through Detroit to see the Carmichael family. Although Michigan isn't one of the most common states to visit nor is Detroit a popular city to tour, we were able to experience them both in full effect with the help of our dear tour guide, my Uncle Mark. My aunts, uncles, and grandma were all great hosts who opened their homes to us and made for a memorable vacation.
My Aunt Kathie and Uncle John picked us up at the airport and took us to their place. They live in a quaint farmhouse on a plot of land where you can see few neighbors and no town or city. The house is beautifully decorated with antiques and homemade craftsmanship. Their four year-old dog, Buffy, ran around the house and entertained us the two nights we stayed there. Their tree was lit and Christmas village still up for us to enjoy. We ate delicious cheeses, fruits, and drank wine over great conversation.
Uncle Mark gave us a tour of Detroit in his Jeep Cherokee, from Motown to Grosse Pointe. On Saturday, we started by hitting the big museum stops. We went to the Motown Museum, where we saw the birthplace of some great music. The Supremes, Jackson 5, the Temptations, and more all produced their hits right in the Motown studio. We also visited the Detroit Historical Museum to learn about the years in Detroit from fur trading to building cars. My favorite stop was the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) where we saw masterpieces by Diego Rivera and Joan Miró. For a bite to eat, we tried real Detroit food - the Coney Island from the famous American Coney Island in downtown.
Throughout the rest of the weekend, we were at Grandma's house. On Sunday morning, we toured Mark's workplace where he showed us the forgotten connection between the car manufacturing industry and all of the people who help to build pieces that support it. His company is responsible for building robots that facilitate and speed up the process of making various pieces of a car and other machinery. Later that evening, Grandma hosted a family party where we met Mark's girlfriend and played pool and ping pong with the cousins. Of course, we ended the night with a Carmichael tradition of playing Blitz (and Markel brought home the winnings!).
Our last full day in Detroit was nothing short of exciting. On route back to Aunt Kathie and Uncle John's, we stopped by Belle Isle and went ice skating! Never had a seen a real-life frozen-over lake, river or canal. Not only did I get to see all three, we got to walk and skate on top of the canal! Later we crossed the border to Canada and had a late lunch while watching the sun set over the Detroit skyline. Making our way back to the farmhouse was a bittersweet reminder that our journey to the states was coming to a close... After a fantastic jaunt in Michigan, we packed our bags and flew out on Tuesday afternoon.
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