Introduction to The Great Lakes
Swept by tumultuous storms and traversed by fleets of oceangoing tankers, the interconnected Great Lakes form the largest body of fresh water in the world; Lake Superior alone is more than three hundred miles from east to west. The shores of these inland seas can rival any coastline: Superior and the northern reaches of Lake Michigan offer stunning rocky peninsulas, craggy cliffs, tree-covered islands, mammoth dunes and deserted beaches. However, for lengthy stretches along Lake Erie, and the bottom lips of lakes Michigan and Huron, sluggish waters lap against large cities and decaying ports.
To varying degrees, the principal states that line the American side of the lakes – Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota – share this mixture of natural beauty and ageing industry. Cities such as Chicago and Detroit, for all their pros and cons, do not characterize the entire region, although the former’s magnificent architecture, museums, music and restaurants make it a worthy destination. Within the first hundred miles or so of the lakeshores, especially in Wisconsin and Minnesota, tens of thousands of smaller lakes and tumbling streams are scattered through a luxuriant rural wilderness; beyond that, you are soon in the heart of the Corn Belt, where you can drive for hours and encounter nothing more than a succession of crossroads communities, grain silos and giant barns.
For details on getting to the US and travelling across the country, as well as information on entry requirements, accommodation, food and drink, sports and festivals, turn to the USA Basics section.
Highlights
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum, Cleveland, OH From
rockabilly to Motown to punk – it’s all here inside
this striking museum.
The
Henry Ford Museum, Detroit,
MI Home to such oddities as the car JFK
was riding in when he was shot.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore,
MI Multi-hued sandstone cliffs,
spectacular sand dunes and picturesque waterfalls dot this
remote corner of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Chicago architecture,
IL Take a boat tour on the
Chicago River or plan a walking tour to see the Second
City’s diverse architectural heritage.
Wrigley Field, Chicago,
IL Soak in the sun with a
cold beer and a hot dog at this historic ivy-covered ballpark.
Madison,
WI Perhaps the finest college town in
the US, featuring an outstanding farmer’s market,
beautiful university campus and a plethora of live music venues.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness, MN Canoe, hike
or just marvel at more than one million acres of lakes, rivers
and forest.
Some history
The first foreigner to reach the Great Lakes, the French explorer Champlain, found the region in 1603 inhabited mostly by tribes of Huron, Iroquois and Algonquin. France soon established a network of military forts, Jesuit missions and fur-trading posts here, which entailed treating the native people as allies rather than subjects. After the French and Indian War with Britain from 1754 to 1761, however, the victorious British felt under no constraints to deal equitably with the Native Americans, and things grew worse with large-scale American settlement after independence. The Black Hawk War of 1832 put a bloody end to traditional Native American life.
Settlers from the east were followed to Wisconsin and Minnesota by waves of Scandinavians and Germans, while the lower halves of Illinois and Indiana attracted Southerners, who attempted to maintain slavery here and resisted Union conscription during the Civil War. These areas still have more in common with neighbouring Kentucky and Tennessee than with the industrial cities of their own states.
The demands of the Civil War encouraged the growth of industry in the region, with its abundant supplies of ores and fuel, as well as efficient transportation by water and rail. As lakeshore cities like Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland grew, their populations swelled with hundreds of thousands of poor blacks who migrated from the Deep South in search of jobs. But a lack of planning, inadequate housing and mass layoffs at times of low demand bred conditions that led to the riots of the late 1960s and continuing inner-city deprivation. Depression in the 1970s ravaged the economy – especially the automobile industry, on which so much else depended – and gave the area the unwanted title of “Rust Belt”. Since then, cities such as Cleveland have revived their fortunes to some degree, although the current economic crisis has hit the region especially hard.
Getting around the Great Lakes
Moving through the Great Lakes region can be a challenge without a private automobile, but with a little planning, it can be fairly manageable. Airplane service is frequent and almost omnipresent, but the price of airline travel in the United States has continued to rise as of late. The Greyhound and Megabus bus companies travel frequently between major cities in the area, including Chicago, Milwaukee, St Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus and Madison. Finally, Amtrak train services connect many of the major cities throughout the Midwest, but a lot of places are only served by one train daily.
Ohio is well served by Greyhound and Megabus buses, and there are major airports at Cleveland and Cincinnati. I-71 is the major interstate linking Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, while I-70 bisects the state from west to east, passing through Columbus as well. The 325-mile Ohio to Erie biking trail (www.ohiotoerietrail.org), following former railroad and canal routes, is slowly nearing completion; when finished, it will link the three “C” towns.
In Michigan, Greyhound buses run regularly throughout Michigan’s south, but services elsewhere are less frequent, and the few buses that serve the remote Upper Peninsula do so at night. Amtrak trains from Chicago stop at Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. Michigan’s principal airport is just outside Detroit. Cycling is both feasible and rewarding, particularly with the abundance of bike paths in and around Traverse City; the League of Michigan Bicyclists in Lansing (1-888/642-4537, www.lmb.org) organizes tours and provides info.
Travelling south to Indiana, nine interstates crisscross the state, five of which slice through Indianapolis, and provide boring but fast ways to traverse Indiana via automobile, Greyhound and Megabus. Indianapolis, Michigan City and South Bend are the major stops on the state’s three different Amtrak routes. Flights from most Midwestern and Eastern cities land at Indianapolis International Airport.
West in Illinois, Chicago is the site of O’Hare and Midway Airports and the hub of the national Amtrak train network. If you plan to spend time in the rest of Illinois, Amtrak, numerous commuter railroads, and, to a lesser extent, Greyhound and Megabus, provide a range of public transport options. Cycling is also generally easy on these endless flat plains. Half a dozen interstates fan out across the country from Chicago to all corners of the Great Lakes region and beyond.
Travel in the northern sections of Wisconsin and the Door peninsula (the “thumb” of the state) can be difficult without a vehicle; public transport is better in the south. Madison is served by Greyhound, Megabus and the Van Galder Coach line, and five trains daily connect Milwaukee and Chicago (a ninety-minute journey), while one crosses the state in the south en route for Seattle, via Columbus (near Madison), Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse.
Over in Minnesota, travelling by road is fairly easy, and three major interstate highways cross the state on their way north to Duluth, east to Madison and south to Iowa. One Amtrak train route connects the Twin Cities and select cities in the state to Chicago and points west all the way to Seattle. The Twin Cities are also served by Megabus and Greyhound buses, which provides services to Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison. Finally, the state’s major airport hub is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which is in Minneapolis; there are light rail and bus services from the airport into the heart of Minneapolis.
Ohio
OHIO, the easternmost of the Great Lakes states, lies to the south of shallow Lake Erie. This is one of the nation’s most industrialized regions, but the industry is largely concentrated in the east, near the Ohio River. To the south the landscape becomes less populated and more forested.
Enigmatic traces of Ohio’s earliest inhabitants exist at the Great Serpent Mound, a grassy state park sixty miles east of Cincinnati, where a cleared hilltop high above a river was reshaped to look like a giant snake swallowing an egg, possibly by the Adena Indians around 800 BC. When the French claimed the area in 1699, it was inhabited by the Iroquois, in whose language Ohio means “something great”. In the eighteenth century, the territory’s prime position between Lake Erie and the Ohio River made it the subject of fierce contention between the French and British. Once the British acquired control of most land east of the Mississippi, settlers from New England began to establish communities along both the Ohio River and the Iroquois War Trail paths on the shores of the lake.
During the Civil War, Ohio was at the forefront of the struggle, producing two great Union generals, Ulysses Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, and sending more than twice its quota of volunteers to fight for the North. Its progress thereafter has followed the classic “Rust Belt” pattern: rapid industrialization, aided by its natural resources and crucial location, followed by 1970s post-industrial gloom and a period of steady revitalization that has been stopped in its tracks by the current credit crunch.
Although the state is dominated by its triumvirate of “C” towns (Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati), the Lake Erie Islands are its most visited holiday destination, attracting thousands of partying mainlanders. Cincinnati and Cleveland have both undergone major face-lifts and are surprisingly attractive, as is the comparatively unassuming state capital of Columbus.
Cleveland
Arrival, information and city transport >
Accommodation >
The City >
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame >
Eating >
Nightlife and entertainment >
Today, the great industrial port of CLEVELAND – for so long the butt of jokes after the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969 – is no longer the “Mistake on the Lake”. Although parts of the city have been hit by the latest recession, areas like the Warehouse District, East Fourth Street and University Circle remain hubs of energy. Cleveland boasts a sensitive restoration of the Lake Erie and Cuyahoga River waterfront, a superb constellation of museums, a growing culinary scene and modern downtown super-stadiums. Add to that the now well-established Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and there’s an unmistakable buzz about the place.
Founded in 1796, thirty years later Cleveland profited greatly from the opening of the Ohio Canal between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. During the city’s heyday, which began with the Civil War and lasted until the 1920s, its vast iron and coal supplies made it one of the most important steel and shipbuilding centres in the world. John D. Rockefeller made his billions here, as did the many others whose restored old mansions line “Millionaires’ Row”.
Arrival, information and city transport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is ten miles southwest of downtown. The twenty-minute taxi ride into town costs around $20, but the Regional Transit Authority (RTA; 216/621-9500, www.gcrta.org) train is only $2.25 and takes just ten minutes longer. Greyhound arrives at 1465 Chester Ave, at the back of Playhouse Square, while the Amtrak station is on the lakefront at 200 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway NE.
Maps and information can be ordered or picked up from Positively Cleveland, suite 100, 100 Public Square (summer daily 9am–5pm, rest of year Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 216/875-6680 or 1-800/321-1001, www.positivelycleveland.com); or try the booth on the baggage level of the airport (hours vary).
Cleveland is generally safe, though its size makes getting around easiest by car. The RTA runs an efficient bus service ($1.75 single or $3.50 for an unlimited day pass) and a small train line ($1.75), known locally as “the Rapid”, until about 12.30am. A light rail system – the Waterfront Line – connects Terminal Tower, the Flats, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other downtown sights (every 15min, 6.15am– midnight; $1.75). There are also two free trolleys, the B-Line and the E-Line that cover different parts of downtown (Mon–Fri 7am–7pm).
Accommodation
Travellers without cars tend to stay at the downtown hotels, whose room-only prices are not cheap, but most offer packages that include admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or other attractions. B&Bs can be booked through www.positivelycleveland.com.
Cleveland
Marriot Downtown at Key Center 127 Public Square
216/696-9200, www.marriot.com. This 25-storey hotel has
comfortable rooms with superb views and touches of sophistication in their
decor, plus a pool, fitness centre and plush lobby.
$201–300
Doubletree
Cleveland Downtown 1111 Lakeside Ave 216/241-5100 or
1-800/222-8733, doubletree1.hilton.com. Good online
deals, great lake views and proximity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame make
this a popular choice. $101–130
Glidden House 1901 Ford Drive 216/231-8900 or
1-800/759-8358, www.gliddenhouse.com. Sixty rooms and suites are
housed in a Gothic mansion situated in University Circle. Large continental
breakfast is included. $131–160
Hyatt Regency
at The Arcade 420 Superior Ave, University Circle
216/575-1234, www.cleveland.hyatt.com. Set behind the imposing
facade of The Arcade, a historic landmark, this hotel provides all the usual
upscale comforts and services. $201–300
Wyndham
Cleveland at Playhouse Square 1260 Euclid Ave 216/615-7500
or 1-800/996-3426, www.wyndham.com. The best option in the downtown
theatre district, Playhouse Square, providing luxury accommodation at
mid-range prices. $101–130
The City
The main streets in Cleveland lead to the stately nineteenth-century Beaux Arts Public Square, at the very centre of downtown, and dominated in its southwestern corner by the landmark Terminal Tower. Ontario Street, which runs north–south through the Square, divides the city into east and west. Cleveland’s most interesting areas are at two opposite ends of the spectrum: the revived industrial romance of the Flats and Warehouse District in the northwest and the cultural institutions of University Circle, east of the river.
Downtown and around
Downtown Cleveland is a bustling place and its redevelopment has seen the emergence of several distinct subsections. In its traditional heart, among the banks and corporate headquarters, stand a couple of glamorous shopping malls. One, the Avenue at Tower City, is located in the Terminal Tower. Another, the Arcade, is a skylit hall built in 1890. Twelve blocks away, at 1501 Euclid Ave, the Playhouse Square is an impressive complex of four renovated old theatres; the small Ohio Theater, with its gorgeous starlit-sky lobby ceiling, is worth a look.
Just to the southwest is the Gateway District, where new restaurants and bars surround Progressive Field stadium, home of the Indians baseball team (216/420-4200, www.indians.com), and the equally modern, multipurpose Quicken Loans Arena (216/420-2000, www.theqarena.com), aka “The Q”, which hosts the Cavaliers basketball team, along with major sporting and entertainment events.
Northwest of The Q, at the riverfront, one of the nation’s busiest waterways shares space with excellent bars, clubs and restaurants, all strung out along a boardwalk. On the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, the Flats, long known for its nightlife, has an atmospheric, still industrial setting, set among some remaining grimy buildings and no less than fourteen bridges.
A short but steep walk back up from the river leads to the historic Warehouse District, a pleasant stretch of nineteenth-century commercial buildings between West Third and West Ninth streets, given over to shops, galleries, cafés and trendy restaurants. North of here, on the other side of the busy Cleveland Memorial Shoreway (Hwy-2), the waters of Lake Erie lap gently into North Coast Harbor, a showpiece of Midwest regeneration. To see the city from the water, try a two-hour cruise on the Goodtime III ($15; 216/861-5110) from the dock at East Ninth Street Pier, just beyond the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Next door to the Rock Hall – as Clevelanders refer to it – is the giant Great Lakes Science Center (daily 10am–5pm; $9.95, $14.95 OMNIMAX combo-ticket; 216/696-4941, www.greatscience.com), one of America’s largest interactive science museums, which cleverly outlines the interdependency of science, technology and the environment, with emphasis on the lakes region. Across the road, the futuristic, 72,000-seat Cleveland Browns Stadium is the home of the Browns pro football team (440/891-5000, www.clevelandbrowns.com).
