I Love Detroit! Tourist Time.

Hey Guys! Sometimes I like to play tourist in my own town. Well technically, I'm not from Detroit, but it's just down the street. Anywho, I truly adore "The D". It gets a bad rap, but there are some serious gems to uncover if only you venture out--and that's exactly what we did. Our adventure began with an Instagram Post from Pure Detroit advertising a free tour of the Fisher Building. Did I see the word FREE? I was instantly interested, LOL! I've always wanted to explore some of the buildings downtown, and finally, this was my chance.

Just stepping inside of the building was amazing. I mean, this place is an architect's/photographers dream.

*Swoon*

 

Handpainted artwork ;-)

 

Look at that celing!

 

 

We started the day off with a little bit of a history lesson. You can grab some of that history here. I was in awe the entire time. Boasting bronze, marble, granite, brass, and gold leaf mosaics, there's no wonder why the Fisher Building is considered Detroit's largest art object--and you can do that when you're given a blank check! Back in the day, the Fisher Building was truly the place to be. And get this--while you visited (shopping, theaters, business, etc.) the attendants in the parking garage would fill your gas tank and perform routine maintenance on your car...absolutely free...for every single car. Talk about customer service! That would have been enough of a reason for me to hang out for the day ;-) After learning all about the building and the major players that made it possible, we were free to explore.



 

So much detail...absolutely gorg!

If memory serves me correctly, these beautiful chandeliers were $25,000 a piece...and they were everywhere!

 

Pretty, but very low upper level railings. Apparently safety wasn't a priority in the 20s.

More handpainting!

:-)

 So colorful and lively!

Love this view!

Nice!

 

 

We were also able to go to the very top of the building and explore some of the office space.

Look ma, I'm on top of the world!!

 

After our (1 hour) guided tour concluded, we could then wonder the building in search of the best photo ops! I was more than ready for that :-)

 

He's not looking...

He's still not looking...oh well

 

We had a great time. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, and the other people on the tour were also pleasant. I honestly couldn't believe that it was free. No catch! Pure Detroit seems to be an amazing company. Not only is it a Detroit based/themed business, but they're bringing people out on free tours to restore the pride and intrigue of the city. Their store is pretty dope too.

If I owned a store I would most definitely want it in a historical building. There were so many things in here that I wanted!

 

Once we left the Fisher Building, my husband decided that we should go on a boat tour. He'd been on one with Diamond Jack's  before and thought that my son and I would enjoy it. I didn't know if we would be able to snag tickets since we didn't plan in advance, but luckily, we did. This time, I really got to get some good use out of my camera. When I say that I pretended to be a tourist, I mean it!

Me and baby Love, ready to ride!

 

 

 

Going underneath the Belle Isle Bridge...

 

The hubby's big draw was wanting me to see all the beautiful homes on the route, here's Kid Rock house here.

Riverside restaurant

 Out for a sail

 

And then, draw drop! Here's the houses he was talking about. These are located on the Canadian side.

Living good...

:)

Nice view!



Whhatttt!! Gorg! What do I have to do to live like this??

I would take either one of these homes...

The balcony, the ivy...I want it all!

 Well alrighty then...

Love it! 

 

 Nice!!



WOW!

I thought this church was awesome!

 The U.S/ Canadian bridge

 



Going under...

 Huge ship...picture doesn't even compare

 



I was just snapping! :)



 An oldie, but goodie for all my Michigan folks!

Going back to Detroit (LL's voice)

  

All in all, we were able to do two tours, one by building and one by boat. It was lovely being able to see the city in a way that I had never seen it before.

 

 And of course, our little guy had to take a spin before we left

 

 

Maybe we can rent this bus one day with some of our friends and family and do a tour of another kind ;-)

 

It truly was an amazing day. The experience was new and fresh even though I was somewhere I've always been. If you haven't tried it yet, I strongly suggest playing tourist in your town or in a city near you. Not only is it cheap, but you'll discover new things in the process. If you've played tourist recently, I'd love to hear about your time. Until the next time guys, XO!