Detroit

Although the glory days of downtown Detroit are in the past, there is still plenty to see in and around the city. The massive fortunes created by industry continue to fund an array of cultural and educational institutions. The Detroit Institute of Arts has one of the finest collections of paintings in the United States, and the Henry Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn offers a fascinating look at the history of the automobile. For those interested in music, the Motown Historical Museum provides a glimpse of the early days of some pop music luminaries, from the Jackson Five to Diana Ross. And the neighborhoods on the outer edges of the city offer a multitude of cafes and pubs. Royal Oak in the northern reaches of the city is particularly well known for its lively restaurants and nightlife.

Only 45 minutes by car from Detroit, Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan, the 'Harvard of the Midwest'. Ann Arbor is an ideal American college town, big enough to house one of the largest universities in the country but small enough enjoy on foot. The city is host to an array of festivals, from the May Festival of Arts to the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival in September. The famous Street Art Fair runs all summer long, filling hundreds of street-side stalls with arts and crafts from all over the world. And on weekends during the fall, over 100,000 people cram into Michigan's football stadium to watch the Wolverines destroy their unlucky opponents. While getting a ticket a game can be quite a challenge, the town itself goes wild all day and night, providing a great opportunity for visitors to see an American college town at the peak of its sports-crazed madness.