To the west of the river, Ohio City is one of Cleveland’s more hip neighbourhoods, with junk stores, exotic eateries, Victorian clapboard houses and the busy West Side Market, at Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street (Mon & Wed 7am–4pm, Fri & Sat 7am–6pm), which sells all manner of ethnic foods. It’s easily spotted by its red-brick clock tower. Nearby Tremont is another up and coming area.
Out from downtown
Four miles east of downtown, University Circle is a cluster of more than seventy cultural and medical institutions and is also home to several major performing arts companies, as well as Frank Gehry’s twisted-steel Weatherhead School of Management building at Case Western University. The eclectic Museum of Art, fronted by a lagoon at 11150 East Blvd (Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm, Wed & Fri 10am–9pm; free; 216/421-7340, www.clevelandart.org) has a collection that ranges from Renaissance armour to African art, with a good café. Also notable is the Museum of Natural History, Wade Oval (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; Wed until 10pm; $10, planetarium $4; 1-800/317-9155, www.cmnh.org), with exhibits on dinosaurs and Native American culture. The Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd (Tues–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; May–Sep Wed until 9pm; April–Oct $8.50; Nov–March $7.50; 1-888/853-7091, www.cbgarden.org), has a glass house that features a cloud forest, a desert ecosystem, free-roaming chameleons and butterflies, a waterfall and a treetop walkway. Meanwhile, dotted along East and Martin Luther King Jr boulevards in Rockefeller Park, 24 small landscaped cultural gardens are dedicated to and tended by Cleveland’s diverse ethnic groups, including Croatians, Estonians and Finns. Adjacent to University Circle, Murray Hill is Cleveland’s Little Italy; beyond this attractive area of brick streets, small delis and galleries is the trendy neighbourhood of Coventry Village.
Five miles southwest of downtown via I-71 (exit at W 25th or Fulton Rd), the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way (daily 10am–5pm; summer Sat & Sun 10am–7pm; $10; 216/661-6500, www.clemetzoo.com), features a “Wolf Wilderness”, while the spectacular 164-acre rainforest building is populated by some seven thousand plants and 118 species of animals, including orang-utans, American crocodiles and Madagascan hissing cockroaches. During summer, the RTA runs special buses from downtown to the zoo.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland, not the most obvious candidate, convincingly won a hotly contested bid to host the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame largely because Alan Freed, a local disc jockey, popularized the phrase “rock and roll” here back in 1951. Since then, Cleveland has hardly produced a roll call of rock icons – Joe Walsh, Pere Ubu and Nine Inch Nails are the biggest names. Ignoring criticism that it bought victory by stumping up most cash, the city embraced the idea of the museum with enthusiasm and few now argue with the choice.
The museum’s octogenarian architect – I.M. Pei – wanted the building “to echo the energy of rock and roll”. A trademark Pei tinted-glass pyramid (he also did the larger Louvre one), this white structure of concrete, steel and glass strikes a bold pose on the shore of Lake Erie, especially when illuminated at night. The base of the pyramid extends into an impressive entrance plaza shaped like a turntable, complete with a stylus arm attachment.
The museum is much more than an array of mementos and artefacts. Right from the start, with the excellent twelve-minute filmsMystery Train and Kick Out the Jams, the emphasis is on the contextualization of rock. The exhibits chart the art form’s evolution and progress, acknowledging influences ranging from the blues singers of the Delta to the hillbilly wailers of the Appalachians. Elsewhere in the subterranean main exhibition hall, there’s an in-depth look at seven crucial rock genres through the cities that spawned them: rockabilly (Memphis), R&B (New Orleans), Motown (Detroit), psychedelia (San Francisco), punk (London and New York), hip-hop (New York) and grunge (Seattle). Much space is taken up by exhibits on what the museum sees as the key rock artists of all time, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and U2. All inductees to the hall are selected annually by an international panel of rock “experts”, but only performers who have released a record 25 years prior to their nomination are eligible.
Escalators lead to a level devoted to Freed, studio techniques and a great archive of rare live recordings, which you can listen to on headphones. The third floor houses the Hall of Fame itself, where an hourly video presentation of all inductees unfolds on three vast screens; the upper storeys contain the museum’s temporary exhibitions and a 3-D film of U2 in concert (extra $3).
The museum is at North Coast Harbor (daily 10am–5.30pm, Wed & summer Sat until 9pm; $22; reservations 216/781-7625 or 1-800/493-7655, www.rockhall.com). Weekends get very crowded and are best avoided.
Eating
The city has a range of culinary delights, many of them ethnic. The excellent West Side Market (Mon & Wed 7am–4pm, Fri & Sat 7am–6pm) in Ohio City abounds with cheap, unusual picnic food, while there are some excellent fine-dining restaurants around town. Little Italy and Coventry Village are worth exploring for authentic Italian food and coffee bars, respectively.
Amp
150 4277 W 150th St 216/706-8787. The airport
Marriot Hotel might seem an unlikely location but it’s
worth the trip for top chef Ellis Cooley’s fabulously imaginative
creations such as white truffle coleslaw and braised lamb with artichoke,
and chili-spiced grapes. 4-course dinner $30.
Bistro on
Lincoln Park 2391 W 11th St 216/862-2969. This
enchanting spot in upcoming Tremont serves a mixture of French, Italian and
Spanish cuisine, as well as great wines and ales. Try the Tuscan pork for
$17.
The Blue Point
Grille 700 W St Clair Ave 216/875-7827. Warehouse
District favourite, serving the best seafood in town, with specials such as
Nag’s Head grouper with lobster mashed potatoes for $32.
Cleveland Chophouse and Brewery 824 W St Clair
216/623-0909. Try the mashed potatoes at this spacious, casual and
moderately priced brewery and steakhouse – they’re
fantastic.
Pickwick &
Frolic 2035 E 4th St 216/241-7425. Cavernous
restaurant with champagne lounge and martini bar. You can enjoy cabaret and
stand-up comedy while dining on a huge range of pizza, rustic American
cuisine and oddities like Cheddar Ale Soup.
Tommy’s
1824 Coventry Rd 216/321-7757. Great-value food, much of
it Middle Eastern and vegetarian, dished up in a trendy, bright setting in
lively Coventry Village. Try the famous shakes and check out the adjoining
used-book store.
Nightlife and entertainment
The Warehouse District and E 4th Street boast the greatest conglomeration of drinking, live music and dancing venues, although those in the know head across the river to more bohemian Tremont. Under five miles east, both University Circle and youthful Coventry Village have good bars.
For more refined entertainment, Playhouse Square (216/241-6000, www.playhousesquare.com) is home to the Cleveland Opera and Ballet, as well as comedy, musicals, concerts and the Great Lakes Theatre Festival. The well-respected Cleveland Orchestra (216/231-1111, www.clevelandorchestra.com) is based in University Circle at Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave, close to the leading regional theatre of the Cleveland Play House (216/795-7000, www.clevelandplayhouse.com). For listings information, the free weekly, the Cleveland Scene (www.clevescene.com), is the place to look for alternative music, cinema and other events.
Beachland
Ballroom 15711 Waterloo Rd 216/383-1124, www.beachlandballroom.com. Over ten miles east of
downtown, but this buzzing venue still draws the top indie and rock
bands.
Great Lakes
Brewing Co. 2516 Market Ave, Ohio City
216/771-4404. At this famous old joint, Cleveland’s best brewpub,
the huge mahogany bar still bears the bullet holes made during a 1920s
shoot-out involving lawman Elliot Ness.
Grog Shop
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland Heights
216/321-5588. Near Coventry Village, the Grog Shop is a fun,
sweaty, collegiate punk and alternative venue.
Mercury Lounge
1392 W 6th St 216/566-8840. In the Warehouse District,
this hip martini lounge tends to attract Cleveland’s fashionable
set.
Prosperity
Social Club 1109 Starkweather Ave 216/937-1938, www.prosperitysocialclub.com. Located in a 1938
ballroom in Tremont, this is a hip hangout, with a great jukebox, live music
and a huge range of beers.
The Lake Erie Islands
The LAKE ERIE ISLANDS – Kelleys Island and the three Bass Islands further north – were early stepping stones for the Iroquois on the route to what is now Ontario. French attempts to claim the islands in the 1640s met with considerable hostility, and they were left more or less in peace until 1813, when the Americans established their control over the Great Lakes by destroying the entire English fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie. A boom in wine production brought the islands prosperity in the 1860s but last century they were hit successively by Prohibition, the emergence of the California wineries, an increase in motoring vacations and the lake’s appalling pollution. Thankfully, the cleanup of recent decades has worked; today the islands are again a popular summer destination, with fishing, swimming and partying as the main attractions. Sandusky and nearby Port Clinton act as the main jump-off points to the islands.
The mainland
The large coal-shipping port of SANDUSKY, fifty miles west of Cleveland on US-2, is probably the most visited of the lakeshore towns, thanks to Cedar Point Amusement Park, five miles southeast of town (early May to Aug daily hours vary; Sept to early Nov weekends only; $45.99; 419/627-2350, www.cedarpoint.com). The largest ride park in the nation – and considered by many to be the best in the world – Cedar Point boasts no less than seventeen roller coasters. The neighbouring Soak City water park (June–Aug daily 10am–8pm; $29.99) provides a good way to cool off, with eighteen acres of water slides and a wave pool. Aquatic fun continues through the winter a few miles further southeast at Kalahari Waterpark (daily 10am, closing times vary; $39–42, after 5pm $29–32; 1-877/525-2477, www.kalahariresorts.com), America’s largest indoor water park; there’s even a surf-making pool. The smaller resort town of PORT CLINTON, twelve miles west across the Sandusky Bay Bridge, is another departure point for the islands. Its pleasant lakefront is dotted with decent cafés and jet-ski rental outlets.
Practicalities
Amtrak trains pass through Sandusky once daily en route between Chicago and the east coast. The unstaffed station, at North Depot and Hayes avenues, is in a dodgy area. Greyhound buses stop way out at 6513 Milan Rd (US-250). Sandusky’s Visitors Center is at 4424 Milan Rd (summer Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 9am–8pm, Sun 10am–4pm; rest of year Mon–Fri 8.30am–5.30pm; 419/625-2984 or 1-800/255-3743, www.shoreislands.com).
Accommodation prices in Sandusky shoot up in high season, with simple motel rooms costing $200-plus on peak weekends. Along the main drag of Cleveland Road (US-6), the Best Western Cedar Point, no. 1530 (419/625-9234, www.bestwestern.com; $101–130), has a pool. Camping is available at KOA, 2311 Cleveland Rd (419/625-7906 or 1-800/962-3786, www.mhdcorp.com; from $24.45). Port Clinton has the Sunnyside Tower, 3612 NW Catawba Rd (419/797-9315 or 1-888/831-1263, www.sunnysidetower.com; $81–100), a Victorian-style B&B. For a good meal and live music in fun surroundings (there’s an on-site waterfall), head for Margaritaville in Sandusky, at the junction of highways 6 and 2 (419/627-8903).
Getting to the islands
Ferries to Kelleys Island are operated by Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line from Main Street in Marblehead year-round, when weather permits, as frequently as every half-hour at peak times ($9 one-way, bikes $4, cars $15; 419/798-9763, www.kelleysislandferry.com). Jet Express runs summer catamaran services from their dock at 101 West Shoreline Drive, Sandusky (1-800/245-1538, www.jet-express.com) to Kelleys Island ($28 return) and South Bass Island ($36 return), and to the latter only from 5 N Jefferson St, Port Clinton ($28 return). South Bass Island is also served by Miller Ferry (1-800/500-2421, www.millerferry.com; $6.50 one-way, bikes $2, cars $15) from late March to late November. Flights to both Kelleys Island and South Bass Island leave daily from Sandusky and Port Clinton and cost $50 one-way. Contact Griffing Flying Service (419/626-5161, www.griffingflyingservice.com).
Kelleys Island
About nine miles north of Sandusky, KELLEYS ISLAND (www.kelleysisland.com) lies in the western basin of Lake Erie. Seven miles across at its widest, it’s the largest American island on the lake, but it’s also one of the most peaceful and picturesque, home to under two hundred permanent residents. With few buildings less than a century old, the whole island is a National Historic District. Its seventy-plus archeological sites include Inscription Rock, a limestone slab carved with 400-year-old pictographs; you can find it east of the dock on the southern shore. The Glacial Grooves State Memorial, on the west shore, is a 400ft trough of solid limestone, scoured with deep ridges by the glacier that carved out the Great Lakes.
Settled in the 1830s, Kelleys was initially a working island, its economy based on lumber, then wine, and later limestone quarrying. All but the last have collapsed, though a steady tourist industry has developed.
Practicalities
The Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce is on Division Street, straight up from the dock (summer daily 10am–5pm; 419/746-2360, www.kelleysislandchamber.com). Getting around the island is easy; cars are heavily discouraged and most people, when not strolling, use bikes ($3.50/hr or $15/day) or golf carts ($15/hr or $80/day), available from Caddy Shack Square, also on Division Street (419/746-2221). The Chamber of Commerce can help with accommodation such as the comfortable The Inn on Kelleys Island, 317 W Lakeshore Drive (1-866/878-2135, www.kelleysisland.com/theinn; $81–100), a restored nineteenth-century Victorian home with a great lake view and a private beach. You can camp for $18 at the first-come, first-served state park on the north bay near the beach. The jovial Village Pump, 103 W Lakeshore Drive (419/746-2281), serves good homestyle food and drink until 2am, while the menu at the Kelleys Island Brewery, 504 W Lakeshore Drive (419/746-2314), includes several choices for vegetarians.
