Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Two, Detroit and Chicago

Ruly Holiday Road Trip: Day Two, Detroit and Chicago

We awoke in Cleveland on day two of our journey and after partaking of the hotel’s free breakfast, made an early start toward our first destination of the day, Detroit.

Many we told of our travel plans were puzzled by our choice of Detroit as a destination. The news does a good job of making Detroit look like an impoverished wasteland. Since we were so close by and since I had never actually seen Detroit for myself, we decided to see it for ourselves.

We drove through some beautiful Ohio farmland.

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Eventually, we reached the Michigan border.

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As we entered Michigan, the landscape changed from agricultural to industrial. The industrial buildings and smokestacks made for an interesting, modern contrast.

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I had not realized how close Detroit is to the Canadian border. We were surprised to see this exit sign from the highway.

The Canadian exit.
The Canadian exit.

We drove in to the downtown area to find our first stop, known as the DIA. In the Washington area, DIA has a completely different meaning, but in Detroit, it stands for the Detroit Institute of Arts.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts is in the headlines recently due to Detroit’s financial difficulties. Opinions differ as to whether the museum should be forced to sell of some of its collection to help the city pay its debts. Before this dismantling could happen, we wanted to see the art collection intact.

We arrived early on a Saturday morning and found ample street parking available. After paying about $20 in admission charges, we began our exploration of the museum.

The central atrium of the museum contains the stars of the museum. The first thing you see is a wonderful collection of armor and historical weaponry. Each suit of armor is different from the others in construction and style. My historian husband gave me a fascinating lecture on the purposes of each design of armor.

Armor at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Armor at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Detail of the ceiling in the atrium.
Detail of the ceiling in the atrium.

In the back part of the atrium is the star attraction of the museum, a collection of Diego Rivera murals. If there is one part of this museum that should never be touched by bankruptcy sales, it is the Rivera atrium. The huge murals showing industrial factory workers are so aptly placed and take on a new meaning and significance because of Detroit’s current and historical importance in manufacturing. It is a powerful and inspiring display.

The amazing Diego Rivera atrium at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The amazing Diego Rivera atrium at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Detail of a Rivera mural.
Detail of a Rivera mural.

Flanking the atrium on the first floor are several different collections. A colonial section with early American artifacts, a collection of medieval art and an Impressionist art collection, including several Van Gogh masterpieces.

A medieval room at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
A medieval room at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The museum did a wonderful job making the museum more interactive for children through simple additions to the regular displays. Throughout the museum were several “Eye Spy” stations inviting children to use clues to find works of art.

An Eye Spy example at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
An Eye Spy example at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Finding the Eye Spy clue!
Finding the Eye Spy clue!

The museum also set up reaction tables near a particular work of art. The table would ask a thought-provoking question. For example, one about Whistler’s work “Fireworks” discussed the work’s controversial history and how early critics didn’t feel it showed any artistic merit. It invited visitors to submit their own reactions to the work.

The reaction table for Whistler's "Fireworks."
The reaction table for Whistler’s “Fireworks.”

You can access the second floor of the museum by walking down a circular staircase in the medieval exhibit which my children loved as a sort of secret passageway.

On the second floor is a large cafe space as well as exhibit spaces dedicated to various countries, including Africa, Egypt, Muslim and Asian art.

The lounge area at DIA.
The lounge area at DIA.
Detail of one of the museum's fascinating collection of African masks.
Detail of one of the museum’s fascinating collection of African masks.
My son, giving the sign that he has had enough art museum touring.
My son, giving the sign that he has had enough art museum touring.

In general, I enjoyed the DIA’s art collection. I sincerely hope that it is spared by any bankruptcy proceedings. It did not feel like there was a lot of excess in the museum. If anything, it felt like the museum could use more works, not less.

After we toured the museum, we stopped briefly at the Detroit Historical Society directly across the street.

The Detroit Historical Society.
The Detroit Historical Society.

This free museum has a lot of wonderful exhibits. There is a section about Detroit’s automotive history, including a reproduction of a factory assembly line, where the body of a car lowers down onto the chassis, and a reproduction Model T Ford you can sit in.

The assembly line exhibit at the Detroit Historical Society.
The assembly line exhibit at the Detroit Historical Society.

There were some interactive video games upstairs asking children to build a car and take it for a test drive to see how their engineering held up. My 8-year old loved this. Meanwhile, my son loved all the miniature model cars.

After our museum touring was done, we went for lunch at Traffic Jam and Snug, a nearby restaurant.

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We had some delicious bread and sandwiches and sweet potato fries with spicy sauce. My children enjoyed their mac ‘n cheese.

