Waypoints | STOPS ALONG THE WAY
Detroit, MI: DET
If you want to experience the real Motor City in all its glory and decay, avoid the international airport and make your landing downtown at the City Airport, where you get a full sense of its beautiful architecture and the cost of urban abandonment. The city continues fighting for revival, with the rebirth of areas like the Brewery District and the Millennium Center.
Nicer downtown hotels include the luxurious Atheneum Suites in Greektown, and the Omni along the river. The Atheneum is within walking distance of the Greektown casino and a dozen Greek restaurants.
For the best dining experience, stay at the Omni, which puts you just a block away from what is probably Detroit’s finest restaurant, the Rattlesnake Club. Its menu and wine list are outstanding, and the staff is extraordinarily attentive. We called ahead and asked for a river view and a dozen roses for a birthday surprise. Not only was everything perfect, the roses lasted for a week! How often does that happen?
Wilmington, NC: ILM
For a surprisingly good time when shuttling between the northeast and Florida, consider an overnight stay at Wilmington.
Perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean north of Myrtle Beach, Wilmington offers all of the sun, sand and surf of better-known beach communities, but without the crowds and traffic.
Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington has a rich history closely tied to its role as a hub for transportation and trade.
The city has an unusual distinction tied to its transportation past: It’s home to the longest continuous stretch of railroad track in America without a bend or turn,
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extending straight ahead for more than 100 miles of track heading northwest.
Downtown shops and historic homes rival Savannah, GA, for their southern charm and character, while the city’s port culture provides some of the region’s most outstanding seafood, as well as some lip-smacking barbecue.
For a special treat, stay at the 1905 Graystone Inn, a B&B that has been voted one of the most romantic inns in the United States.
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South Bend, IN: SBN
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You don’t have to be a football fan or an alum of nearby Notre Dame to appreciate the charms of South Bend, where stately 19th century mansions and homesteads such as the Tippecanoe, a restored 40-room mansion with 20 hand-crafted fireplaces, sit less than 100 feet from high-rise office buildings and hotels.
The Tippecanoe is home to one of the most unusual, and outstanding, dining choices in the area, the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant. This wonderful experience doesn’t end with an outstanding meal or its exceptionally thorough wine list. After dinner, you can freely roam the mansion and explore the onetime home of Clement Studebaker, who made his fortune supplying wagons to the military during the Civil War. And it’s all just four blocks from the downtown Holiday Inn.
If you have a car and prefer to stay close to the airport, consider the Inn at St. Mary’s, which is next to St. Mary’s College and offers both a free breakfast and a free high-speed Internet connection in every room. The quaintly decorated hotel is clean and comfortable, but you will need to drive to find a place to eat lunch or dinner.
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