South Bass Island
SOUTH BASS ISLAND is the largest and southernmost of the Bass Island chain, three miles from the mainland and northwest of Kelleys Island; the islands’ name derives from the excellent bass fishing in the surrounding waters. Also referred to as Put-in-Bay after its one and only village, this is the most visited of the American Lake Erie Islands, its permanent population of 450 growing tenfold in the summer.
Just a year after its first white settlers arrived, British troops invaded the island during the War of 1812. The Battle of Lake Erie, which took place off the island’s southeastern edge, is commemorated by Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, set in a 25-acre park. You can see the distant battle site from an observation deck near the top of the 352ft stone column (May–Oct daily 10am–7pm; $3). All this history is well documented at the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society, 441 Catawba Ave (May–Oct daily 10am–5pm, until 6pm July & Aug; $2; 419/285-2804, www.leihs.org), which features dozens of model ships, memorabilia and exhibits on the shipping and fishing industries.
Practicalities
Put-in-Bay’s Visitor Center on Harbor Square, is just next to the northern dock (summer daily 9am–6pm; rest of year hours vary; 419/285-2832, www.visitputinbay.com). Most people rent either golf carts from Baycarts Rental, Harbor Square ($10–20/hr; 419/285-5785), or bikes from Island Bike Rental, at both docks ($10/day; 419/285-2016). A shuttle bus runs between the northern dock and the state park ($1).
Accommodation gets heavily booked at weekends and during the summer, with B&Bs often requiring a two-night stay. The Arbor Inn B&B, 511 Trenton Ave (419/285-2306, www.arborinnpib.com; $81–100), and the Commodore Resort, 272 Delaware Ave (419/285-3101, www.commodoreresort.com; $61–80), which has a pool, offer some of the most competitive rates. You can camp for $18 in the state park or at the Fox’s Den Campground, on the southern shore (419/285-5001; $30).
Food on the island is expensive, including the grilled seafood sandwiches at The Boardwalk (summer only; 419/285-3695), the only downtown restaurant directly on the water. Just across the street, Frosty’s (419/285-3278) does good pizza. Put-in-Bay’s famously raucous nightlife pulls in partiers from the other islands and the mainland. Numerous live music venues include the Beer Barrel Saloon (419/285-2337, www.beerbarrelpib.com) – said to have the longest uninterrupted bar in the world, complete with 160 bar stools – and the appropriately named Round House (419/285-4595, www.theroundhousebar.com).
Columbus
Arrival, information and city transport >
Accommodation >
Downtown >
German Village and Brewery District >
North of downtown >
Eating >
Nightlife >
Ohio’s largest city, state capital and home to the massive Ohio State University, COLUMBUS is a likeable place to visit. Its position in the rural heart of the state also makes it the only centre of culture for a good two-hour drive in any direction. Ohio became a state in 1803 and legislators designated this former patch of rolling farmland, on the high east bank of the Scioto River, its capital in 1812. The fledgling city was built from scratch, and its considered town planning is evident today in broad thoroughfares and green spaces.
Though Columbus has more people, it always seems to lag behind Cincinnati or Cleveland in terms of public recognition. As such, the place is best enjoyed for what it is – a lively college city with some good museums, gorgeous Germanic architecture and a particularly vibrant nightlife. Surprisingly, it boasts one of the country’s most active gay scenes. The spacious, orderly and easy-going downtown area holds several attractions, along with the new Arena District entertainment zone. The main nightlife areas – bohemian Short North Arts District and more mainstream Brewery District – are on the north and south fringes of the centre, respectively.
Arrival, information and city transport
Port Columbus International Airport is seven miles northeast of downtown. Central Ohio Transit Authority’s (COTA; 614/228-1776, www.cota.com) express route bus #52 runs from there through downtown for $2.50, while taxis cost around $25. Greyhound stops at 111 East Town St. The most central visitor centre is at 90 N High St (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 614/221-2489 or 1-800/345-4386, www.experiencecolumbus.com). COTA’s good, citywide bus service connects all points of interest; a day pass costs $4.
Accommodation
Compared with other cities in the region, Columbus offers a good choice of convenient mid-range places to stay. Downtown rates are good, while even more savings can be had by staying in the German Village area.
Drury Inn and
Suites Convention Center 88 E Nationwide Blvd 614/221-7008,
www.druryhotels.com. Smart and comfortable chain
hotel which offers a decent breakfast and happy hour. Within walking
distance of downtown and Short North. $131–160
German Village
Inn 920 S High St 614/443-6506, www.germanvillageinn.net. This family-run motel, on
the south edge of the German Village/Brewery District, is one of the best
deals going. $61–80
The
Lofts Hotel 55 E Nationwide Blvd 614/461-2663, www.55lofts.com. Luxury New York-style loft
conversions, within easy walking distance of the Arena and the downtown
areas. Great online deals. $101–130
Short North
B&B 50 E Lincoln St 614/299-5050 or 1-800/516-9664,
www.columbus-bed-breakfast.com. Enjoy a
warm welcome and lavish furnishings in one of the seven rooms of this grand
Short North house. $101–130
The Westin
Great Southern 310 S High St 614/228-3800 or
1-888/627-7088, www.westincolumbus.com. Columbus’s
grand downtown Victorian hotel, with surprisingly moderate rates for some
rooms. $101–130
Downtown
As good a place as any to start a walking tour of downtown is the Ohio Statehouse, pleasantly set in ten acres of park at the intersection of Broad and High streets, the two main downtown arteries (Mon–Fri 7am–6pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm; hourly tours Mon–Fri 10am–3pm, Sat & Sun noon–3pm; free; 1-888/644-6123, www.statehouse.state.oh.us). Highlights of this 1839 Greek Revival structure – one of the very few state capitols without a dome – are the ornate Senate and House chambers.
From here, most places of interest lie a few blocks east and west along Broad Street. COSI, housed in a streamlined structure across the river at 333 W Broad St (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–6pm; $13.75, kids $8.75; 614/228-2674 or 1-877/257-2674, www.cosi.org), boasts more than 300,000 square feet of exhibit space, most of it geared toward familiarizing children with science. It shows related movies ($7.50), as well as live shows (prices vary).
About a mile east, a giant Henry Moore sculpture stands at the entrance to the inviting Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E Broad St (Tues–Sun 10am–5.30pm, Thurs until 8.30pm; $10, free Sun; 614/221-6801, www.columbusmuseum.org). Indoors, this airy space holds particularly good collections of Western and modernist art.
In the northwest corner of downtown, the area surrounding the impressive Nationwide Arena, home to NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets (1-800/645-2637, bluejackets.com), dubbed the Arena District, has attracted a number of restaurants and nightspots. Just above it, left off High Street, is the restored Victorian warehouse of North Market (see Eating), while on the right side the strikingly deconstructivist Greater Columbus Convention Center is a massive pile of angled blocks designed by Peter Eisenman and completed in 1993.
German Village and Brewery District
Just six blocks south of the Statehouse, I-70 separates downtown from the delightful German Village neighbourhood. During the mid-nineteenth century, thousands of German immigrants settled in this part of Columbus, building neat red-brick homes, the most lavish of which surround the 23-acre Schiller Park. Their descendants gradually dwindled in numbers by the 1950s and the area became increasingly run-down until it won a place on the National Register of Historic Places. The best way to explore its brick-paved streets, corner bars, old-style restaurants, Catholic churches and grand homes is to stop in at the German Village Meeting Haus, 588 S 3rd St (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm, Sat 10am–2pm; 614/221-8888, www.germanvillage.com), where popular walking tours ($12) run by the German Village Society start with a twelve-minute video presentation. The Society also oversees the immensely popular Haus und Garten Tour on the last Sunday in June, and the Oktoberfest celebrations in late September. Book-lovers will adore the Book Loft, 631 S 3rd St (daily 10am–11pm; 614/464-1774), whose books, many of them discounted, are crammed into 32 rooms of one grand building.
Just across High Street (US-23) are the warehouses of the Brewery District, where, until Prohibition, the German immigrants brewed beer by traditional methods. Many of the original buildings still stand, but today the beer is produced by just a couple of microbreweries. These brewpubs are typical of the area’s more mainstream nightlife.
North of downtown
Across Nationwide Boulevard at the top end of downtown is the Short North Arts District (www.shortnorth.org), a former red-light district that’s now Columbus’s most vibrant enclave. Standing on either side of High Street – the main north–south thoroughfare – its entrance is marked by the iron gateways of The Cap at Union Station. Thereafter starts the trail of galleries, bars and restaurants that makes the area so popular with locals; it is also the heart of the gay community. The first Saturday of each month sees the Gallery Hop, when local art dealers throw open their doors – complementing the artworks with wine, snacks and occasional performance pieces – and the socializing goes on well into the evening.
Businesses become a little more low-rent for a mile before High Street cuts through the university campus and suddenly sprouts cheap eating places and funky shopping. For bargain vinyl, head to Used Kids Records, 1980 N High St (614/421-9455). On the other side of the road, the Wexner Center for the Arts, North High Street at 15th Avenue (Tues, Wed, & Sun 11am–6pm, Thurs–Sat 11am–8pm; free; 614/292-3535, www.wexarts.org), is another Eisenman construction, even more extreme than the Convention Center.
Eating
The Short North and German Village neighbourhoods are crammed with places to eat, be they bottom-dollar snack bars or stylish and adventurous bistros. For a wide range of ethnic and organic snacks during the day, try the North Market, downtown at 59 Spruce St (Tues–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 8am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; 614/463-9664), which also sells fresh produce.
Haiku
800 N High St, Short North 614/294-8168. Excellent
Japanese restaurant with a huge range of sushi, noodle and rice dishes for
$10–15. Also hosts art and entertainment events.
Katzinger’s 475 S 3rd St, German Village
614/228-3354. A mesmerizing range of sandwiches, Jewish delicacies and
cheesecakes, though prices are high for a deli.
Marcella’s 615 N High St, Short North
614/223-2100. Buzzing Italian restaurant with a lively bar. The food is
a range of moderately upmarket pizzas, pasta, salads and main dishes like
veal saltimbocca ($21.95).
Schmidt’s
240 E Kossuth St, German Village 614/444-6808. This
Columbus landmark (since 1886) serves a range of sausages, schnitzel, and
strudel in a former slaughterhouse, served by waitresses in German
garb.
Surly Girl Saloon 1126 N High St, Short North
614/294-4900. Heapings of Tex-Mex, Cajun and other cuisines only cost
around $10 in this quirky joint where Western bordello meets Pirates of
the Caribbean. Fine microbrews on tap help the place get rowdy late
on.
Nightlife
This youthful university town has a rich source of local bands, from country revivalists to experimental alternative acts. The gay scene is concentrated in the Short North, with a few additional bars and clubs downtown – the weekly Outlook (www.outlookweekly.net) has complete listings. The Other Paper (www.theotherpaper.com) provides fuller free details of what’s happening around town.
Axis Night Club
775 N High St 614/291-4008. Very popular gay nightspot
that gets steamier as the night wears on, as people gyrate to the latest
disco and trance vibes.
Basement
391 Neil Ave, Arena District 614/461-5483. One of the
city’s hottest new music venues, where you are likely to hear upcoming
bands of different genres. Good sound system.
Oldfield’s On High 2590 N High St 614/784-0477,
www.oldfieldsonhigh.com. Campus bar with live music
across a broad range of genres. No cover.
Short North
Tavern 674 N High St, Short North 614/221-2432. The
oldest bar in the neighbourhood, with live bands playing at the weekend
German garb.
Skully’s Music-Diner 1151 N High St, Short
North 614/291-8856, www.skullys.org. Classic 1950s-style diner whose
happy hour (4–9pm) is often followed by cool indie-rock
shows.
Sloppy Donkey
Sports Bar 2040 N High St 614/297-5000. Another
popular student hangout with cheapish drinks, large screens and bar
games.
Cincinnati
Arrival, information and city transport >
Accommodation >
Downtown >
North of downtown >
Covington and Newport, Kentucky >
Eating >
Nightlife and entertainment >
CINCINNATI, just across the Ohio River from Kentucky, is a dynamic commercial metropolis with a definite European flavour and a sense of the South. Its tidy centre, rich in architecture and culture, lies within walking distance of the attractive riverfront, the lively Over-the-Rhine district to the north and arty Mount Adams.
The city was founded in 1788 at the point where a Native American trading route crossed the river. Its name comes from a group of Revolutionary War admirers of the Roman general Cincinnatus, who saved Rome in 458 BC and then returned to his small farm, refusing to accept any reward. Cincinnati quickly became an important supply point for pioneers heading west on flatboats and rafts, and its population skyrocketed with the establishment of a major steamboat riverport in 1811. Tens of thousands of German immigrants poured in during the 1830s.
Loyalties were split by the Civil War. Despite the loss of some important markets, the city decided that its future lay with the Union. In the prosperous postwar decade, Cincinnati acquired Fountain Square and the country’s first professional baseball team, the Reds; they, along with the Bengals football team, remain a great source of pride.
Arrival, information and city transport
Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky International Airport is twelve miles south of downtown, in Covington, Kentucky. Taxis to the city centre (859/586-5236) cost $32. The Greyhound station is on the eastern fringe of the city centre, just off Broadway, at 1005 Gilbert Ave. Amtrak trains arrive a mile northwest of downtown at the Union Terminal museum complex, which is on the daytime, citywide SORTA/Metro bus network ($1.75; 513/621-4455, www.sorta.com). Buses on the Kentucky side are run by TANK ($1.50; 859/331-8265, www.tankbus.org), including shuttle buses across to Cincinnati. Until the proposed riverfront tourist booth is built next to the suspension bridge, info can be obtained by phone or online from the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network (859/589-2260, www.cincinnatiusa.com).
