Suggestions for Amtrak traveling in Michigan?

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pennyk

pennyk

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Although I have traveled on many/most Amtrak trains, I have never traveled by train in Michigan.  It has been on my bucket list for a while.  I had planned to visit Joe Hess in Grand Rapids, but did not get there before his untimely passing.  :(

Looking at the schedules, it does not look easy to ride all three Michigan trains without taking a bus or returning to Chicago.  Experts, please correct me if I am wrong.

I am not sure where I want to go in Michigan.  I was in Detroit in 1969 and I understand it is a very different city now.  I was told by a friend from the midwest that I should visit Detroit, maybe Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids or Holland. I am a craft beer drinker and Joe told me that GRR was the craft beer capitol of the country.  I am not sure I believe that, but I was impressed.  I was not impressed with the arrival and departure times to/from GRR.

I know we have many Michiganders on AU (SaraZ) and I would appreciate your suggestions (and comments on my very preliminary itinerary).  I am thinking about traveling in May (if that makes a difference).

I have tenatively come up with the following (which will involve all 3 lines and 3 cities): 

CHI-DET, Wolverine 352

DET-KAL, Wolverine 353

KAL-CHI, Blue Water 365

CHI-HOL (or GRR), Pere Marquette 370

HOL (or GRR) - CHI, Pere Marquette 371

Thank you.
 
The Tulip Festival in Holland is second week in May.....if that interests you.  I live in Holland and know that the festival is the third largest of it's sort (following the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena and Mardi Gras in New Orleans).  Outside of the Tulip Festival there is plenty to do in the area.  We are about five miles from the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.  There also is Dutch Village and Windmill Island that are huge tourist attractions.  You mentioned Joe and stating that Grand Rapids is the craft beer capital....Holland has it's share of microbreweries, most notably New Holland, which is located in the downtown area.  Grand Rapids is a matter of 30 miles to the west, so less than an hour's drive, which adds to the attraction.  We're a little over an hour northwest of Kalamazoo (where SarahZ is from).  As far as riding all three trains in Michigan without a return trip to Chicago.....there is a Thruway Bus that is available, but very inconvenient timewise.....that is the only way, however to do all three trains and stay in state.  It's crazy but true that to go from Holland to Detroit strictly by train we have to route ourselves through Chicago on the Pere Marquette to catch either the Blue Water or Wolverine.  However, there are studies ongoing regarding extending passenger rail across the state....nothing is close to fruition, sadly.
 
I go to concert events at both University of Michigan and also the Detroit Symphony. Classical Music is far more my life than riding trains.

I have used Amtrak Wolverines for some of such, but so long as they have only "three a day", their schedules are simply not adequate. Further, they are "not exactly" reliable.

The present equipment is "no issue" with me. I've always used Business Class which does offer its passengers priority at the Cafe.

The fares are no issue when you consider the full cost of driving out either to "Annie" or Detroit and back.

So there's the dilemma; much prefer to stop at Win Schuller's in Marshall than anything the Snack Bar has to offer. But if schedule reliability can be achieved, if, say, there were "five a day",  and I have to curtail my driving (I'm almost 78), then I guess, by default, I'd be an Amtrak passenger for such journeys.
 
Kalamazoo has many craft breweries within walking distance of the train station. We're starting to rival our friends in GR. ;) Since it appears you're overnighting in KAL, I'd love to meet up for dinner or a drink, depending on the day/time. I can also recommend some places to stay.

I definitely recommend checking out the Tulip Festival while in Holland, providing it fits your schedule (and our weather cooperates). If you arrive after the festival, you'll still get to see all of the tulips in bloom while avoiding the crowds. The tulips stick around for a while.
 
GBNorman said:
I go to concert events at both University of Michigan and also the Detroit Symphony. Classical Music is far more my life than riding trains.

I have used Amtrak Wolverines for some of such, but so long as they have only "three a day", their schedules are simply not adequate. Further, they are "not exactly" reliable.

The present equipment is "no issue" with me. I've always used Business Class which does offer its passengers priority at the Cafe.

The fares are no issue when you consider the full cost of driving out either to "Annie" or Detroit and back.

So there's the dilemma; much prefer to stop at Win Schuller's in Marshall than anything the Snack Bar has to offer. But if schedule reliability can be achieved, if, say, there were "five a day",  and I have to curtail my driving (I'm almost 78), then I guess, by default, I'd be an Amtrak passenger for such journeys.
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OMG, haven't had Win Schullers bar cheese in 40 years! 
 
