Boston to Marquette road trip recommendations

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Update: we pretty much have our itinerary set. Boston-harrisburgh-Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Detroit-Muskegon- ferry to Milwaukee. We will be in Harrisburg for 1 day mostly because it's an easy stop on the way to Pitt and my dad wants to see their state capital. We will hit Fallingwater(Frank Lloyd Wright house) on the way to Pitt. We'll then spend about a day and a half in Pitt, Cle, and Det. We don't have much time to spend in Muskegon but I heard their beaches are nice so maybe another time. Pretty much just gunna get there and get on the ferry. Anyone have recommendations for things to do/eat/see in Pitt, Cle, and Det? We're thinking maybe a PNC ballpark tour, rock and Roll HOF, and a lot of walking/exploring. Thanks for any recommendations

Celtic Truth, I'll rehash a few things:

Harrisburg: I walked around the capital and had dinner with the family near it, but I don't recall much else to see other than the nice river view from the park down the street from the capitol building.  The Hershey Chocolate factory is still open and they have a tour where you sit in a gondola and it takes you through the process.

Pittsburgh - The Church Brewery, brewpub and restaurant in an old church.  They make their own pierogies too.  In Pittsburgh you need to walk along the rivers and over the bridges to appreciate the uniqueness of the city.  Over one the bridges is and old train station and the Hard Rock Cafe.  By the HRC, take the Incline (Cable Car straight up a cliff) to the top to get a cool view of all of Pittsburgh.  There was an ice cream shop right by the cliff top station to help you enjoy.  There's a river front park where the three rivers meet and the original Fort Pitt is still there and open to visit.  I think I stayed in the Hampton Inn when I was there and there's a plaque out back on the river that says Lewis & Clark put the boat in the river at this spot to begin their journey west.  The Andy Warhol Museum is next to the Pirates stadium is worth a visit.  Wanted to see a Pirates game, but it did not fit the schedule when we visited.  I did not have time to visit but the old Heinz factory downtown is some kind of National Park.

Cleveland - The Great Lakes Brewery and restaurant.  Love the Dortmunder Gold.  If don't want to eat there, the beer is available in most restaurants and stores throughout town.  Rock-and-Roll HOF definitely.  If you can't make a game, you can see inside and get a good view of the Indians Stadium from the street that leads to the Quicken Loans Arena.  There's other stuff, but depends on what types of places you and dad like to visit?  There's a WWII submarine next to the RRHOF.  If you like museums there is a museum cluster next to Case Western University about a 10 minute drive from downtown with a massive art museum, a natural history museum and a botanical garden.

Detroit - Can't help you there.

[keefe]

If you are taking I 94 across Michigan get off at the Ann Arbor - Saline Road exit. Michigan Stadium is a quarter mile off the highway. It is a temple. You would be remiss in not seeing it.

[GooooMarquette]

If you are taking I 94 across Michigan get off at the Ann Arbor - Saline Road exit. Michigan Stadium is a quarter mile off the highway. It is a temple. You would be remiss in not seeing it.

It might look a little different if there isn't a game going on.

[keefe]

It might look a little different if there isn't a game going on.

Not for the past two years, Doc...

[GooooMarquette]

Not for the past two years, Doc...

Now that made me laugh.

[swoopem]

Update: we pretty much have our itinerary set. Boston-harrisburgh-Pittsburgh-Cleveland-Detroit-Muskegon- ferry to Milwaukee. We will be in Harrisburg for 1 day mostly because it's an easy stop on the way to Pitt and my dad wants to see their state capital. We will hit Fallingwater(Frank Lloyd Wright house) on the way to Pitt. We'll then spend about a day and a half in Pitt, Cle, and Det. We don't have much time to spend in Muskegon but I heard their beaches are nice so maybe another time. Pretty much just gunna get there and get on the ferry. Anyone have recommendations for things to do/eat/see in Pitt, Cle, and Det? We're thinking maybe a PNC ballpark tour, rock and Roll HOF, and a lot of walking/exploring. Thanks for any recommendations

I live in Detroit so you can PM when you're heading here with what you're trying to accomplish and I'll let you know where to go, what to do, where to eat/drink, etc. Detroit done right is awesome. Don't let the media or haters fool you.

