adults, $3 for kids 5-17 and those under 5 are free. You can also buy discounted visits in bulk (5 for $20). Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays still from the begining of November thru March.

So, I went to the auction for the free drink. That's it. I had no idea art auctions were even a…read morething on cruises. I ended up going back. And then again. I kept asking about piece after piece and Ronél Ströh never made me feel like I was wasting her time. Over the course of the trip she really learned my taste and found a stunning painting by Jim Warren. She Tracked it down in the catalog, wasn't even on the ship. She just knew I'd want it. Over different days she explained the difference between lithographs, serigraphs, hand-embellished pieces. I price-checked in front of her, never felt embarrassed. Didn't buy until basically the last day. Zero pressure, ever. I Left with two Kre8s, a Peter Max, a Fazzino, and that Warren. About the pricing, yes it's above street market, but the frames alone are stunning. I tried framing the complimentary lithographs I received and got a reality check fast on what framing actually costs. So honestly, the framing alone and when you include shipping is already at least 250+ everything arrived faster than I expected, beautifully packed. No issues whatsoever. One thing nobody mentions: once you buy, suddenly everyone on the ship has an auction story. There's this whole little art community that forms onboard. Genuinely fun. Go for the free drink. See what happens. I sincerely smile every time I see these prices and am so glad and feel cool to say I own fine art. Thanks Park west and thanks especially Ronnie.

I've done probably six cruises with PW auctions and bought art on every one so far…read more I have no more room to hang art, but they keep showing me cool art I MUST have, so job well done! I've been taken care of on the Jewel, the Dawn, the Prima, and now the Viva. Shyan made sure I got all the art I ever wanted this recent voyage...he will track it down for you and make sure you can hang the best at home to enjoy every day.

motor city Irish fest 2022 June 10,11,12 gates open at 1130 this event is not to be missed! Weather…read moreyou are Irish or just trying to be, your welcome here! Take a blast from the past with amazing heritage, traditions, archery, aerial silks, bag pipes playing in the background and the smell of fresh corned beef and craft beer!

What a cool area to visit. I attended the Motor City Irish Festival with a friend of mine. We…read morewere out and about for the day and made our way to the festival to watch a band he wanted to see. I've never heard of this festival before but we had a good time. There was a huge beer tent set up with a band and a few other tents for whiskey tasting and Irish dancing. We walked around to shop a little and enjoyed some food. Of course we had to try a burger, but the cornbeef sandwiches looked delicious. We had a great time and look forward to returning possibly next year.

I found this hidden gem tucked away on an industrial drive by Googling "art galleries near me" when…read moreI was eating Thai food in Royal Oak. My expectations weren't much; I've lived in the Detroit metro area my entire life and had never even heard of this curiously spelled Habatat. These galleries, both stories of them far exceeded them. Let me say up front the exquisite glass works contained within these walls are far out of my price range. Base price for anything seems to be 10 grand with certain pieces going for as much as 8 or 9 times that. The few things I saw in a 4 figure price range stuck out like a sore thumb in how unimpressive they were. Something going for $6500 looked to me like it should be $650 while anything up in 5 figures had the intricacy and craftsmanship for me to see why it commanded a price of more than twice my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. So I'm essentially reviewing HG as a free museum cause that's how I looked at it. If there was a donation box that I spotted I probably would have put a fiver in it but none presented itself to me. The employee or proprietor who walked in shortly after me seemed to sense I was simply a sightseer, too, and showed no irritation with it. I think she was coming back from lunch break. I saw her out in the parking lot. So maybe she was just happy with a full belly of good food. Or had sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of glass work that morning. Most of the walls are black or very dark gray with multiple lights focused on each individual glass piece and they pop out beautifully. So many different artists represented as well. I usually try to keep track, at least somewhat, but I'm not too familiar with this medium and with the creators constantly in flux I didn't even bother trying. So go look yourself if you want to know who is behind all these shimmering delicate whats. I'd be cautious about bringing any young kids here though. I shudder to think of the damage some rugrat running around could do in the Habatat habitat. The second floor isn't as extensive as the first but I wasn't expecting it to exist in the first place and there is one spot where it provides a good overview of one of the ground floor galleries. At least a couple of rooms have white walls as the blonde lady who checked back in with me explained some of the pieces just look better with a white background. Some rooms have cubicles stacked layer upon layer with fascinating and fun multi colored glass art. Not an all day affair, unless perhaps you're an aficionado looking to drop serious ducats on multiple pieces for display and investment, but for a curiosity seeker like me you can easily while away an hour or perhaps more here. I walked out thinking that if I hit the Mega Millions I'd definitely buy a piece or three from Habatat Galleries.

The most breath taking experience. The talent is unsurpassed .feels more like a museum than a…read moregallery