Accommodation
Although Cincinnati’s quality hotels are reasonable by big-city standards, budget travellers may have problems finding affordable downtown rooms. Uptown motels – about two miles north – are much cheaper, but you’ll need a car to get around safely at night.
Budget Host
3356 Central Parkway 513/559-1600 or 1-800/283-4678, www.budgethost.com. Just about the cheapest place in
uptown Cincinnati, though doubles vary greatly in price. Three miles from
downtown. $41–60
Gateway B&B
326 E 6th St, Newport, Kentucky 859/581-6447, www.gatewaybb.com. Comfortable, affordable Victorian
place, five minutes from downtown Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky.
$101–130
Grace &
Glory B&B 3539 Shaw Ave 513/321-2824, www.graceandglorybb.com. This small cosy place in a
safe area, five miles east of downtown, is a good option if you have a car.
The Glory Suite Extension room is a super bargain. $41–60
Hilton
Netherland Plaza 35 W 5th St 513/421-9000 or
1-800/445-8667, www.hilton.com. One
of the classier Hilton franchises, located in a National Historic Landmark
building, with a sumptuous Art Deco lobby, gym and well-furnished rooms.
$161–200
Millennium
Hotel 150 W 5th St 513/352-2188, www.millenniumhotels.com. Another luxury option
right downtown, with a vast lobby, smart rooms and great views from the
upper storeys. $131–160
Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati rolls back from the Ohio River to fill a flat basin area ringed by steep hills. During the city’s emergent industrial years, the filth, disease and crime drove the middle classes from downtown en masse. Nowadays, however, attractive stores, street vendors, restaurants, cafés, open spaces and gardens occupy the area. The city’s rich blend of architecture is best appreciated on foot. Over, among and even right through the hotel plazas, office lobbies and retail areas, the Skywalk network of air-conditioned passages spans sixteen city blocks.
At the geographic centre of downtown, the Genius of the Waters in Fountain Square sprays a cascade of hundreds of jets, meant to symbolize the city’s trading links. Surrounded by a tree-dotted plaza and all but enclosed by soaring facades of glass and steel, it’s a popular lunch spot and venue for daytime concerts, as well as the second largest Oktoberfest in the world, after Munich, in late September. Looming above Fifth and Vine streets, the 48-storey, Art Deco Carew Tower has a viewing gallery on its top floor that gives a wonderful panorama of the tight bends of the Ohio River and the surrounding hillsides (Mon–Thurs 9.30am–5.30pm, Fri & Sat 9.30am–9pm, Sun 11am–5pm; $2).
Just east of Fountain Square are the Art Deco headquarters of the detergents and hygiene-product giant Procter & Gamble. The company was formed in 1837 by candle-maker William Procter and soap-maker James Gamble, to exploit the copious supply of animal fat from the slaughterhouses of “Porkopolis”, as Cincinnati was then known. By sponsoring radio’s The Puddle Family in 1932, the company created the world’s first soap opera.
Nearby, the left-field, multimedia art exhibitions at the superb Contemporary Arts Center, housed in a stunning new building designed by Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid, at Sixth and Walnut streets (Mon 10am–9pm, Wed–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat & Sun 11am–6pm; $7.50; free after 5pm Mon; 513/345-8400, www.contemporaryartscenter.org), lead to continual run-ins with the city’s more conservative citizens. By contrast, the Taft Museum, just east of downtown in an immaculate 1820 Federal-style mansion, at 316 Pike St (Wed–Sun 11am–5pm; $8, free on Sun; 513/241-0343, www.taftmuseum.org), contains a priceless collection of works by Rembrandt, Goya, Turner and Gainsborough.
South across I-71, Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Bengals, and the Reds’ Great American Ballpark, are giant cement additions on the Cincinnati side of the Ohio River. In between the two stands the engaging National Underground Railroad Freedom Museum (Tues–Sat 11am–5pm; $12; 513/333-7500, www.freedomcenter.org), whose light and airy space chronicles the city’s role in the emancipation of slaves as well as other worldwide struggles for freedom. A mile-long riverside walk begins at Public Landing, at the bottom of Broadway, and stretches east past painted showboats and the Bicentennial Commons, a 200th-birthday present from the city to itself in 1988.
North of downtown
Just over a mile northeast from downtown, the land rises suddenly and the streets start to conform to the contours of Mount Adams. Here, century-old townhouses coexist with avant-garde galleries, stylish boutiques, international restaurants and trendy bars. To explore these and enjoy unparalleled views of the river, take a taxi or the #49 bus from downtown.
Adjacent to this tightly packed neighbourhood are the rolling lawns, verdant copses and scenic overlooks of Eden Park, where you will find the delightful Krohn Conservatory at 1501 Eden Park Drive (daily 10am–5pm; free; 513/421-5707). A loop road at the western end of the park leads to the Cincinnati Art Museum, on Art Museum Drive (Tues–Sun 11am–5pm; free; 513/639-2984, www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org). Its one hundred labyrinthine galleries span five thousand years, taking in an excellent Islamic collection as well as a solid selection of European and American paintings by the likes of Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Edward Hopper and Grant Wood.
Meanwhile, northwest from downtown, Cincinnati’s three-in-one Museum Center is housed in the magnificent Art Deco Union Terminal, approached via a stately driveway off Ezzard Charles Drive (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–6pm; museums $8.50 each, all three $12.50, OMNIMAX $7.50, discount with museum entry; 513/287-7000, www.cincymuseum.org). Highlights of the Museum of Natural History are dioramas of Ice Age Cincinnati and “The Cavern”, which houses a living bat colony. The Historical Society holds a succession of well-presented, short-term exhibitions, and the Cinergy Children’s Museum has a two-storey treehouse and eight other interactive exhibit areas.
Covington and Newport, Kentucky
Covington, directly across the Ohio River on the Kentucky side, is regarded as the southern side of Cincinnati. It can be reached from downtown Cincinnati by walking over the bright blue, 1057ft-long John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, at the bottom of Walnut Street, which was built in 1867 and served as a prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge. A ten-minute walk southwest of the bridge brings you to the attractive, narrow, tree-lined streets and nineteenth-century houses of MainStrasse Village. It’s a Germanic neighbourhood of antique shops, bars and restaurants that plays host to the lively Maifest on the third weekend of each May and is the centrepiece of the citywide Oktoberfest on the weekend after Labor Day. At 6th and Philadelphia streets, 21 mechanical figures accompanied by glockenspiel music toll the hour on the German Gothic Carroll Chimes Bell Tower. Further south, en route to the airport off I-275, one of the area’s newest attractions is the multi-million-dollar Creation Museum (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, till 9pm summer Fri, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun noon–6pm; $21.95; 1-888/582-4253, www.creationmuseum.org). A truly “only in America” experience, the state-of-the-art dioramas, video show and planetarium ($7) argue an uncompromising creationist case and make Darwin out to be little short of Lucifer himself.
Across the Licking River from Covington, the subdued town of Newport has gotten a lot livelier since the opening of a large shopping complex and the impressive Newport Aquarium, One Aquarium Way (daily 9am–7pm; $22; 859/261-7444 or 1-800/406-3474, www.newportaquarium.com). Clear underwater tunnels and see-through floors allow visitors to be literally surrounded by sharks and snapping gators.
Eating
Cincinnati boasts excellent home-grown gourmet and continental restaurants. It’s also famous for fast-food Cincinnati chili, a combination of spaghetti noodles, meat, cheese, onions and kidney beans, served at chains such as Skyline Chili, open all day at more than forty locations, including one at Vine and 7th streets, downtown.
Aralia
815 Elm St 513/723-1217. Excellent Sri Lankan curries,
including plenty of veggie options, in a convenient downtown
location.
Dee Felice
529 Main St, Covington, Kentucky 859/261-2365. This small
and atmospheric spot specializes in Cajun cuisine, with lots of fresh
seafood dishes, and doubles as a jazz venue.
Local 127 127 W 4th St
513/721-1345. Excellent restaurant serving New American cuisine in chic
surroundings. Duck breast with sweet potato, arugula and mustard fruits goes
for $25. Live music in the attached bar.
Longworth’s 1108 St Gregory St, Mount Adams
513/651-2253. Good hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and pizzas at
attractive prices in a delightful garden setting. Food is served all day
until midnight, with music until 2.30am.
Porkopolis
1077 Celestial St, Mount Adams 513/721-5456. Steaks and
sandwiches are served in the building that once produced the city’s
celebrated pottery.
Senate 1212 Vine St 513/421-2020. Pristine
diner-style spot which dishes up gourmet hot dogs such as Korean or
Japanese-style, as well as oysters, mussels and other delights for around
$10. Great draught ales too.
Tucker’s
1637 Vine St 513/721-7123; also 18 E 13th St, Over-the-Rhine
513/241-3354. Get a perfect start on your day with traditional and
gourmet breakfasts in a 1950s setting.
Nightlife and entertainment
After dark, the hottest area with the widest appeal is the Over-the-Rhine district, which fans out from Main Street around 12th and 14th streets, and buzzes every night – though be careful where you park or walk, as it backs onto some unsafe areas. The next liveliest areas are ritzier Mount Adams and more collegiate Corryville, a five-minute drive northwest from downtown. Entertainment listings for the whole city can be found in the free Cincinnati CityBeat (www.citybeat.com).
For classical music and the like, Music Hall, 1243 Elm St (513/744-3344, www.cincinnatiarts.org), an 1870s conglomeration of spires, arched windows and cornices, is said to have near-perfect acoustics. Home to Cincinnati’s Opera and Symphony Orchestra, it also hosts the May Festival of choral music. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, in Eden Park (513/421-3888, www.cincyplay.com), puts on drama, musicals and comedies, with performances throughout the year.
Blind Lemon
936 Hatch St, Mount Adams 513/241-3885, www.theblindlemon.com. Beyond the intimate,
low-ceilinged bar, you’ll find a relaxed patio crowd. Music (mostly
acoustic) nightly at 9.30pm.
Bogart’s
2621 Vine St, Corryville 513/281-8400, www.bogarts.com. Established indie acts play this
mid-sized venue a couple of miles north of downtown.
Bootsy’s
631 Walnut St 513/241-0707. Owned by Parliament/Funkadelic
legend Bootsy Collins, the nightclub above the restaurant contains
memorabilia and a lively vibe for late-night cocktails.
Mt Adams
Pavilion 949 Pavilion St, Mount Adams
513/744-9200. From its terraced outdoor deck, you’ll have great
views of the city and the Ohio River. Great Bloody Marys.
Rhythm &
Blues Café 1142 Main St, Over-the-Rhine
513/684-0080. Good food and great atmosphere. Nightly live rock, blues
and various genres Wed–Sat.
Michigan
The very mention of MICHIGAN to most people will have them thinking of the automotive industry and the grittiness of Detroit. Those who have visited before will also know of its diverse beaches, dunes and cliffs which are scattered along the 3200-mile shoreline of its two vividly contrasting peninsulas.
The mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula is dominated from its southeastern corner by the industrial giant of Detroit, surrounded by satellite cities heavily devoted to the automotive industry. In the west, the scenic 350-mile Lake Michigan shoreline drive passes through likeable little ports before reaching the stunning Sleeping Bear Dunes and resort towns such as Traverse City, in the peninsula’s balmy northwest corner. The desolate, dramatic and thinly populated Upper Peninsula, reaching out from Wisconsin like a claw to separate lakes Superior and Michigan, is a far cry indeed from the cosmopolitan south.
In the mid-seventeenth century, French explorers forged a successful trading relationship with the Chippewa, Ontario and other Native American tribes. The British, who acquired control after 1763, were far more brutal. Governor Henry Hamilton, the “Hair Buyer of Detroit”, advocated taking scalps rather than prisoners. Ever since, Michigan’s economy has developed in waves, the eighteenth-century fur, timber and copper booms culminating in the state establishing itself at the forefront of the nation’s manufacturing capacity, thanks to its abundant raw materials, good transport links and the genius of innovators such as Henry Ford. Today the state is attempting to reinvent itself as a “creative hub” for new technologies, as the automotive industry continues to decline.
Detroit and around
Arrival, information and getting around >
Accommodation >
Downtown >
The Detroit Cultural Center >
The Motown sound >
The Motown Museum >
The Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and the Automotive Hall of Fame >
Windsor, Ontario >
Eating >
Nightlife >
The performing arts >
Sports >
Ann Arbor >
DETROIT is the poster child for urban blight in the United States, despite many attempts to overcome this negative imagery, and in some cases, a rather stark reality. It is a city which boasts a billion-dollar downtown development, ultramodern motor-manufacturing plants, some excellent museums and one of the nation’s biggest art galleries – but since the 1960s, media attention has dwelt instead on its huge tracts of urban wasteland, where for block after block there’s nothing but the occasional heavily fortified loan shop or unpleasant-looking grocery store. As of late, it is a city on the mend, and local business promoters point to the bustle around Greektown at night and the Motown Historical Museum as signs of a renaissance of sorts.
Founded in 1701 by Antoine de Mothe Cadillac, as a trading post for the French to do business with the Chippewa, Detroit was no more than a medium-sized port two hundred years later. Then Henry Ford, Ransom Eli Olds, the Chevrolets and the Dodge brothers began to build their automobile empires. Thanks to the introduction of the mass assembly line, Detroit boomed in the 1920s, but the auto barons sponsored the construction of segregated neighbourhoods and shed workers during times of low demand. Such policies created huge ghettos, resulting, in July 1967, in the bloodiest riot in the US in fifty years. More than forty people died and thirteen hundred buildings were destroyed. The inner city was left to fend for itself, while the all-important motor industry was rocked by the oil crises and Japanese competition. Today, though scarred and bruised, Detroit is not the mess some would have it, and suburban residents have started to return to the city’s festivals, theatres, clubs and restaurants.