Also, as someone else mentioned Muskegon sucks (the ferry is pretty cool though). If you're trying to get to the west side early for the beaches go to Grand Haven or Holland. I lived in Holland right out of college and while I didn't like it because it's a tiny Christian town you can't deny the beauty that is west Michigan. Grand Rapids is legit as well.

[real chili 83]

I live in Detroit so you can PM when you're heading here with what you're trying to accomplish and I'll let you know where to go, what to do, where to eat/drink, etc. Detroit done right is awesome. Don't let the media or haters fool you.

Also, as someone else mentioned Muskegon sucks (the ferry is pretty cool though). If you're trying to get to the west side early for the beaches go to Grand Haven or Holland. I lived in Holland right out of college and while I didn't like it because it's a tiny Christian town you can't deny the beauty that is west Michigan. Grand Rapids is legit as well.

Charlevoix is pretty cool too.

Motored into the harbor one Saturday night and was lucky enough to catch Duke Tumatoe and the All Star Frogs.  Just a few years ago. Cool harbor.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Tumatoe

[keefe]

Charlevoix is pretty cool too.

Motored into the harbor one Saturday night and was lucky enough to catch Duke Tumatoe and the All Star Frogs.  Just a few years ago. Cool harbor.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Tumatoe

Serendipity can be amazing. The Duke is fantastic!

[Celtic Truth]

I got back to school last week and haven't had a chance to update you all on the road trip. So here's what we did/saw if anyone finds themselves in any of the cities I visited.

Harrisburg- we just missed the capital tour by a few minutes but we were able to go into the main rotunda of the building and see the grounds. Really impressive building. Harrisburg isn't anything all that special but a decent city for its size. pretty dense, with a lot of old row houses. The Susquehanna river is pretty nice and runs through the city. And the Harrisburg senators(AA affiliate to the Nationals) play at a really cool ballpark that is on an island in the river.

We also stopped at Fallingwater which is about an hour from Pittsburgh and it is a famous Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. It's deep in the woods and has a waterfall flowing through the house. I was kind of nervous that the house wouldn't live up to expectations but it exceeded them. It was amazing, if you're anywhere in western PA I definitely recommend taking the tour.

Pittsburgh- Pitt was definitely the best city we visited. It was awesome. PNC ballpark tour was awesome, we got to go in the clubhouse, on field, in dugout, and in batting cages. Beautiful park right on the Allegheny River with great views of downtown. The Duquesne incline brings you up a huge hill on the edge of the river overlooking downtown and offers one of the most amazing views I've ever seen. Pitt also has a park at the edge of downtown where the three rivers meet which was spectacular. The strip district is a cool place with every type of food imaginable. Primanti Brothers lived up to the hype and then some. South side flats is a cool up and coming neighborhood with a lot of bars and restaurants. And Oakland is a really lively neighborhood that is home to Pitt and Carnegie Mellon which were both very nice schools. And Pitts on campus Peterson Events center was a pretty impressive arena.

Cleveland- just wasn't nearly as dynamic as Pittsburgh. Whoever designed that city is an idiot. Downtown is Ok but their neighborhoods had no connection to the city. Most of their neighborhoods are pretty crappy and even their up and coming neighborhoods like Tremont and Ohio city were not anything special. Pizza at Edison's in Tremont was great though. Their little Italy had a decent collection of restaurants and my meal at Trattoria on the Hill was great. The Rock n Roll HOF was a great take and I'd definitely recommend it. Most of the stuff there outdates me but I still think that it was really impressive.

Detroit - The Ford Rouge factory tour was great and the Motown museum was cool(even though there was a fatal stabbing across the street). We went through some of the worst abandoned neighborhoods and it was just amazing. It was just like I pictured but still cool to see in person. There are literally blocks and blocks of empty streets. And of the few houses that are still there all are  boarded up and falling down. Coney dogs at Lafayette were amazing and Slows bbq in Corktown was the best bbq I've ever had. Downtown was decent but the city as a whole still has a long way to go but I feel like it has nowhere to go but up, and the city has a solid attitude to it.

Ann Arbor - was a cool college town. Pretty busy and dense and the campus was nice, but only a portion of the campus was right in Ann Arbor. They have a lot of housing and such up at their north campus which is about 2 miles away. The big house was impressive and I can definitely imagine Ann Arbor being crazy on a fall Saturday.