Post festival, I'd recommend heading up north of Holland a few miles on US-31 to Veldheer's Tulip Farm where the flowers should be in full bloom, plus you can purchase many varieties of tulip bulbs there as well. Also, there is a wooden shoe manufacturing room in the gift shop which is always fascinating to watch.  Speaking of wooden shoes, also located along US-31, a couple miles southeast of downtown is the original wooden shoe factory.  
 
OBS said:
OMG, haven't had Win Schullers bar cheese in 40 years! 
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WAAAY Off topic; OBS. But, even if Schuler"s has now retreated to their original Marshall restuarant (having closed the other outlets they had along the 94), it is such a treat to visit them. I just have to ensure I hold my "Grape Juice" consumption to two, lest I forget I must  drive on either to Annie or Motor City.
 
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GBNorman said:
I must  drive on either to Annie or Motor City.
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(Sorry, Penny. I know this is off-topic, but it's driving me crazy.)

Ann Arbor is not known as "Annie". I'm not sure where you picked that up, but nobody uses that nickname. I lived there for four years, so I have some experience with the common nicknames. It's either "Ann Arbor", "AA", or "a2", which is pronounced either "A Two" or "A-Squared". More uncommonly, it is known as "Tree Town" or, if you are visiting a right-leaning message board, "The People's Republic of Ann Arbor".

Math Geeks - This is the sign for the public ice rink. :)

Screen Shot 2019-03-11 at 9.07.16 PM.png
 
SarahZ said:
(Sorry, Penny. I know this is off-topic, but it's driving me crazy.)

Ann Arbor is not known as "Annie". I'm not sure where you picked that up, but nobody uses that nickname. I lived there for four years, so I have some experience with the common nicknames. It's either "Ann Arbor", "AA", or "a2", which is pronounced either "A Two" or "A-Squared". More uncommonly, it is known as "Tree Town" or, if you are visiting a right-leaning message board, "The People's Republic of Ann Arbor".

Math Geeks - This is the sign for the public ice rink. :)

View attachment 12903
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I couldn't figure out the reference to "Annie".  I thought maybe he was coming from Detroit to see the off Broadway production of Annie (not sure how I got to that conclusion).  That's the first time I also heard it referred to that way....and my Aunt has lived there all my life and beyond.  To be honest, however, I've never heard of "Tree Town" (being that it's uncommon, no surprise there) and I don't frequent right leaning message boards thus never heard of "The People's Republic of Ann Arbor".  I'm particular to calling it A-Squared.  My other nickname is "Home of the Big House" (of course, referring to Michigan Stadium).
 
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SarahZ said:
(Sorry, Penny. I know this is off-topic, but it's driving me crazy.)

Ann Arbor is not known as "Annie". I'm not sure where you picked that up, but nobody uses that nickname. I lived there for four years, so I have some experience with the common nicknames. It's either "Ann Arbor", "AA", or "a2", which is pronounced either "A Two" or "A-Squared". More uncommonly, it is known as "Tree Town" or, if you are visiting a right-leaning message board, "The People's Republic of Ann Arbor".

Math Geeks - This is the sign for the public ice rink. :)

View attachment 12903
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"Annie" is the nickname for the Ann Arbor Railroad, but never for the city.

peter

PS. Sarah, the Ice3 isn't the public ice rink in A2; it's one of the private ones. Vets or Buhr are the public ones.
 
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Please do yourself a favor and visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. One of the best places you’ll ever visit with steam trains rides, model t rides, Thomas Edison’s Laboratory, working farms, Wright brothers bicycle shop, and so much more. It’s right next to Amtrak’s lovely and new Dearborn Station. Many nice hotel options offering shuttles to the museum. 
 
crescent-zephyr said:
Please do yourself a favor and visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. One of the best places you’ll ever visit with steam trains rides, model t rides, Thomas Edison’s Laboratory, working farms, Wright brothers bicycle shop, and so much more. It’s right next to Amtrak’s lovely and new Dearborn Station. Many nice hotel options offering shuttles to the museum. 
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Is Dearborn a better option than Detroit?
 
pennyk said:
Is Dearborn a better option than Detroit?
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In my opinion, yes. The Henry Ford Complex is worth the visit. For more information try www.thehenryford.org

Just FYI, the complex is 0.3 mile from the Amtrak station in Dearborn.
 
PerRock said:
PS. Sarah, the Ice3 isn't the public ice rink in A2; it's one of the private ones. Vets or Buhr are the public ones.
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Oh, we used to drop in for "Public Skating" while teaching my friend to ice skate. Perhaps I used the wrong term when I said "public rink". My apologies. :)
 
pennyk said:
Is Dearborn a better option than Detroit?
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Yes, as far as a place to stay if you plan to see the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village.

