104 Weekend Days in Michigan, Part IV

I already have listed weekend activities 1 through 26, 27 through 52 and 53 through 78 that I would try to do with 104 weekend days in Michigan. Today, I give you the last 26 days of Michigan fun. As with the previous posts, this list is in no particular order, and I have tried to include at least one activity from every corner of the state. 

Weekend Days 79-104

79. Play Baseball or Catch on Navin Field

Navin Field

Walking the hallowed grounds of the former Tiger Stadium (aka Navin Field) is staggering for any Detroit Tigers fan. When I visited in October, I was thrilled to be standing on the same field where so many baseball and football legends played for more than a century. I watched a pick-up game of baseball and wished I could step into the batter's box for an at bat. Thanks to the hard work of the Navin Field Grounds Crew to save the field from neglect, visitors can still play ball at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

For information about the old Tiger Stadium and the Navin Field Grounds crew, check out the documentary Stealing Home.

80. Kayak Copper Harbor

The Upper Peninsula offers so many outdoor activities, including kayaking. Copper Harbor is a great place for beginning kayakers to learn the ropes while taking in the natural beauty of the U.P. This community is at the farthest northern tip of the U.P. on Lake Superior. In addition to kayaking, Copper Harbor offers hiking and mountain biking trails. Read Things to Do in the U.P.'s review of a kayaking trip through the harbor here.

81. Drive M-22

The section of M-22 between Traverse City and Manistee along Lake Michigan is one of the most scenic roads in Michigan. AOL Autos named it one of the "Five Awesome American Roads to Drive in a Ragtop" this past Labor Day. The road passes by small towns, sand dunes and smaller inland lakes, providing drivers with stunning views of Lake Michigan.

82. Stroll through Dow Gardens

Midland's Dow Gardens offer "110 Acres of Nature's Beauty." Herbert H. Dow, the founder of Dow Chemical, developed the gardens with eight acres in 1899. Future generations of Dows continued to develop the gardens until they reached their current size. Dow Gardens offer a rose garden, trees, wildflowers, 18,000 tulips, a six-acre stream and a children's garden.

83. Go to a College Hockey Game

Yost Ice Arena at the University of Michigan

Michigan is a hotbed of college hockey with Division I teams at Michigan, Michigan State, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan. State schools have won a total of 19 NCAA championships with the University of Michigan leading the nation with 9 NCAA titles all-time. The in-state rivalries among these teams are intense and definitely worth watching.

84. See the Detroit River from a Kayak

There would be no Detroit without the Detroit River. The French chose the city's location because of its strategic location for the fur trade in the 18th Century. The river was first traveled by Native Americans and European explorers in small craft like canoes. Although the scenery may have changed in the last 300 years, modern explorers can rent a kayaks and canoes to view the river from a new angle.

Riverside Kayak is based out of Wyandotte, allowing visitors to see the Downriver section of the Detroit River, but the company also arranges tours of Detroit's canals and the Rouge River. Detroit River Sports is located on Belle Isle, allowing views of Belle Island and the Detroit riverfront.

Parade Day in Grosse Pointe

Detroit Fire Department Clown Truck

When most people think of Thanksgiving in Detroit, they probably think of the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade (the second oldest in the country), the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game, or even the Turkey Trot downtown. However, there are multiple smaller parades and events throughout the Detroit area and Michigan each Thanksgiving weekend for people who cannot make it into Detroit on Thursday morning.

I would have liked to attend Detroit’s parade this year, but I had traveled into town on Wednesday and did not feel like dragging my two young daughters out of bed and into the city to deal with the large crowds on Thursday morning. Instead, my wife and I accepted an invitation to the Grosse Pointe Santa Claus Parade from friends who moved to Grosse Pointe Park last year.

The Grosse Pointe parade is held the day after Thanksgiving on Kercheval Avenue. This was my first time seeing the Santa Claus Parade. Although it may not have giant balloons or nearly as many floats as Detroit’s parade, it was really easy to find a spot along the parade route about 15 minutes before it started.