Lansing - Drove through MSU which was also very impressive. Their campus was Massive but extremely well maintained. A much more attractive campus than Mich if you like a more spread out campus with big open spaces and green lawns. East Lansing wasn't anything great as a town though compared to Ann Arbor. We also visited the State Capital building in Lansing which was very impressive. The ferry over from Muskegon was really nice and convenient. All around great trip.

Thanks for all of the advice you guys gave, I appreciate it. Also, lmk if you've been to any of these places and tell me what you thought.

It's good to be back at MU, I can't wait until the season starts

[tower912]

The three I am familiar with are Detroit, Ann Arbor, East Lansing.    I won't really fight you on any of your opinions.   Relatively accurate but incomplete.   But what else can you really expect if you only spend a little time in a town?    I am glad you enjoyed your trip.     I love watching the Milwaukee skyline (such as it is) appear over Lake Michigan when taking the ferry.   

[swoopem]

Detroit - The Ford Rouge factory tour was great and the Motown museum was cool(even though there was a fatal stabbing across the street). We went through some of the worst abandoned neighborhoods and it was just amazing. It was just like I pictured but still cool to see in person. There are literally blocks and blocks of empty streets. And of the few houses that are still there all are  boarded up and falling down. Coney dogs at Lafayette were amazing and Slows bbq in Corktown was the best bbq I've ever had. Downtown was decent but the city as a whole still has a long way to go but I feel like it has nowhere to go but up, and the city has a solid attitude to it.

Ann Arbor - was a cool college town. Pretty busy and dense and the campus was nice, but only a portion of the campus was right in Ann Arbor. They have a lot of housing and such up at their north campus which is about 2 miles away. The big house was impressive and I can definitely imagine Ann Arbor being crazy on a fall Saturday.

Lansing - Drove through MSU which was also very impressive. Their campus was Massive but extremely well maintained. A much more attractive campus than Mich if you like a more spread out campus with big open spaces and green lawns. East Lansing wasn't anything great as a town though compared to Ann Arbor. We also visited the State Capital building in Lansing which was very impressive. The ferry over from Muskegon was really nice and convenient. All around great trip.

Thanks for all of the advice you guys gave, I appreciate it. Also, lmk if you've been to any of these places and tell me what you thought.

It's good to be back at MU, I can't wait until the season starts

I'm glad you were able to check out Slows and Lafayette (much better than American) as those are two of the gems that Detroit has to offer. As far as neighborhoods go, Corktown and Midtown are the two that are really coming back to life the fastest. I don't really count Downtown and the area near Comerica/Ford Field/Greektown because there's always been action around there. The huge project that's just getting started is building the new Red Wings stadium just Northwest of Comerica. On top of building the stadium they're building/revamping 4 surrounding neighborhoods to connect Downtown to Midtown which is going to be HUGE for the city. Eastern Market is also a really cool area, especially during gameday.

For Lansing and Ann Arbor I'm kind of the opposite as you. I preferr Ann Arbor to East Lansing and have always thought that UofM has a prettier/better campus. I like their downtown area way better than Grand River Ave. Although, when it comes to college parties State kicks the sh!t out of UofM mainly because of the student population (sorry Keef, it's a fact that State kids party harder)), but campus wise I lean towards AA. 

Sounds like you had a great trip and that you enjoyed Pure Michigan.

[Celtic Truth]

I'm glad you were able to check out Slows and Lafayette (much better than American) as those are two of the gems that Detroit has to offer. As far as neighborhoods go, Corktown and Midtown are the two that are really coming back to life the fastest. I don't really count Downtown and the area near Comerica/Ford Field/Greektown because there's always been action around there. The huge project that's just getting started is building the new Red Wings stadium just Northwest of Comerica. On top of building the stadium they're building/revamping 4 surrounding neighborhoods to connect Downtown to Midtown which is going to be HUGE for the city. Eastern Market is also a really cool area, especially during gameday.

For Lansing and Ann Arbor I'm kind of the opposite as you. I preferr Ann Arbor to East Lansing and have always thought that UofM has a prettier/better campus. I like their downtown area way better than Grand River Ave. Although, when it comes to college parties State kicks the sh!t out of UofM mainly because of the student population (sorry Keef, it's a fact that State kids party harder)), but campus wise I lean towards AA. 

Sounds like you had a great trip and that you enjoyed Pure Michigan.

