A Weekend Roadtrip to Ann Arbor & Detroit
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
One of the benefits of living in Cleveland is close access to many big cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Detroit. Since relocating here about 1.5 years ago, Mike and I have taken the opportunity to visit a lot of these cities while we have the chance. Recently, we decided we may as well check out Detroit as it is a quick ~2.5 hour drive. It’s not somewhere we would purposely plan a flight to, but a cheap roadtrip – so we figured why not? We had a few activities in mind including: visiting a few of the renowned museums at the University of Michigan, eating at Eminem’s Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant, and of course, enjoying some Detroit Style pizza. We booked a hotel in Ann Arbor to enjoy convenient access to the UMich museums.
Unfortunately, we visited during an excruciating cold snap where wind chills were in the sub zeros nearly all weekend, but fortunately made it home right before a monster snowstorm hit dumped over 10 inches of snow on Cleveland. Unfortunately, a few of our planned attractions were closed, but we still had a decent time. I would say in general the region seems to be underrated with plenty of indoor activities for the winter tourist. We plan on visiting again sometime this spring and checking out a few attractions that were closed, namely Belle Isle Park.
Ann Arbor Regent: A great budget stay
Rates are understandably cheap this time of year – not many people want to travel during the frigid Midwest winter months. We don’t mind traveling during the cold months so figured we would take advantage of the low rates. We booked our hotel a few months in advance knowing it would be cold but did not expect record breaking bitterness. Nevertheless, we scored a room for under $100 and were pleased with the cleanliness and many amenities. The Ann Arbor Regent, a 3 star, is nothing fancy but the amenities and convenient distance to the museums and cute little downtown make it a great value in my opinion.
There are benefits to staying here in the winter. First off, they have a wonderful indoor pool with a hot tub. The setting is very nice and we enjoyed the very hot temps while looking at the snow outside. Second, there is a complimentary breakfast with eggs, potatoes, pastries, oatmeal, and 24/7 free coffee. It’s your standard common chain offering but decent enough to warrant skipping an expensive meal out. Third, there is a nice game room with shuffleboard, a pool table, foosball, and checkers all available to guests. This came in handy during this blustery cold weekend when it was much too cold to be out for too long.
Dinner at a local Mediterranean gem
Another benefit of staying here was easy access to a lot of great local restaurants. We drove past this Mediterranean restaurant called Palm Palace and decided to plan dinner there so we didn’t have to drive all the way to the city in the cold our first night. It has been rated the best Mediterranean restaurant in the city since 2008 (according to their website). We loved the food, setting, and friendly service. The setting is nice for a fun date night out. The complimentary chai tea when we walked in was a nice perk on a cold night.
First off, they brought out delicious pita bread with this amazing garlic spread. For our entrees, we figured we would go with one of their shareables so we could mix and match some of our favorite dishes. I love this type of food and have a hard time picking just one thing. They use these cat robots to bring out your food. According to the Ann Arbor Observer, the restaurant bought these due to staffing shortages. They cost a whopping $25,000 each!
The Vegetarian combo for 2 priced at a moderate $37 included: grape leaves, hummus, baba ganoush, tabouleh, mejadra, falafel, spinach pies, and soup (we close lentil) was just fabulous. It was probably the most massive serving I’ve ever seen at this price point.
Main St. Ann Arbor: Dine & shop local
Like a lot of college towns, Ann Arbor is home to a charming walkable downtown. Unfortunately, it was way too cold for us to do much walking so we couldn’t’ take a lot of photos. We basically ran from our car to a coffeeshop and a few local shops. I am from Chicago and I have never been this cold! The wind was insane.
We stopped in a little coffeehouse called Sweetwater to warm up with a hot drink. It was a cozy space and the food and coffee were both pretty decent. I ordered an almond croissant and Mike enjoyed a bagel sandwich. On one negative note, the coffee refills were outrageously overpriced – just 25 cents off the full cup price. I am assuming this is a popular college hangout due to the close proximity to the school and Univ. of Mich decor. Overall, it was a decent experience and located pretty close to the museums we were touring for the day.
I would love to come back in the spring and explore this Main Street in more detail. I can handle cold temps and snow, but this was way too cold! The Michigan Theater looks beautiful and there are a lot of restaurants I wouldn’t mind trying out in the future.
