DETROIT – A classic ballpark. A great hotel. Terrific food and drinks.
My wife and I recently got to spend the better part of a day in Detroit, a city I’ve visited several times in recent years. My previous two visits were for several days, which allowed me to see and do a great deal, including The Henry Ford complex, the stunning Detroit Institute of Arts, the gloriously restored Michigan Central Train Station, and the super-fun Motown Museum (currently closed for renovations).
I also got to check out amazing architecture, such as The Guardian Building, take in a Detroit Lions game at Ford Field, and stroll through the city’s fine waterfront parks.
We didn’t have a ton of time for this visit, but we managed a fine Detroit pizza lunch at Buddy’s downtown operation. It’s a great location that’s just a few steps from Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, and also from Ford Field, and just a few doors down from Woodward Avenue.
Detroit-style pizza at Buddy’s. Visit Detroit Photo
We ordered the Detroiter, a simple affair with Wisconsin brick cheese, pepperoni, tomato basil sauce,shaved parmesan and Sicilian spices. The cheese was delicious, the spices just right, and the crispy crust to die for.
We had the better part of an afternoon to explore, so I showed her Capitol Park, the Shinola Hotel and the adjoining Shinola shop (which is beyond gorgeous), and the super-cool Parker’s Alley, an Instagram-worthy laneway with cool decorations and shops.
After a quick rest at our hotel, the Westin Book Centre (see below for hotel information), we headed out to Comerica Park for a Tigers game against the Cleveland Indians.
I had been to Ford Field with our two sons last year and had a great time, enjoying a Lions win over the Chicago Bears and admiring the spacious interior of the stadium, which has a dome roof. But this was my first visit to Comerica Park, which is tremendous.
Comerica Park is home to the Detroit Tigers baseball team. Visit Detroit Photo
The outside of the stadium features a series of stone, sabre tooth tiger heads, with a baseball clutched in their mouth. Terrific stuff.
There are also twin, giant, orange and black-striped tigers on either side of the left field scoreboard.
It’s a great stadium for kids, as Comerica also offers up a merry-go-round (yes, there are tigers to ride) and a 50-foot-high Ferris wheel where you ride inside a cabin shaped like a baseball. Both are just $2 per person, but kids 14 and under ride for free on Sundays.
There’s also a beer hall and a special Tiger Den Lounge.
We enjoyed the beef brisket sandwich and chicken fingers, but the park also offers up hot dogs, sausages, Coney Island dogs, burritos, pierogis, and many other options.
One nice feature are the value meals and value beer, including a hot dog meal that includes a dog, a bag of chips and a 16 ounce fountain drink for $9.42.
All in all, it’s a wonderful ballpark experience.
Downtown Detroit, Michigan, as seen from Kamper’s Rooftop Lounge. Jim Byers Photo
Following the game, we headed to Kamper’s Rooftop Lounge to admire the views of downtown Detroit and sample some of their outstanding cocktails. They make a terrific old-fashioned, and I also love their Lucky Star, with tequila, persimmon, lime juice, honey and smoked salt.
The interior is lovely if you can’t snag an outside table or if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
We didn’t have time for a full breakfast, but I headed over to Cannelle by Matt Knio the next morning for fabulous croissants to go. It’s a gorgeous bakery and coffee place that’s only a five-minute walk from the hotel.
As I did last year, I was able to stay at the Westin Book Centre Hotel in downtown Detroit. It’s a lovely old building with tons of character, yet the rooms are modern and stylish.
My room (1624) featured wavy patterns that mimic the Great Lakes or the Detroit River and had to be close to 400 square feet. The bathroom was immense, and had a fine shower. There was also a nice coffee maker (not those flimsy units some hotels offer up), a great Westin bed, and an enormous TV.
A room at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, Michigan. Jim Byers Photo
The hotel has a nice restaurant and a Starbucks at street level and a small bar with good cocktails. The meeting space is excellent, as I discovered last year when the city hosted the annual convention of the Society of American Travel Writers.
The hotel is just a couple blocks from the main street, Woodward Avenue, and is perhaps a two-minute walk from Capitol Park, which has lovely landscaping and is surrounded by nice restaurants and shops.
Oh, and you’re just a block away from Lafayette Coney Island, where they serve fantastic Coney dogs with chili and onions.
Thirsty for more Detroit inspiration? Here’s a story I wrote last year after our SATW session.