As for orientation, it makes sense to think of Detroit as a region rather than a concentrated city – and, with some planning and wheels, it holds plenty to see and do. For the moment, downtown is not so much the cultural or social heart of the giant as just another segment. Other interesting areas include the huge Cultural Center, freewheeling Royal Oak, posh Birmingham, the Ford-town of Dearborn, nearby Windsor, Ontario and the college town of Ann Arbor, a short drive west.
Arrival, information and getting around
Flights come into Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, eighteen miles southwest of downtown and a hefty $41-plus taxi ride (Metro Airport Taxi 1-800/745-5191 cost $41 while Checker Sedan Taxis 800/351-5466 are $55), though SMART ($1.50; 866/962-5515, www.smartbus.org) bus #125 goes downtown from Smith terminal.
The main Greyhound (1001 Howard Ave) bus and Amtrak (11 W Baltimore Ave) train terminals are in areas where it’s inadvisable to walk around at night. Amtrak also stops ten miles out at 16121 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, near the Henry Ford Museum and several mid-range motels, and at unstaffed suburban stations at Birmingham, Pontiac and Royal Oak.
Detroit’s main visitor centre is downtown at 211 W Fort St, on the tenth floor (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 313/202-1800 or 1-800/338-7648, www.visitdetroit.com). The main post office is at 1401 W Fort St, at Eighth Street (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm, Sat 8am–noon).
Downtown, the People Mover elevated railway loops around thirteen art-adorned stations (Mon–Thurs 6.30am–midnight, Fri till 2am, Sat 9am–2am, Sun noon–midnight; 50¢). Further out, public transport is just about adequate. SMART serves the entire metro region, while DDOT buses ($1.50; 313/933-1300, www.detroitmi.gov/ddot) run a patchier inner-city service. Getting around in the Motor City is much easier with a car.
Accommodation
Downtown Detroit caters well for expense-account travellers – its top-range hotels are as secure as any city’s – but if your budget is restricted it’s harder to find lodging that is both cheap and safe at night.
The Atheneum
1000 Brush St 313/962-2323 or 1-800/772-2323, www.atheneumsuites.com. At this upmarket hotel In
Greektown, visitors can look out at the skyline from their rooms, or just
use their luxurious In-room soaking tubs. $131–301 and
over
Detroit
Marriott Renaissance Center Renaissance Center 313/568-8000
or 1-800/228-9290, www.marriotthotels.com. A fun place to
stay, it towers over the city by the river – ask for a room on the
upper floors. $131–160
Hilton Garden
Inn Detroit 351 Gratiot Ave 313/967-0900, hiltongardeninn.hilton.com. Smack in the centre
of downtown life, near Commercial Park. Warm and relaxed atmosphere and is
pet friendly. Safe, full service hotel with free internet access.
$131–160
Inn on Ferry
Street 84 East Ferry St 313/871-6000, innonferrystreet.com. This fine hotel over in the
Midtown neighbourhood is made up of four Victorian homes, with a total of 40
rooms. A nice place to spend a bit of time away from downtown proper, and
it’s close to the Detroit Institute of Arts and other cultural
attractions. $101–130
MGM Grand Hotel
and Casino 1777 Third St 877/888-1212 or 1-888/MGM-DETR,
www.mgmgranddetroit.com. A bit at odds with its
surroundings, this swanky new resort is dripping with luxury and loaded with
amenities. $131–300
Shorecrest
Motor Inn 1316 E Jefferson Ave 313/568-3000 or
1-800/992-9616, www.shorecrestmi.com. Friendly, family-run place
in lively Rivertown, with clean rooms and specials for Greyhound passengers.
$81–100
Westin Book
Cadillac Detroit 1114 Washington Blvd 313/442-1600,
www.bookcadillacwestin.com. Listed on the
National Registry of Historic Places, the Book Hotel was renovated
and taken over by the Westin chain. Elegant rooms and a full range of
amenities. $161–301 and over
Woodbridge Star
Bed and Breakfast 3985 Trumbull Ave
313/831-9668. Friendly, more affordable option, with good-value rooms
just west of the Theater District. $81–160
Downtown
Futuristic glass-box office buildings and a tastefully revamped park overlook the glass-green Detroit River, but for the most part downtown seems rather empty, even in the middle of the day. One reason is that most offices and stores are squeezed into the six gleaming towers of the Renaissance Center, a virtual city within a city. Zooming up 73 storeys from the riverbank, the towers offer a great view of the metropolis from their free observation deck (open as part of the free tours which start from the PURE DETROIT/GM Collection Store; Mon–Fri 12pm & 2pm). This giant business, convention and retail centre, known locally as the RenCen, was one of many complexes developed by Detroit Renaissance (a joint public/private sector project) to rejuvenate downtown in the aftermath of the 1967 riot, although it was criticized for forcing out small businesses. Nevertheless, it’s an attractive public space and the soaring glass atrium known as the “Winter Garden” is particularly impressive.
Rare greenspace is found among the fountains and sculptures of Hart Plaza, which rolls down to the river in the shade of the RenCen. The plaza hosts free lunchtime concerts and lively weekend ethnic festivals all summer long. The US leg of the annual Detroit International Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the world, takes place here over Labor Day weekend and now spreads up to the Campus Martius square. Across the plaza from the RenCen is the Cobo Convention Center; next to this is Joe Louis Arena, home of the beloved Red Wings hockey team.
Ten blocks north of the RenCen up Woodward Avenue is the Theater District, downtown’s prime nightlife spot. Highlights are the magnificently restored Siamese-Byzantine Fox Theatre a huge old movie palace that is the city’s top concert, drama and film venue, and the grand Italian Renaissance State Theatre next door. This area is at the centre of the city’s massive Columbia Street redevelopment project, home to Ford Field and Comerica Park, as well as microbreweries, coffeehouses and the inevitable themed restaurants.
Three miles east of the RenCen, Belle Isle Park is an inner-city island retreat with twenty miles of walkways, sports facilities, a marina and free attractions including an aquarium, a Great Lakes Museum and elaborate gardens. It is quiet during the week but can attract crowds on the weekend. Belle Isle Park is also home to the annual Detroit Grand Prix Indy car race. To see the island, use Diamond Jack’s River Tours (early June to early Sept; $17; 313/843-9376, www.diamondjack.com), which depart from Hart Plaza downtown, last two hours, and loop round Belle Isle, or just take DOT bus #25 and transfer at MacArthur Bridge to the #12.
The Detroit Cultural Center
Three miles northwest of downtown, next to Wayne State University, the top-class museums of the Detroit Cultural Center are clustered within easy walking distance of one another; you can easily spend a whole day here.
One of America’s most prestigious art museums and newly refurbished, the colossal Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave (Wed & Thurs 10am–4pm, Fri 10am–10pm, Sat & Sun till 5pm; $8; 313/833-7900, www.dia.org), traces the history of civilization through one hundred galleries, most notably Chinese, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Dutch and American collections – not to mention the largest Italian collection outside of Italy. The museum has masterpieces such as a Van Gogh self-portrait and Joos Van Cleeve’s Adoration of the Magi, as well as Diego Rivera’s enormous, show-stealing, 1933 Detroit Industry mural. The DIA also presents live music every Friday from 6–10pm (free with museum admission).
The impressive Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E Warren St (Tues–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 1–5pm; $8; 313/494-5800, www.maah-detroit.org), is the largest African-American museum in the world. Its massive core exhibit covers six hundred years of history in eight distinct segments, starting with a chilling sculpture of a slave boat, before moving through the Civil War, the Great Depression and the work of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Also in the Cultural Center, the Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave (Wed–Fri 9.30am–3pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; $6; 313/833-1805, www.detroithistorical.org), interprets the city’s past through its “Streets of Old Detroit” display of reconstructed shops dating from the 1840s to the 1900s.
The Motown sound
The legend that is Tamla Motown started in 1959 when Ford worker and part-time songwriter Berry Gordy Jr borrowed $800 to set up a studio. From his first hit onward – the prophetic “Money (That’s What I Want)” – he set out to create a crossover style, targeting his records at white and black consumers alike.
Early Motown hits were pure formula. Gordy softened the blue notes of most contemporary black music in favour of a more danceable, poppy beat, with gospel-influenced singing and clapping. Prime examples of the early approach featured all-female groups like the Marvelettes (“Needle in a Haystack”), the Supremes (“Baby Love”) and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (“Nowhere to Run”), as well as the all-male Miracles (“Tracks of My Tears”), featuring the sophisticated love lyrics of lead singer Smokey Robinson. Gordy’s “Quality Control Department” scrutinized every beat, playing all recordings through speakers modelled on cheap transistor radios before the final mix.
The Motown organization was an intense, close-knit community: Marvin Gaye married Gordy’s sister, while “Little” Stevie Wonder was the baby of the family. The label did, however, move with the times, utilizing such innovations as the wah-wah pedal and synthesizer. By the late 1960s its output had acquired a harder sound, crowned by the acid soul productions of Norman Whitfield with the versatile Temptations. In 1968 the organization outgrew its premises on Grand Avenue; four years later it abandoned Detroit altogether for LA. Befitting the middle-of-the-road tastes of the 1970s, the top sellers were then the high-society soul of Diana Ross and the ballads of the Commodores. This saw many top artists, dissatisfied with Gordy’s constant intervention, leave the label, although the crack songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, responsible for most of the Four Tops’ hits, stayed in Detroit to produce the seminal Chairmen of the Board (“Gimme Just A Little More Time”), along with Aretha Franklin and Jackie Wilson. Today, Motown is owned by the giant Universal Music Group.
The Motown Museum
Unlike cities such as Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans, Detroit is devoid of the bars, clubs and homes of its musical heroes. The golden age of Motown was very much confined to a specific time and a place, and, disappointingly, only at the Motown Museum, 2648 W Grand Blvd (Tues–Sat 10am–6pm; $10; 313/875-2264, www.motownmuseum.com), can Tamla fans pay homage to one of the world’s most celebrated record labels. The museum, run as a not-for-profit organization, is housed in the small white-and-blue clapboard house, Hitsville USA, which served as Motown’s recording studio from 1959 to 1972. On the ground floor, Studio A remains just as it was left: battered instruments stand piled up against the nicotine-stained acoustic wall-tiles, and a well-scuffed Steinway piano all but fills the room. Upstairs are the former living quarters of label founder Berry Gordy, while in the adjoining room record sleeves, gold and platinum discs, and other memorabilia are displayed.
The Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and the Automotive Hall of Fame
The enormous Henry Ford Museum, ten miles from downtown at 20900 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn (daily 9.30am–5pm; $15; 313/271-6001 or 1-800/835-5237, www.thehenryford.org; accessible on SMART bus routes #200 and #250), pays fulsome tribute to its founder, an inveterate collector of Americana, as a brilliant industrialist and do-gooder. The former is certainly true. The hero of the “second industrial revolution” and inventor of the assembly line didn’t succeed by being a philanthropist. His Service Department of 3500 private policemen prompted the New York Times in 1928 to call him “an industrialist fascist – the Mussolini of Detroit”. Despite considering unions “the worst things that ever struck the earth”, Ford was forced to let the United Auto Workers (UAW) into his factories in 1943, after only 34 out of 78,000 workers voted against joining. Ford also bowed to the economic necessity of employing blacks, though he banned them from the model communities he built for his white workers. Instead, the company constructed a separate town, which he sardonically named Inkster.
In addition to the massive “The Automobile in American Life” exhibit ranging from early Ford models and postal carriages to NASCAR vehicles and electric cars, the twelve-acre museum amounts to a giant curiosity shop, holding planes, trains, and row upon row of domestic inventions and non-technological collectibles. Real oddities include the chair Lincoln was sitting in and the car Kennedy was riding in when each was shot, the bus Rosa Parks was riding when she refused to give up her seat, and even a test tube holding Edison’s last breath. One pertinent item not on view is the Iron Cross that Hitler presented to Ford (a notorious anti-Semite) in 1938. Down the street from the main museum complex, Greenfield Village is a collection of homes owned by famous Americans, relocated from across the country to this site by Ford (same hours as museum; $22). Among the 240 buildings, you’ll find Ford’s own birthplace, the Wright Brothers’ cycle shop, Edison’s laboratory and Firestone’s farm. Costumed hosts demonstrate everything from weaving to puncture-repairing.
Directly next door to the Ford sprawl, the Automotive Hall of Fame, 21400 Oakwood Blvd (Sept–April: Wed–Sun 9am–5pm; May–October: Mon–Sun, 9am–5pm; $8; 313/240-4000, www.automotivehalloffame.org), is more interesting than it might at first sound. In paying homage to the innovators and inventors of the global (not just the Detroit) auto industry, the interactive exhibits let visitors see how they would have handled problems encountered by Buick, Honda and the like. It’s not just for mechanical types, either – there’s a chance to pit your wits against the dealmakers who set up General Motors.
Windsor, Ontario
Across the Detroit River from the Motor City sits the Canadian city of Windsor, which offers pleasant views of its larger neighbour’s skyline. Like Detroit, Windsor’s main industry is auto manufacturing, but it’s much smaller and more relaxed, and makes a good place simply to hang out. The newly renovated Caesars Casino (www.caesarswindsor.com) brings shows and a touch of Vegas to town, while the Hiram Walker Distillery provides a diverting booze-oriented attraction. Here, Canadian Club whiskey is distilled and stands just a short stroll from downtown at Riverside and Walker (free tours and samplings Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; 519/255-9192).