Fresh baked bread at Traffic Jam and Snug.
Fresh baked bread at Traffic Jam and Snug.
A Reuben sandwich with coleslaw.
A Reuben sandwich with coleslaw.
Sweet potato fries and mac 'n cheese.
Sweet potato fries and mac ‘n cheese.

The proprietors have a great sense of humor. The back of the kids meal had a coloring page of a snow scene. The coloring instructions were hilarious.

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Likewise, the dessert menu showed that sweets are supposed to be fun.

The sassy dessert menu.
The sassy dessert menu.

Each kids meal comes with a fun clown ice cream cone as well.

The clown ice cream cone.
The clown ice cream cone.

After lunch, we quickly drove through the downtown area.

Detroit skyline.
Detroit skyline.

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Detroit's downtown Christmas tree.
Detroit’s downtown Christmas tree.
A temporary ice rink has been constructed near the tree.
A temporary ice rink has been constructed near the tree.

We began to make our way out of Detroit.

This was a very interesting statue in the middle of an intersection.  It was a giant fist that seemed curiously pointed right across the river at Canada.
This was a very interesting statue in the middle of an intersection. It was a giant fist that seemed curiously pointed right across the river at Canada.
A circular sculpture that framed the Canadian skyline.
A circular sculpture that framed the Canadian skyline.
Detroit's "disco lights" per my daughter in the tunnel headed out of town.
Detroit’s “disco lights” per my daughter in the tunnel headed out of town.

We drove through more Michigan farmland and encountered light snow, which became more blizzard-like as we drove.

Snow starts to fall.
Snow starts to fall.

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My photography improves as I test out my telephoto lens at my husband's urging.
My photography improves as I test out my telephoto lens at my husband’s urging.
Another great telephoto shot.
Another great telephoto shot.

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The snow turns heavier as we drive across Michigan.
The snow turns heavier as we drive across Michigan.

In the evening, we arrived in Chicago.

You know you are near Chicago when you start encountering toll booths.
You know you are near Chicago when you start encountering toll booths.

We headed downtown where the streets were hopping on a Saturday night.

Downtown Chicago.
Downtown Chicago.
Traffic was so heavy that numerous traffic directors were needed to keep things moving.
Traffic was so heavy that numerous traffic directors were needed to keep things moving.

After finding a nearby parking garage where parking cost $25 for the night, we headed to our dinner destination, Macy’s!

The old Marshall Field sign still stands.
The old Marshall Field sign still stands.
The trumpets of Macy's.
The trumpets of Macy’s.

Perhaps it has been watching too many episodes of Mr. Selfridge on PBS but a nostalgia for department store shopping has overcome me. A trip to Macy’s Chicago was just what I needed.

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The children loved riding the escalators to the 7th floor.

Macy's delightful escalator system.
Macy’s delightful escalator system.

We ate dinner at Macy’s Walnut Room, a historic restaurant and one of the first ever in a department store. There is a huge, gorgeous Christmas tree in the center and luxurious walnut paneling throughout.

The tree in The Walnut Room.
The tree in The Walnut Room.
The Walnut Room bar at closing time.
The Walnut Room bar at closing time.

My husband tried the traditional chicken pot pie recipe that is original to the restaurant, I opted for a lighter salad. Their fresh-baked bread was delicious.

The Walnut Room's fabulous bread.
The Walnut Room’s fabulous bread.
It may sound silly but there was something about The Walnut Room's water glasses.  My husband and I agreed that this was the ideal shape and size for a water glass.
It may sound silly but there was something about The Walnut Room’s water glasses. My husband and I agreed that this was the ideal shape and size for a water glass.
Mrs. Hering's Pot Pie from an 1890 recipe.
Mrs. Hering’s Pot Pie from an 1890 recipe.

One distinctive aspect of Chicago life is that everyone is used to the hard sell. The waiters push drinks, desserts and specials. As we were dining, “wishing fairies” came by, granting wishes to the children (while prominently displaying their purses for tips to the parents). It took a minute to get used to this atmosphere. After a while you just start to admire the pluck and creativity of the sellers.

A visit from the wishing fairy.
A visit from the wishing fairy.

After dinner, we picked up some of Macy’s famous Frango mint chocolate truffles and ventured into the cold to see the windows outside. It was interesting to learn that while Chicago was packed at 7 p.m., by 9 p.m. the streets were almost empty!

Admiring Macy's store windows.
Admiring Macy’s store windows.
A window showing the setting of Macy's famous clock.
A window showing the setting of Macy’s famous clock.

Our hotel was just outside of the downtown area so we said a fond, but chilly good night to The Windy City.

Chicago skyline at night.
Chicago skyline at night.

*I am not affiliated with any product or service mentioned in this post.