Front row seats for Grosse Pointe's parade

The Grosse Pointe parade was entertaining though, especially for my five year old daughter. She loved being right next to the parade route. The parade featured several of the Detroit parade's attractions with the Detroit Fire Department’s Clowns, the Detroit Mounted Police and a few of the Big Heads (paper mache heads), including famous Michiganders Tom Selleck, Bo Schembechler and Bob Seger. The parade also included several Detroit area high school marching bands, the Detroit Boat Club's rowers, a few floats, bagpipers and, of course, Santa. 

The parade was a success with our five year old, and she left with a smile on her face after the parade was over. After briefly warming up at our friend’s house, we drove down Kercheval to Red Crown, a restaurant housed in a converted gas station. The main dining area is in the old garage bay, which includes actual garage doors.

The restaurant’s menu focuses on comfort food with a lot of barbecue and Southern food. Red Crown’s drink menu includes handcrafted cocktails, a decent wine list that includes a few Michigan wines and a beer list full of Michigan craft beers.

My beer connoisseur friend recommended a few Michigan beers on the menu, and I chose one of his recommendations, the Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA, to drink. This was the first time I tried a beer from Marshall-based Dark Horse Brewing. It was refreshing and did not have the bitter aftertaste that some IPAs leave in my mouth. Overall, the Crooked Tree IPA is a great beer, and I would definitely order it again.

For lunch I ordered the Poor #3, a pulled pork sandwich. Living in Virginia, I have a lot of decent Southern cooking and barbecue options, plus I have tried and absolutelylove Slows Barbecue in Detroit. I had reservations about ordering a pulled pork sandwich in Grosse Pointe, which is not exactly known as a barbecue mecca.

Red Crown convinced this skeptic that Grosse Pointe can make a good pulled pork sandwich. My biggest gripe with pulled pork is that it often is too dried out, almost requiring me to drench it in barbecue sauce to make it edible. The Poor #3’s pork was juicy and flavorful with an applewood smoked taste complimented by salsa verde that gave the sandwich a little bit of a kick. 

Our party included three girls aged 3, 5 and 6. My daughter, the five-year old, ordered the kids mac and cheese and loved it. At the end of the meal, the waitress “accidentally” asked in a loud enough voice for the girls to hear whether anyone wanted dessert. Instead of risking a mutiny, we ordered one piece of chocolate cake for the girls to share.

The waitress brought out a gigantic slice of triple layer chocolate mousse bumpy cake. All four adults took one or two small bites and remarked on how rich and delicious the cake was. We then went back to our conversation. After a few minutes, I exclaimed, "Oh my God!" when I glanced towards the girls and saw THIS!

And POOF! It was gone!

I believe the three girls must have set some kind of speed record for consuming a chocolate cake of that size. Apparently, the cake was a hit with the kids.

I would highly recommend Red Crown if you are looking for good comfort food and a neighborhood restaurant feel. Everyone at my table walked away happy, and the girls walked away hopped up on sugar.

Giving Thanks for Michiganders

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

-John F. Kennedy

Every week I sift through news stories and blog posts to find the best news from Michigan for my weekly “Best of the Net” feature. It is a time-consuming process, but it is not tedious. Instead, I find myself beaming with pride and inspired to promote my home state as I read about the many businesses and nonprofits that are giving back to their communities throughout Michigan. As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to commend these organizations and people for their dedication to Michigan. 

Filmmakers are documenting the state's natural beauty and economic recovery. Small businesses and restaurants are bringing pride and job opportunities to their communities. Nonprofits, new and old, are encouraging children to succeed, promoting the arts and caring for the less fortunate. Start up incubators are helping new businesses thrive throughout the state. By making their communities better, these Michiganders are not just uttering words of thanks, but living by them.

I was going to make a list of every organization in Michigan that inspires me, but it is impossible to attempt to credit everyone without snubbing many. I merely will say thank you to the organizations and individuals that make people believe in Michigan and, more importantly, make Michiganders believe in themselves. You brighten Michigan's days and bring the night's stars within reach.