Transit Windsor buses (519/944-4111) connect the downtowns of Detroit and Windsor for $2.75 each way. Bring proper identification/passports for customs and immigration officials. To drive, take the Windsor Tunnel ($3.75 toll) or the less claustrophobic Ambassador Bridge ($3.75 toll). Windsor has two visitor centres, one across the Ambassador Bridge at 1235 Huron Church Rd, and one at 110 Park St E in the city centre (both open daily 8.30am–4.30pm; 519/973-1338 or 1-800/265-3633, www.visitwindsor.com).
Eating
Detroit’s ethnic restaurants dish up the best (and least expensive) food in the city. Greektown, basically one block of Monroe Avenue between Beaubien and St Antoine streets, is crammed with authentic Greek places. Less commercial, but offering just as high a standard, are the bakeries, bars and cantinas of Mexican Town, five minutes west of downtown. Royal Oak, ten miles north, has a wide range of vaguely alternative wholefood places and is the liveliest suburban hangout in this sprawling metropolis.
Atwater Block Brewery 237 Joseph Campau St
313/393-2073. This spacious Rivertown brewpub serves up excellent
beer-battered fish, mushrooms, mussels, wings and whatever else the chefs
can think of.
Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café 400
Monroe Ave, Greektown 313/965-4600. This noisy, fun and often-packed,
chain restaurant is a Cajun joint with whiskey ribs, crawfish, gumbo, sushi
and lots more.
Golden Fleece
525 Monroe St, Greektown 313/962-7093. Laidback Greek
diner serves the most authentic gyros in town, complete with reasonable
prices.
Rattlesnake
Club 300 River Place 313/567-4400. Owned by creative
Detroit master chef Jimmy Schmidt, the Rattlesnake Club has a
setting in Rivertown to match the exquisite food. Dinner will set you back
$30–40 per main course, lunch a lot less. Closed Sun &
Mon.
SaltWater
In the MGM Grand 313/465-1777. Casual, chic
and quiet dining tucked amid the lively casino gamblers. Dishes like
miso-glazed sea bass are a tad expensive but well worth it.
Slows Bar BQ
2138 Michigan Ave 313/962-9828. A lively, affordable
restaurant and bar that brings the Southern flavour north. Located in
Corktown, it has the best mac and cheese around.
Xochimilco 3409 Bagley Ave 313/843-0179. The
cornerstone restaurant of Detroit’s authentic Mexican Town, bustling
Xochimilco delivers on huge portions, great service and superb
value. Open till 2am.
Nightlife
There’s a lot to do at night in Detroit – the city where the techno beat originated and is still going strong. The bars and clubs of the Theater District are ever popular, while the Rivertown area is renowned for its chic bistros and funky jazz and blues bars. The suburbs of upmarket Birmingham and youthful Royal Oak are good places to hang out, while there are a couple of fun establishments in the blue-collar neighbourhood of Hamtramck. Way up on the northern fringe, once-deserted Pontiac now has a range of well-attended rock venues, clubs and lounges. Canadian Windsor also has some good nightlife, with a drinking age of 19 as opposed to Michigan’s 21. For event listings in Detroit and Ann Arbor, pick up the free weekly Metro Times.
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge 20510 Livernois Ave,
Royal Oak 313/345-6300. Mostly local jazz musicians jam in what claims
to be the world’s oldest jazz club.
Gusoline Alley 309 S Center St, Royal Oak
248/545-2235. Cramped and dark with a loaded jukebox, this is a legend
among Detroit bars serving beers from all over the globe. Go early for a
seat; the wildly mixed crowd is a people-watcher’s dream.
Magic Stick
4120 Woodward Ave 313/833-9700, www.majesticdetroit.com/stick.asp. This
great venue incorporates billiards, bands and, of course, alcoholic
beverages. It’s part of the Majestic Theater complex, a venue for big
rock shows and huge techno nights.
Saint
Andrew’s Hall/Shelter 431 E Congress St
313/961-6358. This cramped downtown club promotes top bands on the
alternative circuit. It only holds 800 people, so get a ticket in advance.
Downstairs is the Shelter club, with lesser-known touring bands
followed by dance music.
Tonic
29 S Saginaw St, Pontiac 248/334-7411, www.tonicdetroit.com. Open Fri–Sun until 2am,
the over-18 crowd Tonic bills itself as the premier concert
after-party: three levels of dancing and all the DJ vibe you can handle. Hip
dress code.
The performing arts
Most of Detroit’s major arts venues are conveniently grouped together in the northwest section of downtown. A sweeping staircase and giant chandeliers are part of the splendour at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway (313/237-SING, www.detroitoperahouse.com). Close by, the Music Hall Center for Performing Arts, 350 Madison Ave (313/887-8500, www.musichall.org), is the primary venue for dance in the city; it also hosts rock concerts, youth theatre and Broadway shows. In the Theater District, the gorgeous Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave (313/983-6611, www.olympiaentertainment.com), is the biggest draw, hosting big Broadway shows, while the cosy 450-seater Gem Theatre, 333 Madison Ave (313/963-9800, www.gemtheatre.com), is also worth a visit. A little further on toward the Cultural Center, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs at the Max M Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave (313/576-5111, www.detroitsymphony.com).
Sports
Detroit is one of the few cities with franchises competing at the professional level in all four major team sports. Hockey’s Red Wings are arguably the town favourites, and tickets are hard to get; they play downtown at the Joe Louis Arena (313/983-6606, www.detroitredwings.com). Baseball’s Tigers (313/962-4000, www.detroit.tigers.mlb.com) call the snazzy Comerica Park, or COPA, home, while the Lions play football at adjacent Ford Field (313/262-2003, www.detroitlions.com). Lastly, the Pistons (248/377-0100, www.nba.com/pistons) play basketball in the Palace of Auburn Hills, twenty-five miles north.
Ann Arbor
Although its population just tops 114,000, ANN ARBOR, 45 minutes’ drive west of Detroit along I-94, offers a greater choice of restaurants, live music venues and cultural activities than most towns ten times its size. The University of Michigan has shaped the economy and character of the town ever since it was moved here from Detroit in 1837, providing the city with a very conspicuous radical edge.
The best thing to do in Ann Arbor is to stroll around downtown and the campus, which meet at South State and Liberty streets. Downtown’s twelve blocks of brightly painted shops and street cafés offer all you would expect from a college town, with forty bookshops and more than a dozen record stores.
Practicalities
Frequent Greyhound services from Detroit stop at 116 W Huron St; Amtrak is on the north edge of downtown at 325 Depot St; and the visitor centre is at 120 W Huron St (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm; 734/995-7281 or 1-800/888-9487, www.annarbor.org). There are dozens of national hotel chains as well as cosy intimate options. The choice place to stay is the Campus Inn, right downtown at 615 E Huron St (734/769-2200 or 1-800/666-8693, www.campusinn.com; $131–160). A good central B&B is the Burnt Toast Inn, 415 W William St (734/669-6685, www.burnttoastinn.com; $81–130) and bargain Eighth Street Trekkers’ Lodge, 120 Eighth St (734/369-3107, www.ofglobalinterest.net; $61–80), run by an inveterate trekker.
Restaurants worth seeking out include The Original Cottage Inn, 512 E William St (734/663-3379) for delicious pizza and Zingerman’s, 422 Detroit St (734/663-DELI), an excellent (if expensive) deli. A more fine-dining experience can be had at Gandy Dancer, 401 E Depot St (734/769-0592).
Ann Arbor’s live music scene enjoys a nationwide reputation. Unlike many college towns, the place doesn’t go to sleep during the summer, either. For news of gigs, grab a copy of Current, a free monthly. Likely venues include the Blind Pig, 208 S First St (734/996-8555, www.blindpigmusic.com), the best place to watch live rock, alternative and blues, while The Ark, 316 S Main St (734/761-1451, www.a2ark.org), is an important venue for folk, acoustic and roots music. From time to time there are also live bands at the beautiful Art Deco Michigan Theater, 603 E Liberty St (734/668-TIME, www.michtheater.org), otherwise a great place to watch movies on the cheap.
Festivals are also a key part of Ann Arbor life. In June, the orchestral Summer Festival kicks off activities with music and film (www.annarborsummerfestival.org); July sees the hectic Ann Arbor Art Fairs with hundreds of stalls; and mid-September brings the recently revived Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival.
The rest of the Lower Peninsula
Along Lake Michigan >
The Leelanau Peninsula >
Traverse City >
North to Mackinaw City >
Mackinac Island >
From Ann Arbor, you will travel a little over 150 miles west along I-94 before you reach Lake Michigan and the quaint town of St Joseph, just the first of many small ports along the lake’s 350-mile eastern shoreline. North from St Joseph along Hwy-31, the northwest reaches of the lower peninsula attract sportspeople and tourists from all over the Midwest. Here, out on the unspoiled Leelanau Peninsula you’ll find the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes, as well as the charming towns of Harbor Springs and Petoskey; all are within striking distance of larger Traverse City. At the northern tip of the lower peninsula, revitalized Mackinaw City is the departure point for the state’s major tour-bus attraction, Old-World Mackinac Island.
Along Lake Michigan
Less than thirty miles north of Indiana, ST JOSEPH lies just north of “Harbor Country” – a string of adorable small towns offering good swimming, boating and fishing opportunities. St Joseph’s tidy and compact downtown perches on a high bluff, from which steep steps lead down to sandy Silver Beach and two lighthouses atop two piers. You can enjoy great food such as nachos, steak salad and pasta on the waterfront at Clementine’s Too, 1235 Broad St (269/983-0990). Places to stay include the stately lakeside Boulevard Inn, 521 Lake Blvd (269/983-6600, www.theboulevardinn.com; $101–130), where all the rooms are suites, and the good-value Holiday Inn Express, at 3019 Lakeshore Drive (269/982-0004, www.hiexpress.com; $61–100). For general information on the area, stop in at the welcome centre, just off I-94 exit 29 (summer Mon–Sat 9am–5pm; rest of year closed Sat; 269/925-6301).
Fifty miles north, HOLLAND was settled in 1847 by Dutch religious dissidents. Today’s residents lose no opportunity to let visitors know of their roots: tens of thousands of tulips brighten the town in early summer, while the Holland museum, a Dutch village, a clog factory and the inevitable windmill all attract tourist dollars. You can stay in the Hope College favourite Haworth Inn (616/395-7200 or 1-800/903-9142, www.haworthinn.com; $81–100), 225 College Ave, and go for a pint of fine ale at The Curragh (616/393-6340), 73 E 8th St, which also serves up bar food. Twenty miles farther up the shoreline, GRAND HAVEN boasts one of the largest and most appealing sandy beaches on the Great Lakes, best seen on a leisurely stroll along the one-and-a-half-mile largely concrete boardwalk.
Just under one hundred miles farther north, a string of pleasant small villages starts with LUDINGTON, where a long stretch of public beach precedes Ludington State Park, eight miles north on Hwy-116, which offers great hiking and sightseeing amid sweeping sand dunes and virgin pine forests; admission is $8 per car. Camping in some beautiful sites cost around $29 a night, though sites for the summer tend to fill up a year in advance (301/784-9090 or 1-800/447-2757). The visitor centre is on the east side of town at 5827 US-10 (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm; 231/845-0324 or 1-800/542-4600, www.visitludington.com). From downtown, the Lake Michigan Car Ferry departs for Manitowoc, Wisconsin ($69/adult, $59/car, not including driver; 231/845-5555 or 1-800/841-4243, www.ssbadger.com) – worth it to avoid Chicago traffic. There are countless places to stay overnight, from national chains to cottage rentals; a great option is Snyder’s Shoreline Inn, 903 W Ludington Ave (May–Oct 231/845-1261 or 1-800/843-2177, www.snydersshoreinn.com; $81–100), the only downtown property with uninterrupted views of the lakeshore. House of Flavors, 402 W Ludington Ave (231/845-5785), is a chrome-heavy diner with breakfasts, burgers and a huge range of ice cream.
Surrounded by forest 32 miles to the north, MANISTEE boasts an attractive Victorian downtown and a mile-long boardwalk that runs alongside the Manistee River onto Lake Michigan. One of several pretty lakeside areas is Douglas Park – with a good sandy beach, small marina and picnic area. The Chamber of Commerce is at 11 Cypress St (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 231/723-2575, www.manistee.com).
The Leelanau Peninsula
The southwestern edge of the heavily wooded Leelanau Peninsula is occupied by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (www.sleepingbeardunes.com), a constantly resculptured area of towering dunes and precipitous 400ft drops; admission is $10 per car. The area was named by the Chippewa, who saw the mist-shrouded North and South Manitou islands as the graves of two drowned bear cubs, and the massive mainland dune, covered with dark trees, as their grieving mother. Fierce winds off Lake Michigan cause the dunes to edge inland, burying trees that reappear years later stripped of foliage, while the continual attack of high water undercuts the massive sandbanks, occasionally sending huge chunks into the lake. Stunning overlooks can be had along the hilly, nine-mile loop of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, off Hwy-109. You can also clamber up the strenuous but enjoyable Dune Climb, four miles farther north on Hwy-109.
The visitor centre, south of the dunes at 9922 Front St (Hwy-72) in Empire (daily: summer 8am–6pm; rest of year 8.15am–4pm; 231/326-5134, www.nps.gov/slbe), provides details on trails, campgrounds and beaches.
Traverse City
Smooth beaches and striking bay views help make lively TRAVERSE CITY, the favourite in-state resort for Michigan natives. A town of fifteen thousand year-round residents, it was saved from the stagnation that overtook many communities when their lumber mills closed down, because the stripped fields proved to be ideal for fruit-growing. Today, the area’s claim to be “Cherry Capital of the World” is no idle boast. Thousands of acres of cherry orchards envelop the town, their wispy, pink blossoms bringing a delicate beauty each May. At the National Cherry Festival, held during the first full week in July, visitors can watch parades, fireworks and concerts, while sampling every imaginable cherry product.