I wouldn't skip Detroit entirely, though. If it fits your itinerary, I would try to see a bit of Detroit and then take a train or Lyft/Uber to Dearborn (or vice versa).
 
The Pere Marquette unfortunately functions as a daytrip train for West Michiganders (excluding Kzoo) to the Windy City and a feeder for all Chicago-based service. I’m glad you’ve got GR in your itinerary. It’s worth visiting, and not just because it’s my hometown and home station. As others have said, the craft beer scene is excellent, and GR is a bit of a foodie town. The Van Andel Museum on the Grand River’s west bank contains a life-size diorama of old GR and tells its Furniture City history. Nearby, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum examines in detail one of our country’s most unique presidencies. The local bus system is pretty good for getting around within the city limits and is serviceable in the nearby suburbs.

Though nowadays, Detroit is the place to visit, if for nothing else but to see the redemption of one of the US’s greatest tragedies. Especially if it’s been decades since you last saw it. I’d recommend the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Midtown, which weaves the history of Detroit and the Great Migration into the African diaspora, and the Grand Trunk Pub on Woodward near Campus Martius, a rail-themed watering hole occupying a former streetcar shed and named after the most iconic private railway in the state, Grand Trunk Railroad.
 
Pere Flyer said:
The Pere Marquette unfortunately functions as a daytrip train for West Michiganders (excluding Kzoo) to the Windy City and a feeder for all Chicago-based service. I’m glad you’ve got GR in your itinerary. It’s worth visiting, and not just because it’s my hometown and home station. As others have said, the craft beer scene is excellent, and GR is a bit of a foodie town. The Van Andel Museum on the Grand River’s west bank contains a life-size diorama of old GR and tells its Furniture City history. Nearby, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum examines in detail one of our country’s most unique presidencies. The local bus system is pretty good for getting around within the city limits and is serviceable in the nearby suburbs.
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That’s a pretty good description of the train and of Grand Rapids as a whole. One place of interest I’d like to add is the Frederick Meijer Gardens on the far Northeast side of the city. During the Spring, Summer and Fall the city’s first botanical gardens doubles as a concert venue. Currently they have the annual visit of the butterfly exhibit, which is not only fascinating and fun but relaxing and therapeutic.

Grand Rapids is also a hotbed of minor league sports, with the two most popular teams being the Griffins hockey team who plays downtown at the Van Andel Arena (also a popular concert venue) and the West Michigan Whitecaps baseball team, who plays on the far northwest side at 5/3 Park.
 
My suggestions for Detroit:

Take a tour of The Guardian Building if you love Art Deco - https://guardianbuilding.com/

The Motown Museum - https://www.motownmuseum.org/

The People Mover - https://www.thepeoplemover.com/ (back in the day, when Detroit was a post-apocalyptic hellscape, my uncle jokingly referred to it as the "Mugger Mover")

The Detroit Institute of Arts - https://www.dia.org/ 

Michigan Central Station - http://www.historicdetroit.org/building/michigan-central-station/ 

John King Books - https://www.rarebooklink.com/ - you probably don't want to lug books around with you, but it's fun just to check it out. It is HUUUUUUGE. I've talked about it on this forum before.

I'm not sure where you stand on food, but some true Detroit food would be coneys from Lafayette**, Better Made chips, Faygo pop, Vernors (or a Boston Cooler, which is a Vernors ice cream float - named after the street where it was invented, not the city), and pan pizza (Detroit-style).

If you like Middle Eastern food, you will have tons to choose from if you stay in and/or visit Dearborn. Dearborn has the highest concentration of Arab-Americans in the U.S. :)

**There is a long-standing competition between American and Lafayette. Anyone who prefers American over Lafayette can fight me. ;)
 
WOW.  Thank you so much for your detailed responses.  I know I will not have enough time to do everything, but I do have a great idea of many of the things there is to do in Michigan.  Hopefully, trip this May will work for my schedule.

Thank again to the very kind and responsive Michiganders.
 
crescent-zephyr said:
Please do yourself a favor and visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. One of the best places you’ll ever visit with steam trains rides, model t rides, Thomas Edison’s Laboratory, working farms, Wright brothers bicycle shop, and so much more. It’s right next to Amtrak’s lovely and new Dearborn Station. Many nice hotel options offering shuttles to the museum. 
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Have to emphasize the Henry Ford Museum. My cousin got married there and it was so cool. :)
 

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