University of Michigan museums: Free gems open to the public
I knew nothing about University of Michigan despite attending undergrad at Central Michigan University (go Chippewas!). We got here early on a Friday morning and it was pretty busy with students walking to and from class, some braving the cold with no hats and unbuttoned jackets! We are not big college football fans but we passed the iconic Michigan Stadium (“The Big House”) which happens to be the biggest in the US and the 3rd largest in the world. They offer behind the scenes tours for 20 bucks a person if you are interested.
It was a bit hard to drive around and find street parking for the various museums due to the traffic. Fortunately, there are a few parking garages within a quick walk which are actually cheaper than the street parking. We ended up driving to each museum separately as it was too cold even bundled up.
As a bonus, all of these museums are free to the public, so it won’t cost you more than a small parking fee (~$10 total to park for all 4 for us). All the staff were so nice and friendly. Also, bonus points for the free coat check – a must this time of year!
We explored several great museums including:
- Museum of Art
- Museum of Natural History
- Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Museum of Art
It’s home to one of the nation’s oldest collections. Most impressive is the Asian Art collection which includes 6000 objects (the largest in the state). The collection is diverse and includes comprehensive sections dedicated to: African art of the 19th and 20 centuries, decorative art and design, Modern and contemporary art, and European art from the Renaissance through the 19th century. Overall, a wonderful place to explore on a cold day. Note: a large section is closed as of winter 2026 for renovations.
Museum of Natural History
This is an older museum more suited for those interested in reading and learning more rather than engaging with high tech exhibits. Exhibits include: Evolution where you can go back billions of years learning about life on Earth, Exploring Michigan where you can learn more about the state’s diverse ecosystem and the wildlife present within, Under the Microscope where you can learn more about the human body, and People and the Planet analyzing our effect on the planet.
There is a new interactive Tree of Life exhibit as well as a planetarium show that requires separate tickets. Most notably, it’s the only place in the world where you can see a female and male mastodon skeleton together, both found just an hour from Ann Arbor. Learn more about the various exhibits.
Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
This is my favorite museum as ancient Egypt and Greek art and culture fascinates me. The Egypt collection is pretty extensive and includes a painted coffin, a mummified cat, and the largest papyrus collection in the US. Most of all, I love reading about their beliefs about the afterlife.
Other highlights include: a large section devoted to Greek pottery, Roman glass vessels from Karanis, and a replica of the Villa of the Mysteries. Equally impressive is the building itself, a gorgeous stone building built in 1890 and once headquarters to the Student’s Christian Association.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
At this local gem, you can explore outdoor gardens, 3 miles of trails, and an indoor conservatory. Obviously, we were limited to the indoor gardens this time of year. It was so warm and fresh: the perfect escape during the frosty winter season. The conservatory includes 3 sections: Tropical, Temperate, and Arid plants. I especially loved the bonsai. Here are a few highlights from each garden:
During our visit, they had a special EAT! exhibit with signs detailing which plants were edible. We also saw some recipe cards and picked up a tasty looking banana bread recipe. You can look up more of these community recipes on their website. The gardens has their own parking lot and rates are pretty cheap.
What we did in Detroit
The rest of our trip we checked out some attractions on our bucket list in the city. Unfortunately, many were closed due to the cold including Belle Isle Park. This is one of the city’s top attractions and includes an aquarium, the country’s first conservatory, a nature center, beaches and more. It’s also home to William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse which is the only marble lighthouse in the country. Each attraction on the island is free but you do need a Recreation Passport. We are planning a return visit this spring so you can check back for updates.
Buddy’s: Where Detroit style pizza was born
We really wanted to try some authentic Detroit pizza which we love. We decided to go with Buddy’s – the place that started it all back in 1946. Today, there is the main location downtown along with numerous suburban locations. Being from Chicago, I love thin crust and deep dish, but Detroit style is fabulous as well. Strangely enough, I tried my first piece at a little restaurant in Asheville, NC.
Gus Gerra is credited with coming up with the idea for the now famous rectangular shaped pie known for it’s crispy buttery crust, Wisconsin Brick cheese, and tomato sauce which goes on top. The result is just so flavorful that you cannot stop eating it no matter how hard you try to resist.