Traverse City’s neat downtown rests along the bottom of the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay, below the Old Mission Peninsula. This slender seventeen-mile strip of land, which divides the bay into two inlets, makes for a pleasant short driving tour along narrow roads with tremendous simultaneous views of the bay on either side. Five sandy public beaches and a small harbour can be found around the town itself. Various companies offer boat, windsurfer, jet-ski and mountain bike rental. There are 36 golf courses in the immediate area, as well – some of them among the most beautiful in the country.
Practicalities
Greyhound buses stop near downtown at 3233 Cass Rd. The visitor centre, downtown at 101 Grandview Parkway (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat till 3pm; 231/947-1120 or 1-800/872-8377, www.visittraversecity.com), can help with finding accommodation, though prices anywhere near downtown soar in summer. For a taste of the good life along the nice beaches in the area, the Sugar Beach Resort, 1773 U.S. 31 North (231-938-0100, www.tcresorts.com; $101–130) is an excellent choice. For a bit of a splurge, the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd (1-800/236-1577, www.grandtraverseresort.com; $131–160) has excellent restaurants and a bit of a secluded feel. Finally, the Old Mission Inn B&B, 18599 Mission Rd (231/231-7770, www.oldmissioninn.com; $131–160) is located in a distinguished building built in 1869. There’s camping at Traverse City State Park, just outside town at 1132 US-31 N (231/922-5270; $27/night).
Affordable places to eat in Traverse City are easy to find. Big breakfasts with home-baked bread are served at Mabel’s, 472 Munson Ave (231/947-0252), while Mode’s Bum Steer, 125 E State St (231/947-9832), is a ribs joint. The best bet for a meal, though, particularly in the evening, is to drive north onto the Old Mission Peninsula where the Boathouse, 14039 Peninsula Drive (231/223-4030), dishes up fresh seafood, pasta and vegetarian food right by the lake. The North Peak Brewing Company, 400 W Front St (231/941-7325), is a fine downtown bar that serves up excellent salmon and burgers.
North to Mackinaw City
On its way north from Traverse City, scenic Hwy-31 skims along Lake Michigan through Charlevoix and other pretty lakeside towns. The northern tip of the peninsula is occupied by Mackinaw City, where ferries take excursionists to much-hyped Mackinac Island – billboards advertise its attractions for fifty miles before you arrive.
Petoskey
In PETOSKEY, high above Lake Michigan sixteen miles north along US-31, grand Victorian houses encircle the downtown’s nicely restored Gaslight District. Ernest Hemingway spent many of his teenage summers here and alludes to the town in his novel The Torrents of Spring. The visitor centre is at 401 E Mitchell St (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm, summer Sun noon–4pm; 1-800/845-2828, www.boynecountry.com). For an affordable place to stay, try the Comfort Inn, 1314 US 31 North (231/347-3220 or 1-877/228-5150, www.comfortinn.com/hotel/mi412; $101–130), or the venerable Stafford’s Perry Hotel, centrally located at Bay and Lewis streets (231/347-4000 or 1-800/737-1899, www.staffords.com; $81–100); its Noggin Room Pub has good snacks and pizza. Other options for something to eat include a Hemingway haunt, Jesperson’s, 312 Howard St (231/347-3601), which still does great pies and sandwiches (closed during winter). Roast & Toast Café & Coffee, 309 Lake St (231/347-7767) an eclectic coffeeshop and café serves soups and sandwiches and home-made potpies.
Twelve miles up Hwy-119, HARBOR SPRINGS is a favourite with the Midwestern elite. The charming Main Street and small shaded beach of this “Cornbelt Riviera” resort are certainly captivating. The comfy Colonial Inn, at 210 Artesian Ave (231/526-2111; $81–130), has the only reasonably affordable rooms in town; much pricier is the new and luxurious Hotel Janelle, 266 Main St (231/526-2537, www.hoteljanelle.com; $301 and over). From Harbor Springs, the “Tunnel of Trees” scenic drive follows a section of Hwy-119 to Mackinaw City. Along this narrow winding road, occasional breaks in the overhanging trees afford views of Lake Michigan and Beaver Island.
Mackinaw City
Forty miles northeast of Petoskey, MACKINAW CITY has long enjoyed a steady tourist trade as the major embarkation point for Mackinac Island and, though the streets have been landscaped and visitors flock to Mackinaw Crossings, a mall-cum-entertainment zone on South Huron Street, that remains its real raison d’être, as well as being the last stop en route to the Upper Peninsula.
The visitor centre is located at 10800 S US-23 (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm; 800/666-0160, www.mackinawcity.com). Several mid-priced hotels have been built alongside the shore, among them the Best Western Dockside Waterfront, 505 S Huron Ave (231/436-5001, www.bestwestern.com; $101–130). More rooms can be found at the Clarion Hotel Beachfront, 905 S Huron (231/436-5539, www.clarionhotel.com; $101–160). The hotel features a 300ft private sandy beach, a free hot breakfast bar and rooms with a view of Mackinac Island.
To reach Mackinac Island, contact Arnold Transit (May–Oct, schedule varies; $26 for pedestrians, $8 for bikes; 906/847-3351 or 1-800/542-8528, www.arnoldline.com) or Shepler’s Ferry (late April to mid-Oct, schedule varies; $21 and $8 for bikes; 231/436-5023 or 1-800/828-6157, www.sheplersferry.com); both companies offer high-speed catamaran crossings from the Ferry Terminal in Mackinaw City, and do not require reservations.
Mackinac Island
Viewed from an approaching boat, the tree-blanketed rocky limestone outcrop of MACKINAC ISLAND (pronounced “Mackinaw”), suddenly thrusting out from the swirling waters, is an unforgettable sight. As you near the harbour, large Victorian houses come into view, dappling the hillsides with white and pastel. The most conspicuous is the imposing, $300-a-night Grand Hotel (906/847-3331 or 1-800/334-7263, www.grandhotel.com; $301 and over), where just to enter the foyer costs $10. On disembarking, you’ll see rows of horses and buggies (all motorized transportation is banned from the island, except for emergency vehicles) and inhale the omnipresent smell of fresh manure. Also ubiquitous on the island is fudge, relentlessly marketed as a Mackinac “delicacy”.
Mackinac’s crowded Main Street can get irritating, but the island is worth visiting, not least for the ferry ride over and the chance to cycle along the hilly backroads. Underneath the tourist trimmings is a rich history. French priests established a mission to the Huron Indians here during the winter of 1670–71. The French built a fort here in 1715, but within fifty years had lost control of the island to the British. The government acknowledged the island’s beauty by designating it as the country’s second national park, two years after Yellowstone in 1875, though it was handed over to the state of Michigan twenty years later. To get a feel for the history, hike or cycle up to the whitewashed stone Fort Mackinac, a US Army outpost until 1890. Its ramparts afford a great view of the village and lake below, though admission is a steep $10.50 (May to mid-Oct 9.30am–4.30pm).
On Main Street, an information kiosk (daily 9am–5pm; 906/847-3783, www.mackinac.com) provides full details of accommodation and other facilities. The less costly hotel is Murray Hotel (906/847-3360 or 1-800/462-2546, www.4mackinac.com; $101–130), which serves a large continental breakfast buffet. Unpretentious B&Bs dot the island. Places to eat include Pink Pony Bar & Grill (906/847-3341), which has a great harbour view and lively atmosphere, and Horn’s Gaslight Bar (906/847-6154), which also has nightly live music.
The Upper Peninsula
From the map, it would seem logical for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, separated from the rest of the state by the Mackinac Straits, to be part of Wisconsin. However, when Michigan entered the Union in 1837, its legislators, eyeing the peninsula’s huge mineral wealth, incorporated it into their new state before Wisconsin existed.
Previously the “UP” (pronounced “You-p”), as it’s commonly known, figured prominently in French plans to create an empire in North America. Father Jacques Marquette and other missionaries made peace with the native people and established settlements, including the port of Sault Ste Marie in 1688. The French hoped to press further south, but before they could get much past Detroit, the British inflicted a severe military defeat in 1763.
Vast, lonesome and wild, the Upper Peninsula is full of stunning landmarks, exemplified by the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Most of the eastern section is marked by low-lying, sometimes swampy land between softly undulating limestone hills. Infamous for its bitter winters the northwest corner is the most desolate, especially the rough and broken Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale National Park, fifty miles offshore. The UP’s only real city is Marquette, a college town with a quiet buzz and a good base for exploration. Until 1957 you could get to the UP from lower Michigan only by ferry. Today, the five-mile Mackinac Bridge ($3.50 toll), lit up beautifully at night, stretches elegantly across the bottleneck Mackinac Straits.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
The 42 miles between the attractive fishing villages of Grand Marais and Munising form the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a splendid array of multicoloured cliffs, rolling dunes and secluded sandy beaches. Rain, wind, ice and sun have carved and gouged arches, columns and caves into the face of the lakeshore, all stained different hues. Hiking trails run along the clifftops, and Hwy-58 takes you close to the water, but the best way to see the cliffs is by boat. Pictured Rocks Cruises offers a three-hour narrated tour that leaves from the City Pier in Munising (late May to early Oct 2–8 trips daily; $34; 906/387-3386, www.picturedrocks.com). Less than a mile farther along the lake, at 1204 Commercial St, Shipwreck Tours gives two-hour narrated cruises in a glass-bottomed boat, with surprisingly clear views of three shipwrecks – one intact (June to early Oct 2–3 trips daily; $28; 906/387-4477, www.shipwrecktours.com). Those in a hurry can get a glimpse of the cliffs by visiting the Miners Castle Overlook, twelve miles east of Munising, or Munising Falls, one of a half-dozen nearby waterfalls, near the village’s well-signposted visitors bureau (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; 906/387-2138, www.munising.org). In Munising, Scotty’s Motel, 415 Cedar St (906/387-2449; $61–80), and the Munising Motel, 332 E Onota St (906/387-3187; $81–100), are fairly comfortable places to stay. At 101 E Munising Ave, The Navigator (906/387-1555) is the only restaurant in Munising with a view of Lake Superior, and serves breakfast any time along with steaks, seafood, pizza and burgers.
Marquette
Forty miles west of Munising is the unofficial capital of the UP, the low-key college town of MARQUETTE, also the centre of the area’s massive ore industry. The helpful state welcome centre, just south of town at 2201 US-41 S (daily: summer 9am–6pm; rest of year till 5pm; 906/249-9066, www.marquettecountry.org), has vouchers for local hotel discounts and lots of information about Marquette’s sights. Premier among them is rugged Presque Isle Park, north of town on Lakeshore Boulevard, almost completely surrounded by Lake Superior and with stunning views of the lake. Back in town, at East Ridge Street and Lakeshore, the Marquette Maritime Museum (mid-May to late Oct daily 10am–5pm; $4; 906/226-2006, www.mqtmaritimemuseum.com) has exhibits on the fishing and freighting industries, as well as a video about the fabled Superior wrecking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The area’s most curious sight is the Superior Dome, on Northern Michigan University’s campus at 1401 Presque Isle Ave, the largest wooden dome in the world.
By far the nicest place to stay is the grand Landmark Inn, 230 N Front St (906/228-2580, www.thelandmarkinn.com; $101–130), which has rooms overlooking the lake, although a host of cheaper motels cluster west of town on US-41. You can camp at the Tourist Park Campground on Sugarloaf Avenue (906/228-0465; $15). JJ’s Shamrock, downtown at 113 S Front St (906/226-6734), serves basic bar food along with occasional live music. For a more formal dining experience, locals favour the Northwoods Supper Club, just west of town off US-41 (906/228-4343), with a meat-and-potatoes menu in a rustic setting. One popular watering hole is Remie’s Bar, 111 Third St (906/226-9133), with a rowdy local crowd and live music on Wednesdays.
Isle Royale National Park
Much closer to Canada than the US, the 45-mile sliver of Isle Royale National Park, fifty miles out in Lake Superior, is in a double sense as far as you can get in Michigan from Detroit. All cars are banned and, instead of freeways, 166 miles of hiking trails lead past windswept trees, swampy lakes and grazing moose. Aside from other outdoors types, the only traces of human life you’re likely to see are ancient mineworks, possibly two millennia old, shacks left behind by commercial fishermen in the 1940s, and a few lighthouses and park buildings. Hiking, canoeing, fishing and scuba-diving among shipwrecks are the principal leisure activities.
The park is open from mid-May until the end of September. Camping is free, though you should visit the park headquarters at 800 E Lakeshore Drive in Houghton (Mon–Fri 8am–4.30pm; 906/482-0984, www.nps.gov/isro) before you leave the mainland, for advice on water purity, mosquitoes and temperatures that can drop well below freezing even in summer. Aside from camping, you can stay in a self-catering cottage or a luxury lodge room at the Rock Harbor Lodge (906/337-4993, Oct–April 866/644-2003, www.isleroyaleresort.com; $131–301 and over). The lodge rents canoes and motorboats for $39 and $76 per day, respectively, and offers cruises for $37.75.
Ferries to Isle Royale leave from Copper Harbor ($75 one-way; 906/289-4437, www.isleroyale.com), Houghton ($60 one-way; 906/482-0984, www.nps.gov/isro) and Grand Portage, Minnesota ($63 one-way; 715/392-2100, www.grand-isle-royale.com). If you are in a hurry, you can hop over by plane with the Isle Royale Seaplane Service in Houghton ($290 return; 906/482-8850, www.royaleairservice.com).
Indiana
Thanks to an influx of northward migrants early in the nineteenth century – including the family of Abraham Lincoln, who lived for fourteen years near the present village of Santa Claus before moving to Illinois – much of INDIANA bears the influence of the easy-going South. Unlike the abolitionist Lincolns, many former Southerners brought slaves to this new territory, and thousands rioted against being drafted into the Union army when the Civil War broke out. However, massive industrialization throughout the northwest corner of the state since the late nineteenth century firmly integrated Indiana into the regional economy. On a national level, this sports-happy state is best known these days for automobile racing and high school basketball.
