Beautiful walk - 8.9 miles if you walk the full trail according to the signage. Construction is…read morehappening now but there are detour signs along the way.

There's no greater slice of heaven on Earth than the Paint Creek Trail. I still remember the first…read moretime my boyfriend and I walked down it 4 years ago--it was mid-October and the leaves were turning golden reds and browns. We walked about a mile and a half into downtown Rochester Hills, passing by a police horse, a family of seven deer, and many bikers, runners, and walkers like us along the way. The path was clean, the nature was beautiful, and everyone we passed was just as happy to be enjoying this trail as we were. It's just as magical today as it was then. This trail is, in short, an absolute gem. If there was a list for best casual walking trails near a downtown in the US, this would top it. We've easily put thousands of miles of walking into that trail--which has its unique history of its own as a former railroad line. Through every season, from rain to sun to snow, we've been blessed to watch its beautiful trees and flora evolve throughout the years. The best part, however, is that everyone respects the beauty of it. There are trash cans spread out, but you'll never find a candy wrapper or doggy bag left in a stray bush. Bikers make themselves well heard before safely passing around a group of idle walkers. It's rare to hear runners blaring loud music, and I swear children are visibly calmer when walking through Dinosaur Hill with their parents. I genuinely believe every city in America's overall happiness levels would skyrocket if they had a trail like this. But that's what makes the Paint Creek Trail special--it's uniquely one of a kind in its simplicity and beauty.

My Rochester Pedal Ride experience was last summer, and I intended to review it shortly thereafter,…read morebut I put it off because this is a bit of a challenge to present. I was motivated to complete it when I learned of a recent accident with a similar pedal ride in Atlanta that injured 15 people, some critically, so I wanted to inform others. 13 of us gathered for a couple of birthdays. Before the ride began, everyone was obligated to sign a liability waiver form. It certainly had not occurred to me to bring a helmet, since I had figured we would have a leisurely, low-speed ride on gentle downtown streets, and I had never seen a photo of any participant on this kind of ride wearing a helmet. I was surprised that the form specifically emphasized that it's my decision to neglect to wear this safety gear. Most of us sat on small seats with low backrests, although I believe some had no backrests. No seat belts or other restraints. We drank beer and other beverages, and somebody selected what type of music we would hear. The set-up would have been nice for a slow tour of the downtown. After we pedaled around the center of the downtown for 5-10 minutes, waving at pedestrians and outdoor diners, moving maybe 5 mph (hard work at times!), our driver, an employee, steered us through a traffic light and suddenly we found ourselves accelerating and sailing down a hill. It was startling how much speed we picked up. By the time we approached the bottom of the hill, I estimate we were traveling 20-25 mph, all while sitting sideways on small seats without seat belts and gripping the edge of the bar for support. At a high speed, the road curved, pulling some people away from the bar while pushing those on the opposite side towards the bar. It felt dangerous on this flimsy-appearing vehicle with a high center of gravity. I didn't count, but in total I'd say we descended substantial hills about 8 times (some more intimidating than others), repeating a few. One descent was especially harrowing, actually the second trip down the initial hill, which was quite long and curved to the right near the bottom. As we rapidly accelerated with gravity, a car unexpectedly pulled out in front of us, from a driveway or side street, turning right and heading down the same hill. I suspect the driver was accustomed to seeing the pedal vehicle traveling slowly in the central downtown and did not expect it to approach so rapidly. Thank goodness no car was coming from the opposite direction, because our driver had to veer the pedal vehicle into the oncoming lane to avoid crashing into the back of the car, and we partially passed the car. However, by this time, the car driver became alarmed and gunned the engine and got back in front of us, as our driver worked to slow us down with the brake, and we were able to get back behind the car. Kudos to our driver for his actions in helping to avoid what could have been a catastrophic accident. It is my opinion, particularly after surviving and processing this near-miss, that Rochester is poorly suited for this kind of pedal ride. The central downtown is small, and multiple significant declines come off of it in different directions. The pedal ride vehicle, with its high center of gravity and poorly protected customers, should not be zooming down these hills at such high speeds. If the hills were off-limits, that would be acceptable for safety, although it would make for a monotonous ride in such a small area. The ideal location for a pedal ride like this is a larger city with flat or nearly flat streets. Aside from the risk involved, I felt the ride entailed more exertion than I would have preferred, on a hot day, partly due to the aforementioned hills, since we also had to ascend at times. I had expected a more comfortable ride. My legs were sore for the next couple of days, yet that was a minor issue, and some even might have appreciated the workout. I awarded two stars despite the above concerns because I did get to see much of the downtown, which was nice, plus I enjoyed the camaraderie with my friends and family. The driver was polite but mostly quiet.

My friends and I had so much fun on our ride! Everyone was so nice and our experience was very…read morepleasant. The hill was so fun and I felt very safe the whole time, we asked him to do it again! Overall, a great experience.

Bloomer Park is an excellent place for hiking and mountain biking. It's has technical mountain bike…read moretrails as well as moderate and casual. These levels are the same for hiking, so you can get a great workout regardless of experience level. There are multiple wood staircases of varying lengths, so it's great for stair climbing exercise. I've been coming here on/off for several years and have never had a bad experience. I've gone to other state parks where I've gotten swarmed by a lot of bugs, but for whatever reason, not at Bloomer. It's also great that it's located next to downtown Rochester, so food and drink after a casual stroll is accessible. I highly recommend Bloomer Park for hiking and biking activities.