Corktown and midtown are definitely making some strides compared to other Detroit inner city neighborhoods. Michigan ave in corktown has a decent collection of restaurants but the neighborhood as a whole still has a ways to go. It isn't nearly as appealing as many of the other "hot" neighborhoods in cities throughout the country. And if I had to go to Michigan or msu I'd definitely pick Michigan because I prefer a more urban setting. I just think that msu has a much "prettier" campus

[JWags85]

Cleveland- just wasn't nearly as dynamic as Pittsburgh. Whoever designed that city is an idiot. Downtown is Ok but their neighborhoods had no connection to the city. Most of their neighborhoods are pretty crappy and even their up and coming neighborhoods like Tremont and Ohio city were not anything special. Pizza at Edison's in Tremont was great though. Their little Italy had a decent collection of restaurants and my meal at Trattoria on the Hill was great. The Rock n Roll HOF was a great take and I'd definitely recommend it. Most of the stuff there outdates me but I still think that it was really impressive.

Ive been to Cleveland at least a half dozen times since I've graduated college as I have a couple of college friends there.  I'm more of a Cleveland defender than most people who aren't from there.  That being said...I can't disagree with much of what you said.  For a city that size, I've never taken more cabs, distance wise, in my life than in Cleveland.  The city reminds me a lot of Milwaukee, but it is fairly disjointed.  The one thing I love to do when I am in Cleveland though is drive through the near "burbs" like Cleveland Heights (right next to Case Western) and see how many absolutely stunning mansions are around.  A lot has been knocked down, "Millionaires Row" on Euclid Ave for a start, but there is plenty of reminders of what a beast it was in Rockefeller's day.

[brandx]

Skip Detroit, drive 2 hours up the road to Grand Rapids, engage in microbrewery nirvana.  (Founders, Perrin, Brewery Vivant, Harmony Brewing, Grand Rapids Brewing, the Mitten.....)   Start your day only 45 minutes from the ferry in Muskegon.   BTW, Muskegon is pretty much an armpit.    Other than the ferry to Milwaukee, (and their Irish Music festival in September) go to ANY OTHER lakeside city in West Michigan. 

Or stop in central NY state for dozens and dozens of wineries and brew houses.

Ithaca and Watkins Glen area.

[keefe]

Ann Arbor - was a cool college town. Pretty busy and dense and the campus was nice, but only a portion of the campus was right in Ann Arbor. They have a lot of housing and such up at their north campus which is about 2 miles away. The big house was impressive and I can definitely imagine Ann Arbor being crazy on a fall Saturday.

Glad you checked out the Big House. I think that, and Lambeau, are the Holiest of the Holy when it comes to gridiron venues.

The North Campus development was driven by space constrictions on the main campus as it is surrounded by A2. When I was there the Engineering College was moved across the Huron River so the North was pretty much a Vagina-Free Zone.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Ive been to Cleveland at least a half dozen times since I've graduated college as I have a couple of college friends there.  I'm more of a Cleveland defender than most people who aren't from there.  That being said...I can't disagree with much of what you said.  For a city that size, I've never taken more cabs, distance wise, in my life than in Cleveland.  The city reminds me a lot of Milwaukee, but it is fairly disjointed.  The one thing I love to do when I am in Cleveland though is drive through the near "burbs" like Cleveland Heights (right next to Case Western) and see how many absolutely stunning mansions are around.  A lot has been knocked down, "Millionaires Row" on Euclid Ave for a start, but there is plenty of reminders of what a beast it was in Rockefeller's day.

I'm a Cleveland defender also for someone who doesn't live there.  I used to have to visit about 4 times a year for a past employer. 

I used to visit Slavic Village for unique food. 

I agree it reminds me a lot of Milwaukee for some reason.
I recall taking the shuttle from the car rental depot (that's strangely in the middle of an old neighborhood with streets, signs, fire hydrants, ornamental trees & bushes, but no houses) back to the airport and a guy proclaiming out loud that he was from Charlotte complaining how much this city sucked and there was nothing to do and how awesome Charlotte was.  I told him he should have went to the Indians game last night like I did.

[keefe]

a guy proclaiming out loud that he was from Charlotte complaining how much this city sucked and there was nothing to do ees & bushes, but no houses) baand how awesome Charlotte was. 

MU82 was drinking again, I guess...

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Only thing that really interests me in Detroit is the Motown museum. Really a goal of mine to get there soon. Best music that was ever made.