Despite some beautiful dunes and beaches, the most lasting memories provided by Indiana’s fifty-mile lakeshore (by far the shortest of the Great Lakes states) are of the grimy steel mills and poverty-stricken neighbourhoods of towns like Gary and East Chicago. In northern Indiana, the area in and around Elkhart and Goshen contains one of the nation’s largest Amish settlements. The central plains are characterized by small market towns, except for the sprawling capital, Indianapolis, which makes a nice enough stopover. Bloomington is the home of Indiana University (and their perennial standout college basketball team), and it is the state’s premier college town. Hilly southern Indiana, at its most appealing in the fall, is a welcome contrast to the central cornbelt, boasting several quaint towns such as Nashville, while thriving Columbus exhibits a great array of contemporary architecture for such a small city.
Indianapolis and around
Arrival and information >
Accommodation >
Downtown >
The Indianapolis 500 >
Out from downtown >
Eating >
Nightlife and entertainment >
Bloomington >
INDIANAPOLIS began life in 1821, when a tract of barely inhabited marshes was designated the state capital. While its location in the middle of Indiana’s rich farmland bore immense commercial advantages, the absence of a navigable river prohibited the transportation of bulky materials such as coal and iron to sustain heavy industry. Though home to more than sixty car manufacturers by 1910, the city never seriously threatened Detroit’s supremacy. Today the city’s economic well-being is centred around the food, paper and pharmaceutical industries, including the giant Eli Lilly Corporation.
Although Indianapolis continues its focus on sports – in recent years, it has constructed several world-class sports arenas, including the retro-styled Conseco Fieldhouse downtown – there is more to the city than could perhaps once be said. Along with new hotels, a gaggle of fine museums and a zoo, its old downtown landmarks have become cultural, shopping and dining complexes. No longer is it (quite) true that nothing happens here except for the glamorous Indianapolis 500 car race each May.
Arrival and information
Indianapolis International Airport is ten miles southwest of downtown, on the #8 IndyGo bus route ($1.75; 317/635-3344) – IndyGo’s Green Line Downtown/Airport Express route provides nonstop service from the airport to downtown and the Convention Center (daily 5am–9pm; $7). A taxi into the centre costs around $35; try Yellow Cabs (317/487-7777). Both Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains arrive at 350 S Illinois St (317/267-3071), next to the fairly central Union Station complex. Useful visitor centres can be found at 201 S Capitol St, beside the RCA Dome (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5.30pm; 1-800/323-4639, www.indy.org), and in the glass pavilion at 100 W Washington St (Mon–Sat 10am–9pm, Sun noon–6pm; 317/624-2563).
Accommodation
Indianapolis has plenty of quality places to stay, with budget options about five miles from downtown. Prices can double during the race months of May, August and September.
Canterbury Hotel 123 S Illinois St 317/204-2569 or
1-877/866-0837, www.canterburyhotel.com. Much the
classiest downtown option, this landmark hotel was rebuilt in 1928 and
offers a hundred opulent and expensive rooms. $161–300
Crowne Plaza
Union Station 123 W Louisiana St 317/631-2221 or
1-877/227-6963, www.crowneplaza.com/ind-downtown. Regular
hotel rooms plus some much more exciting suites in converted railway
carriages. $131–200
Indy Hostel
4903 Winthrop Ave 317/727-1696, www.indyhostel.us. Appealing small-scale hostel in a
former family home, located in a friendly neighbourhood six miles from
downtown. Dorm beds for $25 weekdays, $29 weekends, plus basic private rooms
($41–60). Bike hire available.
Staybridge
Suites 535 S West St 317/536-7500, www.ichotelsgroup.com. This hotel is right next to
Lucas Oil Stadium, and it features a complimentary hot breakfast buffet, an
afternoon cocktail reception during the week and free laundry services.
$81–100
The
Villa Inn 1456 N Delaware St 317/916-8500 or
1-866/626-8500, www.thevillainn.com. Castellated six-room luxury
B&B inn with the feel of a hotel, two miles north of downtown, and
offering a spa and restaurant. The same owners run two other local B&Bs.
$201–300
Downtown
The nerve centre of Indianapolis’s spacious, relaxed downtown is the reasonably tasteful Circle Centre shopping and entertainment complex. Suspended over the busy Washington and Illinois intersection, the spectacular Indianapolis Artsgarden is an eight-storey glass rotunda illuminated with twinkling lights. A performance and exhibition space, it doubles as a walkway to Circle Centre and several downtown hotels. One block north, streets radiate from Monument Circle, the starting point for a lengthy series of memorials and plazas dedicated to war veterans. Many visitors climb the 330 steps of the renovated 284ft Soldiers and Sailors Monument (daily 10am–7pm; walk up free, elevator $2) – the tiny elevator can seldom cope with the demand – but in truth the view of the city from the top is nothing special.
Five blocks east, starting at New York and East streets, the serene tree-shaded Lockerbie Square Historic District is a small enclave of picturesque residences that were home to nineteenth-century artisans and business leaders. Small wood-frame cottages line the cobblestone streets, many of them painted in bright pinks, blues and yellows, and fronted by ornately carved porches.
Several blocks west of Monument Circle, the Indiana State Museum, 650 W Washington St (Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm; $7; 317/232-1637, www.indianamuseum.org), gives a useful insight into the state’s history through exhibits on everything from geology to sport. The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is nearby at 500 W Washington St, on the western edge of downtown (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; tours at 1pm; $8; 317/636-9378, www.eiteljorg.org). Harrison Eiteljorg, an industrialist who went West in the 1940s to speculate in minerals, fell so deeply in love with the art of the region that he brought as much of it back with him as possible, especially from Taos, New Mexico. On display are works by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell and Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as tribal artefacts from all over North America and a 38ft Haida totem pole. There are also superb touring exhibits and a gorgeous gift shop. The Eiteljorg stands amid the rolling greenery of White River State Park, which is also home to the sizeable Indianapolis Zoo (summer Mon–Thurs 9am–5pm, Fri–Sun till 6pm; rest of year daily till 4pm; $14.50; 317/630-2001, www.indyzoo.com). In the park’s southeast corner stands the superb Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians (317/269-3545), the feeder team for baseball’s Cincinnati Reds.
The Indianapolis 500
Seven miles northwest of downtown, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway stages three events each year; one is the legendary Indianapolis 500, held on the last Sunday in May, the others are July’s prestigious NASCAR Brickyard 400 and August’s Red Bull Indianapolis GP.
The Indy 500 is preceded by two weeks of qualification runs that whittle the hopeful entrants down to a final field of 33 drivers, one of whom will scoop the million-dollar first prize. The two-and-a-half-mile circuit was built as a test track for the city’s motor manufacturers. The first 500-mile race – held in 1911 and won in a time of 6hr 42min, at an average speed of 74.6mph – was a huge success, vindicating the organizers’ belief that the distance was the optimum length for spectators’ enjoyment. Cars now hit 235mph, though the official times of the winners are reduced by delays caused by accidents. While the technology is marvellous, the true legends in the eyes of their fans are such championship drivers as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and members of the Unser dynasty. The big race crowns one of the nation’s largest festivals, attended by almost half a million spectators. Seats for the race usually sell out well in advance ($70–90; 1-800/822-4639, www.imstix.com), but you may gain admittance to the infield ($20), for a tailgate-style, rowdy atmosphere and limited viewing.
Out from downtown
Although the bodies of former president Benjamin Harrison and Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley lie in the enormous Crown Hill Cemetery, at 38th Street and Michigan, the most visited grave belongs to 1930s bank robber John Dillinger, at Section 44 Lot 94. Designated Public Enemy Number One, Dillinger completed thirteen bank raids – killing four policemen, three FBI agents, one sheriff and an undetermined number of innocent bystanders – in a single-year career. Something of a folk hero, he escaped from jail twice, but was eventually ambushed by the FBI outside a Chicago theatre in 1934 – that said, some researchers allege that another man was killed in his place.
Opposite the cemetery at 1200 W 38th St, more than 150 lush wooded acres accommodate the capacious Indianapolis Museum of Art (Tues, Wed, & Sat 11am–5pm, Thurs & Fri till 9pm, Sun noon–5pm; 317/923-1331, www.imamuseum.org). The main building is surrounded by a lake, botanical garden, sculpture courtyard and a concert terrace. Inside, the exceptional displays include the largest collection of Turner paintings outside Britain and an array of paintings and prints from Gauguin’s Pont Aven school.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N Meridian St, four miles north of downtown off I-65 (daily 10am–5pm; closed Mon late Sept to late Feb; $15.50, under-18s $10.50; 317/334-3322, www.childrensmuseum.org), is arguably the best of its kind in the country. Its most popular exhibit is the Dinosphere, in which visitors can dig for genuine fossils, while All Aboard! is an entertaining romp through the Age of Steam.
Eating
The swish Circle Centre mall houses dozens of places to eat, but most are chains. You’d do better to stick to the more established restaurants downtown or head up to Broad Ripple Village (bus #17) at College Avenue and 62nd Street, which is packed with bars and cafés (along with galleries and shops).
3
Sisters Café 334 N Guilford Ave
317/257-5556. Stop in for a laidback atmosphere and a healthy dose of
vegetarian fare.
Bazbeaux
6360 Massachusetts Ave, downtown 317/636-7662 and 811 E
Westfield Blvd, Broad Ripple Village 317/255-5711. The best
(thin-crust) pizzas in town, with a range of exotic toppings.
Elbow Room
605 N Pennsylvania St 317/635-3354. This pub serves
specialty sandwiches and lots of import beers.
H20 Sushi
1912 Broad Ripple Ave 317/254-0677. This restaurant and
sushi bar has successfully married a traditional mix of sushi with a more
modern choice of savoury combos. Closed Sun & Mon.
Shapiro’s 808 S Meridian St
317/631-4041. Landmark deli just a few blocks off downtown, where you
can fill up on lox, tongue and other specialties in an old-style cafeteria
atmosphere for around $8. Leave room for the huge desserts.
Yat’s
Cajun and Creole 659 Massachusetts Ave 317/686-6380; also
at 5463 N College Ave 317/253-8817. Wildly popular Louisiana-flavoured
cafeteria, offering a changing menu of inexpensive daily specials in two
locations (entrees $4.50–6.50).
Nightlife and entertainment
The nightlife area in downtown is Massachusetts Avenue, where along with some good bars and restaurants, the 3000-seat Murat Centre, a former Masonic shrine at 502 N New Jersey St (317/231-0000, www.murat.com), hosts headliners and Broadway musicals. Otherwise, head north to chic Broad Ripple Village. Check the free weekly NUVO (www.nuvo.net) “Indy’s alternative voice”, for full details of gigs and events.
On the performing arts scene, the 1927 Spanish Baroque Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W Washington St (317/635-5252, www.irtlive.com), puts on dramatic productions between September and May, while the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has weekly concerts at the equally elaborate 1916 Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle (317/639-4300, www.indyorch.org).
Broad Ripple
Brew Pub 842 E 65th St 317/253-2739. Atmospheric
brewpub located six miles north of downtown Indianapolis.
Chatterbox 435 Massachusetts Ave 317/636-0584,
www.chatterboxjazz.com. Ever-busy local bar, hosting
live jazz nightly for the past 25 years.
Madame Walker
Theatre Center 617 Indiana Ave 317/236-2099, www.walkertheatre.com. Black cultural and heritage
centre putting on “Jazz on the Avenue” every 4th Friday, plus
regular dance events, plays and concerts.
Rathskeller Restaurant 401 E Michigan St
317/636-0396. German beer hall in the basement of the historic
Athenaeum building, which also serves food. Live music and a
biergarten.
Slippery Noodle
372 S Meridian St 317/631-6974. Indiana’s oldest
bar, established in 1850, is next to Union Station. Cheap beer Mon and Tues,
and live blues every night starting at 8.15pm.
Vogue
6259 N College Ave 317/259-7029, www.thevogue.ws. Popular Broad Ripple rock and indie
venue in a former movie theatre, also featuring retro club
nights.
Bloomington
BLOOMINGTON, a college town, is by far the liveliest small city in Indiana, just 45 miles southwest of Indianapolis on Hwy-37. It owes its vibrancy to the main campus of Indiana University, east of downtown. The I.M. Pei-designed Indiana University Art Museum on East Seventh Street (Tues–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; free) holds a fine international collection of painting and sculpture. Across the street from the pastoral campus, Indiana native and law student, Hoagy Carmichael composed the TinPan Alley gem Stardust on the piano of a popular hangout. The architecturally rich downtown also features a host of good shops.
Practicalities
Bloomington Shuttle, 3200 Venture Blvd, (812/332-6004 or 1-800/589-6004), runs a bus service to Indianapolis. Bloomington’s friendly visitor centre can be found at 2855 N Walnut St (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm, Sat 9am–4pm; 812/334-8900, www.visitbloomington.com).
If you need to stay, the conveniently located Hampton Inn, 2100 N Walnut St (812/334-2100; $81–130), is a friendly, clean choice. The cosy and also very central Victorian Grant Street Inn, 310 N Grant St (812/334-2353 or 1-800/328-4350, www.grantstreetinn.com; $131–200), offers more luxury. Among student bars and cafés lining Kirkwood Avenue is the vegetarian Laughing Planet, at no. 322 E Kirkwood (812/323-2233), renowned for its burritos, while local restaurantFARMbloomington, 108 E Kirkwood Ave (812/323-0002), offers real food right from the farm. The Brewpub at Lennie’s, 1795 E Tenth St (812/339-2256), is the liveliest drinking spot around.