Tigertown

The morning started off with the hotel breakfast, which turned out to be not so good. Then I tried to look for a place to access the internet, so I can dispute the charges. As it turned out, I would have to go to the Detroit Public Library, to use the computer there. But the problem was that it was outside downtown, and I would have to take a bus to get there.

I decided to take a quick tour of downtown Detroit. This was my first ever visit to the Motor City. I hopped on the People Mover, which is a monorail that takes you around downtown. It took me around, passing by certain buildings, such as Joe Louis Arena, home of the Red Wings. I decided to get off, to check out the GM Renaissance Center (nicknamed RenCen).

The RenCen is group of glass buildings, which is owned by General Motors and serves as its headquarters. I went inside, and looked around the place. There was the showroom, a Marriott hotel, food court, and some shops. The hotel staff there, were a lot more helpful with bus information, and told me where the stops were, near the RenCen.

I went outside on the other side, to the Riverwalk, along the bank of the Detroit River. Across the river is Windsor, Canada. This would be the only spot where Canada is directly south of the US.

I went back inside, and joined a tour. A guide would show us around the building and give some history of the place and the Riverwalk. The highlight was going up to the top in a glass elevator, where we would see outside. Kind of scary. At the top is a restaurant, where we could see the city. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so there was not much to see outside the downtown area. We could barely see Belle Isle.

After the tour ended, I took around the showroom, where there were a display of classic and modern GM vehicles. Then I decided to head to the Detroit Public Library. It was raining hard, and I had to run from the People Mover stop to one of those bus stop booth. Not fun at all. I got to the Midtown area, and was able to use the computer on Wayne State campus.

After taking care of some business there, I headed to the Detroit Historical Museum, which is one of the places I wanted to visit anyway. It did stop raining, which was a great thing, because that meant there will be a baseball game.

I went inside the museum, and looked around. There were displays, showcasing a different time period, and how the automobile industry help Detroit grow and prosper, hence earning the nickname "The Motor City". The part of particular interest, was the Tiger Stadium artifacts, which included a sign and some seats. I will be visiting there later on.

After the museum, I headed back to the hotel. I would talk with the manager, on the charges. He would explain them to me, but I did realize that those extra taxes will not go away. So no point to argue about them. After that, I just headed to my room, to relax.

After relaxing, I headed to Tiger Stadium, having to walk from the People Mover stop to the stadium. I would walk through a depressed neighborhood. Once I got there, I can see it has been fenced off. But I did take the time to take my first and only look at the place in its former glory, before it gets torn down.

I can see the old concession stands, ticket windows, and area where the lettering used to be, which all looked depressing. I can see some plants growing out of the ground. I just think of the history, and how so many have watched baseball for so many years. Heck, it may be haunted, with some ghosts living in it.

I ended up talking with a couple of locals, who were also taking pictures of the place. They have been to actual games inside the stadium. We were at the other end, where we could see the trucks parked, getting ready to tear the place down. So much history, and I wish there would be some way to save it. At least, I get to see it.

After seeing the Tigers’ old place, it was time to head over to their current home, Comerica Park. I walked back to downtown, and headed to the RenCen, to pick up a quick dinner. After eating, I went to Comerica Park, and to the main entrance, where there is a huge tiger statue guarding it.

I went inside the ballpark, and went up to the ferris wheel. I considered riding it, but it would look too odd of a solo adult riding it. So I passed, and walked around the concourse. Then I headed to the Big Cat Court. It has a food court, and a merry-go-round, riding tigers instead of horses.

The Tigers played the Colorado Rockies, and they jump out to a 5-0 lead, thanks to a grand slam. The Rockies came back, scoring 6 runs, to take a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning. But the Tigers roared back, scoring 2 runs and winning the game, 7-6.

After the game, there was a fireworks display, which was great to see. I was not aware there would be one, but no matter. Then I walked to the scoreboard area, and there were statues of great Tiger players, including Ty Cobb.

I left the ballpark, and to the hotel. It has been a fun day in Detroit despite some problems, and I hope to return to Comerica Park in the future.