Detroit

I don't live very far from Detroit, and when I was a kid my Mom used to pack up us kids and take the train out of Royal Oak and go see Santa down at Hudson's downtown. We used to walk around downtown all day and take the train back. I remember playing on the train and the time our neighbors and all their kids went with us. It was a fun time. We used to go down to the fireworks every year too when I was young. Every year until I was in middle school we went down, sat on the waterfront and watched the fire works.

We used to go downtown to catch the Boblo boat to Boblo Island every summer. My Mom's entire family, I'm talking 100 people, would meet at our house, and go take the first boat out and come back on the last boat of the day. Oh my gosh, the fun times we had. We went every summer for 10 or 12 years in a row. We couldn't leave our parents side until we were under the Ambassodor bridge, and then we were free to roam the boat. On the way back, we learned the Hustle on the dance floor and looked for the lights of the bridge as a sign we are almost home. Wow, that's a whole different blog, I could go on and on about the good times there.

I love Downtown and have tried to take Erica down there as much as possible. We meet up with my brother and take the kids to the river walk, or Campus martius, or the Ren Cen for a movie. Justin on the other hand doesn't like being down there, like when we went and got our H1N1 shots last week, he was freaking out, saying we were going to get shot. Two years ago, when we took Justin to see the Heidleburg Project, he didn't want to get out of the car and couldn't believe we were going to walk around and look at it with the kids. He listens too much to the news I guess, I mean I know Detroit isn't exactly a safe city, but there are so many treasures in it, I would hate to become so scared of the city and miss seeing any of them.

Detroit is Hockeytown, and we have been to all of the Stanley Cup Parades downtown. There is nowhere better to watch the Red Wings play, then at Joe Louis Arena. The atmosphere is AMAZING! It gives me chills just thinking about it. We usually try to get nosebleed tickets once a year to go see our favorite team, just to get our fix.

We also have our Detroit Tigers downtown, watching them play baseball on a hot summer day at Comerica park, is also something we must do every summer, or spring, or fall if we make it that far!

There are so many old buildings, I could stare at them forever. Like the old Central Depot building. I don't exactly know why this building stands out to me, or why I like it so much, but it is just mesmerizing. When I first got my store down river and drove south on I-75 past it, I remember seeing it and thinking, wow that's a cool building. There is such history in all these old buildings, and I love looking up information on them online.

Detroit isn't always portrayed in a good light on national news, and I know some crazy things happen on a regular basis. When we are on vacation and people ask where we are from, I proudly say Detroit, even though so many have raised their eyebrows at us. I have too many good memories of times spent with family and friends, to be scared or ashamed by the City I love.