Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Detroit is called "Motown," which is apt, as it is the home of not only Ford Motors but also the headquarters of Chrysler and General Motors. While the Henry Ford Museum will take you on a historical journey about cars, the Henry Ford ArteHouse (thehenryford.artehouse.com) has paintings that showcase the spirit of the automobile capital of the world, including Chrysler cars, antique cars and all cars ever designed by General Motors. You can buy posters and prints commemorating the age of transportation, airplanes, boats and ships. Trains, tractors and trucks over the period of time have also been painted and preserved for posterity. The work of famous artists like Charles Sheeler and Norman Rockwell can be viewed.
The Anne Arbor Hands-on Museum will give you interactive displays where kids and adults will both have fun discovering the scientific aspects of the world.
The Detroit Zoo (detroitzoo.org) not only has a Tiger Stadium but an Amphibian Conservation Center as well, which is famous for breeding polar bears. You can also go fruit and vegetable picking at the various farms in the area, which will offer you the ripest peaches, cherries apples and even corn. The kids will enjoy petting baby rabbits, chickens and sheep. Adults can go on southeast Michigan's Pioneer Wine Trail (pioneerwinetrail.com), where they will be taken on a tour of the best wineries of the region and served gourmet cuisine paired with the best available wines.
Lake Hudson and Grosse Point are famous for rock bass, rainbow trout and white bass fishing, and offer weekend fishing without licenses for visitors. There are also special classes available for beginners that teach fly-fishing in three days. You can even go bird watching in the parks and forests and try to spot the Kentucky Warbler or the White Wagtail. You may even spot the Strange Herring Gull on Lake St. Claire. There are enclosures for recreational vehicles all over the 20 state parks in the area, if you want a leisurely family holiday in close proximity with nature.
Since many singers and music bands originated from Detroit, including The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, downtown Detroit always has concerts going at the Hart Plaza. Top artists play on the riverfront in front of live audiences. Pontiac is famous for its Arts, Beats and Eats festival (artsbeatseats.com) held in late summer. You can enjoy the local music while sampling the local delicacies. In winter, there's skiing, sledding and snowboarding in the state parks. You can also enjoy ice fishing and riding snowmobiles with your family.