Welcome

Greetings to the many thousands of readers from across Canada and the United States, as well as countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Romania and the Netherlands.

Total Pageviews

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Thanksgiving Day parade, Buddy's: Metro Detroit iconic attractions



   One-Tank Trip for Nov. 19/16
 
   By Jim Fox

   They say that “everyone loves a parade” and this one marking the U.S. Thanksgiving next Thursday in Detroit is certainly no exception.
   It’s been around for 90 years and recognized as one of the best parades in the country.
   The storied spectacle attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and is also shown on TV in more than 170 U.S. cities.
Crowds of spectators line Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the Thanksgiving Day parade.
   It offers a “star-studded celebrity line-up for this major milestone year,” said Tony Michaels, president and ceo of the Parade Company.
   It moves off at 8:50 a.m. at Kirby and Woodward with “larger-than-life floats, colourful helium-filled balloons, thunderous marching bands and exciting specialty acts.”

   This holiday tradition is led by parade co-grand marshals Judge Damon Keith and comedian Keegan-Michael Key.
   They are joined by U.S. Olympic athletes Allison Schmitt, Aly Raisman and April Ross, singer/songwriter Mike Posner, Motown’s Martha Reeves and the cast of Motown the Musical.
   There will be new floats from Ford Motor Co., Shinola, Quicken, DTE Energy, Huntington Bank, Lear, Skillman Foundation and the Detroit Jazz Festival, said publicist Heather George.
   Motown’s Hitsville float moves with the groove at the Detroit parade.
   Also marching is the Yankee Air Museum Rosie the Riveter Tribute Corps with two original riveters representing the Second World War poster icon.
   Parade favourites are Detroit’s sports team mascots and the grand arrival by Santa in his hand-crafted sleigh bringing up the rear.
   Before the parade starts, some 20,000 runners will flood into the downtown for the Turkey Trot five-and-10K runs. Details: theparade.org; (313) 923-7400

   No matter how you slice it
   All that marching and parade-watching helps to work up a big appetite and Buddy’s Pizza is another Detroit iconic business popular with the masses.
   It’s been 70 years since Concietta “Connie” Piccinato and Gus Guerra baked the first Detroit-style square pizza in the ovens at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria on the corner of Six Mile and Conant streets.
Hot out of the oven is Detroit-style pizza prepared by Bill Kubit of Buddy’s in Warren. (Jim Fox photo)
   The birthplace of one of the Motor City’s most iconic dishes remains open today and continues to serve up the original recipe, attracting hungry locals and visitors from afar including Ontario.
   There’s the original square Sicilian-style pizza, made-from-scratch soups and iconic antipasto salad, prepared as they were in 1946.
   The menu features pizzas named after the Great Lakes, with Ontario being Motor City cheese blend, cilantro, Canadian bacon, grilled pineapple and Buddy’s BBQ sauce.
The Detroit Zoo pizza (foreground) and the Motown variety at Buddy’s. (Barbara Fox photo)
   The Motor City Pizza Collection has the Detroit Zoo with cheese blend, roasted tomatoes, basil, pine nuts and tomato basil sauce, and the Motown has cheese blend, Old World pepperoni and bacon.
   Now with 11 locations, Buddy’s is consistently voted the number one pizza locally, regionally and nationally as it “remains true to its Detroit roots, legacy and traditions,” said Wes Pikula, vice-president of operations. buddyspizza.com

   Attention shoppers
   No visit to Michigan is complete without some shopping.
An operating Italian-built handcrafted carousel is in the food court at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets. (Jim Fox photo)
   Two of the haunts that Amy Grundman of Taubman says “welcome a fair amount of Canadian shoppers” are Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills and Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.

   Both have a new holiday experience called Santa’s Flight Academy” with great photo opportunities for a fee.
   This combines a “giant reimagination” of the North Pole with state-of-the-art technology to enable children to become a member of Santa’s flight crew while partnering with an elf.
All ready for Santa, the elves and the kids
   Also at Great Lakes is the Sea Life Michigan Aquarium offering an “awe-inspiring, educational journey” through the underwater world.
   There are some 5,000 creatures such as sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, eels, sea horses, tropical fish, octopus and fish native to the Great Lakes and surrounding waterways. visitsealife.com/michigan
Sea horses at Sea Life Michigan Aquarium (Jim Fox photo)
   The Passport to Shopping discount booklet is available at Great Lakes, with 185 outlets and specialty stores, for visitors from at least 80 kms away, available at Guest Services.
   For info and Black Friday deals: greatlakescrossingoutlets.com; shoptwelveoaks.com
   The Metro Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau also offers the “D Discount Pass,” good for deals on attraction admissions: visitdetroit.com/discount; 1-800-DETROIT (338-7648).

-30-

Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca

No comments:

Post a Comment