My family and I went to Bloomer Park for their recent, Fossils and Riverside Campfire event (cost…read morewas $10 per person). We had a great time. It was our first visit to this city park, and I was happy to see it was nicely maintained. We only stayed and hiked through a small section of the park, but it was very clean, bathrooms were available, there was a playground for kids, small grills in sections, bike repair areas could be found, and the trails had been recently upkept. The paths we followed were simple and good for families, although I would not recommend dragging a wagon or anything like that with you. There were easy to hike sections, as well as smaller, more off-road trails perfect for those that enjoy mountain biking. There was plenty of wildlife around to view, wooden bridges for crossing streams and marshy areas, and beautiful areas to relax near the Clinton River. It was honestly a great outing, and we'll definitely be back.

I rode here as a teen and thought I would give it a try again. After a couple times I remembered…read morewhy I stopped the first time. The people are unfriendly and the rings are packed. There are sometimes six horses in one indoor ring at a time with three different instructors. It's a mess. As a returning rider, I had a lot I needed to learn again and lots of muscle tone to build. I was up for the challenge. However, they had me riding either lame or behaviorally problematic horses. It was very frustrating. When I asked them about riding a different horse that I could learn more on--just while I got my muscles and skills back--they were unsympathetic. I recognize that school horses are not known for being amazing, but that's not what was going on here. There were easy horses--I just wasn't riding them on a consistent basis. I put off writing this review because I wasn't fully convinced that they were the problem--I thought maybe my expectations were off. Unfortunately for them, I have gone on to have an INCREDIBLE experience at a different barn. I feel like I can unequivocally say now that this is not where you should spend your money. In fact, in my experience, they will treat you like they don't want your money anyway. Sorry about the bad review. I hope you will treat the next people better.

After having been riding at many other stables I found that Rochester hills was the best! The…read morestaff was friendly & very knowledgeable. My trainer gave me a thorough lesson and made me feel comfortable & safe. The horse was quiet & steady. I loved my experience riding there so much I bought the 40 lesson package for a very reasonable price:).

Went for a quick walk on the Clinton River Trail before work and it ended up being a really nice…read morestart to the day. It was quiet, open, and had that calm morning feel. I walked to the bridge and back -- just enough to stretch my legs and get moving without turning it into a full workout. Simple, peaceful, and a good spot if you just want to clear your head for a bit.

This is a fairly long trail (16 miles that goes through a few cities). The website with the trail…read moremap was very helpful in locating places to park and trail heads. I was able to park at Beaudette Park and the trail was well marked so it was easy to find and also follow. I bought my dog (and saw lots of other dogs) and was able to walk towards sylvan. This trail connects to the West Bloomfield Trail seamlessly. I do feel there were a lack of garbage cans in certain areas but overall, the path was wide, well traveled, fairly flat, and clean. Perfect for a nice stroll!

We opted for the "starter" room for eight adults. It was challenging to all…read more GREAT FUN!!!!

This place is super awesome. We always wanted to check this place out, but we kept putting it off…read moreevery time. My sister and I finally suggested to do it on a Sunday night. The lady on the phone was kind and very helpful in explaining the set up. Tickets are $27 per person and each room has a minimum requirement. If a room has a minimum requirement of 4, you must pay for the 4 over the phone or in person in order to book and hold your spot. You may bring additional people to pay up front, but only up to the maximum number of people. Our first time they suggested misfortune and it was a lot of phone. We came in today and we tried Kidnapped. Both rooms were full of excitement and codes. The kidnapped room is for 5-10 people, so we paid 5 over the phone and 3 others paid in person. They ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the time so that they can go over the rules. Although, $27 may seem like a lot to some people it is well worth it. We have never had as much fun as we had playing together and trying to finish with limited time left. We are excited to check out another room soon! Be sure to look at the website to determine the room that best fits your group size.

I've been in fencing now for nearly 20 years, and it's very much a part of me…read more In the Detroit Metro area, there's no club that even comes close to Renaissance in terms of the experience of the coaches and some of the members, as well as the community atmosphere and general vibe. Renaissance has a great atmosphere, very community-based. The kids are always excited to be there, and the adults you'd think were friends for decades. They welcome everyone. The coaches are former world team members, NCAA fencers, NCAA coaches, and Olympians. They represent several different countries as well. I am not a member of the club, but I spend a few nights a month there. I myself am a national and international referee who represents the United States, and I offer my time to the athletes and parents to answer questions and give insight when needed. You won't find this type of community nor fencing experience at any other club in the area, there are none that compare nor even come close. If you're looking for a fencing club, whether for a child or adult, this is the place to be, hands down.

Best fencing club in the Midwest. I sent all 3 of my kids there and all 3 are NCAA Collegiate…read morefencers with scholarships!

Nice course ! Rough around the edges. Slow pace of play. No beer carts. Seems like a country club…read morewanna be. All in all ,kind of good - just not worth weekday prices, in my opinion.

Great course, distances to hole on cart. This course always…read moreseems to be well managed, even when making the turn, there is no waiting since it is set up as 3 nine holes.