Buddy’s offers a number of creative “signature squares” or you can opt to customize your own. We went with the Detroit Zoo which includes a motor city cheese blend, tomato basil sauce, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil. It was so savory and delicious and honestly we probably could have ordered our own pan! Other creative styles include: Greektown, Spicy Italian, and The Henry Ford featuring seasoned ground beef, bacon, bleu cheese, red onions, and tomato basil sauce. Next time, I’ll probably try the Eastern Market Veggie.
John King Used Books
Personally, I still love reading books. I’ve never read an ebook as I love flipping through the pages and displaying books on my bookcase. Plus, I work on the computer all the time so I appreciate the tech break. I try to visit rare, unique, or big bookstores no matter when I travel as they seem to be disappearing by the year. It’s so interesting to find these old shops which have so much more ambiance and history than a generic Barnes and Nobles.
A while back, I found out about this highly rated bookstore in the city called John King. With over a million books to browse through in a 4 story building, it’s a bibliophiles dream. It’s the largest bookstore in Michigan and one of the biggest in the US. You could literally spend hours and hours exploring the massive collection here, and I probably would have if I had the extra time. Let’s just say – I would be here every weekend browsing if I lived in the area.
They will give you a map when you walk in, and once you begin exploring you will see why you need one. With tall shelf upon shelf of every book in ever category imaginable, it’s definitely a literary wonderland. On an overcast winter day, it was dark, quiet, and even a little bit eerie which is all part of its’ appeal. It’s dark but there are little pull lights in each aisle. Becoming lost in your own world of books is easy in this historic space. Definitely check out this gem if you are a book lover!
There is a small free parking lot although parking is super tight. We had a difficult time pulling our car out.
Mom’s Spaghetti: For Eminem fans only
Being big fans (not stans) of Eminem, one of the reasons we planned this trip was to visit his famous Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant. It opened in 2021 downtown near The Fox Theater. We love his music and Mike has been to a lot of his concerts, so this was a must while we were living in such close proximity. Yes, celeb restaurants typically receive negative press about the poor food quality, but this type of place more exists for the fan as a bucket list check off experience.
The inspiration came from the famous line in the Lose Yourself song – one of my personal favorites. It’s a tiny space with a tiny menu. You order outside from a window and can eat outside or bring your food inside. Typically, there is a big line during the warmer months as locals and tourists are out-and-about. We lucked out and were basically 1 of just 2 groups in the restaurant – I guess the cold keeps the tourists away.
The simple menu includes spaghetti, spaghetti with meatballs (vegan available) and a spaghetti sandwich. The funny thing is that the sauce is supposed to taste like leftover sauce, “not your grandma’s simmering all day” according to their website. We ordered a large spaghetti with rabbit balls and garlic bread. It came up to just $16 and it wasn’t as bad as some of the reivews lead you to believe. It’s served in casual Chinese food takeout containers as you can see in my picture.
Upstairs is “The Trailer” where you can browse through some memorabilia and take some pics. A bit smaller than I expected but an interesting quick stop.
I’ve read numerous news stories of Eminem popping up randomly, even working from the window one day. I imagine this would be a pretty exciting experience for fans, some of which are pretty crazy and travel around the world just to check out this restaurant and other Eminem sites around the city. If you haven’t seen it, definitely watch the Stans documentary on Paramount Plus. It’s definitely interesting to see just how far some of these fans will go!
Street parking available. We found a spot a few blocks away for just $1.50 or so an hour. It appears to be located in a safe area and we did not feel unsafe at any point. I’ve read numerous stories recently detailing the city’s efforts to revitalize the downtown so this is good news.
Robocop statue/Eastern Market
This will only take a few minutes, but there is this cool 11 foot tall bronze statue right next to the Eastern Market. As a fan of 80’s and 90’s movies (I check out filming sites across the US), this was a must stop for me. If you like the movie stop by for a quick photo. Afterwards you can stroll around one of the oldest markets in the US. There are over 200 vendors here and you can find everything from fresh produce, to flowers, to prepared foods like Pierogies. There is a large parking lot here which is free outside of special events.
Monument to Joe Louis aka “The Fist”
This famous statue is dedicated to boxer Joe Louis. He was heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. Joe fought against racism in WW2 and today the statue continues to represent the fight against racial inequality. It was a gift from Sports Illustrated in 1986. It’s located in the middle of a busy street at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Ave. So you will have to park and walk or just take in the sight from your car.
