Detroit Institute Of Arts

The weekend I was visiting my friend who moved near Detroit, she warned me her and her husband had tickets to see Sesame Street at the Fox Theater.  Their son absolutely adored Sesame Street and was infatuated with Cookie Monster.  I mean, who wouldn’t be??  Lol.  She suggested dropping me and her friend to the Detroit Institute of Arts museum since it was near the theater.  We could kill some time there while they enjoyed the show.  Her husband made an amazing breakfast for us, and we quickly got ready afterwards.

Me and her friend walked in and were mesmerized by the Diego Rivera Detroit Industry murals.  We were probably in that room for over 30 minutes!  I was completely blown away by its size and detailing.  We slowly made our way around the other exhibits and took our time visiting the artwork of our favorite artists.  I’m glad her friend was just as interested in art as I was.  Sometimes it’s hard to go with a person who isn’t interested in this kind of stuff.

We also refueled at the restaurant/ café located in the museum.  I enjoyed people watching and despite it being a Saturday, was surprised how many people were around.  I think the Institute is a place many locals come to hangout (since it’s free for them).  Regardless, me and her friend had a good time.

When our friends came to pick us up, it was already late in the afternoon.  Her husband took us along a driving tour of their suburb.  We decided to head to a restaurant they’ve been wanting to check out for a while, and see if we could all get in.

Sure enough, there was a line out the door.  We waited for over an hour.  It was a Venezuelan restaurant and had great reviews.  I wanted to try their arepas.  Luckily, we didn’t wait too long for our food and everything was delish.  Unfortunately they did not serve alcohol, and we wanted to get back to their house for some wine they had received as a gift.

We spent the rest of the evening watching movies and drinking wine and catching up.  Her friend had an early morning flight out, but we stayed up past 1am just talking!

A Road Trip to the Motor City!

Part 2 of our weekend getaway in Michigan landed us in Detroit.  It was hard for us not to swing by considering how close it was to Grosse Point.  We went out for brunch and enjoyed our time there before deciding on the last minute.  We had some time to kill, but didn't want to drive out too late once it got dark.  Our friends led us into the city as we watched people tailgate for football Sunday.  We were impressed by the up and coming businesses arriving to the Motor City, and even past by the Chrysler plant along the way.  But the abandoned buildings and lots is what blew our mind.  I've never seen such a vast vacant city in my life.  It felt weird but hopefully in a few years, that won't be the case. 
We ended up in downtown Detroit and decided to stop by a café to load up on caffeine before driving back to Chicago.  We miss our friend very much and this trip assured us she'll be fine in Michigan with her new family.  Next time we promised to explore more of the neighboring towns surrounding  Grosse Point!



Big beautiful empty houses surround Detroit...

Some of the neighborhoods hardly have anyone living in them...

Downtown Detroit

Fox Theater



Transcending sculpture



GM Headquarters

The Fist of Detroit

Feeling like a Stuffed Turkey

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!  I had 3 major dinners last week and I'm still eating leftovers from each one!  lol.  Needless to say, I feel blessed I have a full fridge during this rainy week, but now I am determined than ever to go on a holiday detox.  I hate the feeling of wearing tight pants.  No matter what anyone says, YOU KNOW when the weight gain starts settling in.  hahaha!
Back in October, our good friend moved out to Grosse Point Michigan.  We miss her very much, so during her move, we decided to take a road trip two weeks after she settled in her new home.  We figured we would visit her sooner than later before the holidays crept up.  Luckily we had a smooth drive out there and enjoyed the changing colors of autumn along the way.
We ended up in Grosse Point later than we had anticipated.  We wanted to drive out early in the morning so we could enjoy more of the day, but of course that did not happen.  We're late for EVERYTHING, so this was no exception.  We arrived after 6pm and luckily while it was still light outside.  Our friend gave us a grand tour of her new home and we went for a stroll in her neighborhood. 
By the time we got back to her place, we were aware the Cubs game was going to be on soon.  The Cubs were playing the Dodgers to see who would go to the World Series.  I promised my brothers I would watch a Cubs game once they ever made it to the World Series, but here we were, about to clinch that opportunity of a lifetime!  We decided to go watch it at a family friendly restaurant so we could have dinner as well.  We made our way to downtown Grosse Point and settled in Luxe Bar and Grill where we munched on mahi tacos and salmon salad. 
Well by now you already know we won the World Series.  lol.  That night we clenched the National League Championship.  It was a wonderful night for us, even though we were celebrating out in Michigan instead.  We finished up our celebration back at their home where we played 90s hip hop songs and danced around.  That's what I love about my friends.  We can make a party anywhere.
I am looking forward to the holidays.  It gives you the opportunity to see family and friends you haven't seen in a while and to make new memories.  I can't wait!

Filters with the baby! 

My safe drink- a margarita on the rocks with salt of course...

The night the Cubs clenched the National League Championship!

A future Cubs fan!  hahaha