Why would anyone want to come here?
Good question. Even Detroit folks looked at us in disbelief when they found out that neither family nor business obligations brought us to the Motor City for a visit.
Despite a revitalization of America`s auto industry, Detroit is still facing hard times. Preliminary 1990 census figures show that the city`s population has dipped below one million for the first time since the turn of the century.
This abandonment is obvious to anyone traveling along Jefferson Avenue, one of the city`s main arteries, where block after block of boarded-up buildings-mute testimony to a high crime rate and hard times-assault the senses.
You may not want to spend a week in the Detroit area, but there`s more than enough to fill a weekend.
The major draw is the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in suburban Dearborn, itself worth the trip from Chicago. The indoor-outdoor historic museum was built by the inventor of the Model T as a tribute to American achievement and can-do spirit.
But why endure a six-hour car ride when there are so many wonderful museums in Chicago? Because Chicago has nothing that makes American history seem so vibrant.
For children weaned on Nintendo and Ninja Turtles, static collections of objects will elicit yawns. But even the most blase child will be impressed with the Wright Brothers` Cycle Shop (moved here from Dayton) or Thomas Edison`s Menlo Park, N.J., laboratory, where more than 400 inventions originated.
A learning experience
The museum`s layout and the flawless execution of the exhibits make this a unique-and painless-educational experience.
At the museum, 18th Century steam engines are displayed alongside sleek convertibles. You`ll see the Victorian rocking chair occupied by Abraham Lincoln when he was assassinated at Ford`s Theatre, but you also can enjoy a lighthearted look at the impact of the car on American culture, from Burma-Shave signs to McDonald`s. The juxtaposition of rural and industrial cultures allows visitors to see the connection between past and present in a way that no history book could duplicate.
But don`t think you need a youngster in tow to justify a visit. Special exhibits such as the Henry Miller Furniture Collection (which features landmark innovations in residential and office furniture by such renowned American designers as Charles Eames) or the automotive-design career of Bill Mitchell, General Motors design chief who created the Corvette Sting Ray and the Buick Riviera, is strictly adult fare.
I was also impressed that it was remarkably free of crass commercialism. At a pottery demonstration, not a thing was for sale-no small point in a time when it is increasingly difficult to escape the onslaught of T-shirt, souvenir and fudge shops.
The complex is open 9 to 5 daily, except Christmas Day. The interiors of Greenfield Village buildings are not open Jan. 2-March 16.
Combination tickets for the museum and village are the best value at a discounted rate of $18 for adults, $9 for children under 12 (children under 5 are admitted free.) Call 313-271-1976 for 24-hour information. For reservations, call 313-271-1620.
Other attractions:
People who can`t get enough of Henry Ford can visit the auto magnate`s estate on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The estate, Fair Lane, is where the Fords entertained some of the world`s most influential people. Today it is prized for its gardens, grottos and hiking paths. (As many as 100 species of birds have been observed in the area, an official bird-banding station of the U.S. Wildlife Service.) Admission: $6, children $5;
313-593-5590.
Motown Historial Museum, 2648 W. Grand Blvd. This is where the Motown sound started in 1959. Rare photographs, clothing and memorabilia of such legends as Diana Ross, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson cram this old brick home, the original Motown studios. Admission: $3, $2 for children; 313-875-2264.
Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. After a year of renovation, the institute reopened its 19th Century Continental European Galleries, giving some of its impressive acquisitions (such as a Van Gogh self-portrait) a permanent home. If time is limited, check out the 17th Century Dutch and Flemish paintings and the G. Mennen Williams collection of African art. Free admission; 313-833-7900.
Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave. This museum chronicles the city. But wheels weren`t what caught our eyes here; it was the quirky exhibit on 100 years of job-related outfits, including native son Tom Selleck`s baseball cap and Hawaiian shirt, and John Salley`s Pistons uniform. Free admission; 313-833-1805.
Greektown/Bricktown
Many travel guides will list the Greektown/Bricktown area under
”Attractions,” but the area really is nothing more than Greek restaurants crammed along Monroe Avenue, between Beaubien and St. Antoine Streets. The loudest ”Opa!” on the street can be heard at New Hellas Cafe (583 Monroe St.), where the saganaki is especially good. Skip dessert and head around the corner to Susan Hoffman`s Fine Pastries (1219 St. Antoine).
Other restaurants worth noting are The London Chop House (155 W. Congress St., 313-962-0277), a Detroit tradition (very clubby and male); and the Rattlesnake Club, in the former Stroh`s Brewery; the service can be brusque, but the food is very good and very creative, such as the white chocolate ravioli; (300 River Place, 313-567-4400).
If you have time for only one meal, make it Tunnel Barbecue, just on the Windsor side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Chicagoans are about as chauvinistic about ribs as they are pizza, but these ribs are hard to beat. Some attribute the juicy texture to the cooking (slabs are threaded on metal rods), others to the sauce. Whatever the reason, this is one place that truly lives up to its reputation. Besides, it sounds impressive to the folks back home when you tell them you left the country for dinner.
Accommodations
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn and found it to be an excellent choice, not only because of its location (about a five-minute drive to Greenfield Village) but also because pool, whirlpool bath and sauna provided a great way to unwind after a day of sightseeing. The basic weekend room rate is $99 a room.
There are a number of weekend packages, including Henry Ford Museum/
Greenfield Village tickets and an adjoining room for children for an additional $25, a small investment to ensure Mom and Dad a little private time.
