The Village of Rochester Hills

Another outdoor mall full of enjoyment for all is actually on the other side of town, The Village of Rochester Hills!  This outdoor mall is actually a few minutes away from Oakland’s campus.  This mall also features many retail stores and restaurants.  And likewise, this outdoor mall like any other is filled with many dogs, (I think it is kind of cute how some retail stores hand out doggy treats for the dogs.)  What I do not think is cute (since I work in retail) is that the sensors count the dogs as clients which ends up affecting the store’s number of visits compared to the purchases (not in a good way since those dogs walking in and out do not purchase anything!).  Oh well I’m glad I work at Somerset where dogs can’t be counted.  The Village is a beautiful place to visit and have a shopping experience during the Holidays when all the lights are up.  The atmosphere feels very joyful with the snow and Christmas lights all around you.  I know I love it and I’m sure those that visit also do.  The Village is also considered the heart of Rochester Hills, which I think is very welcoming. If you like to shop or just walk around enjoying the scenery, The Village of Rochester Hills is a place to be at.

Partridge Creek

An outside mall in Michigan?  No way, not with this bipolar weather... well actually this is only half true.  Yes, we all know Michigan's weather is very bipolar (it was freezing yesterday!  I could not feel my fingers as I walked across campus, yet today I hardly even kept my jacket on. Not to mention it snows one minute and is sunny the next within the same hour!)  Well back to what I was trying to say, we do have outdoor malls here in Michigan!  One of these malls happens to be The Mall of Partridge Creek.  This mall is full of stores you can walk in and out of and feel like your shopping in a mall that would be somewhere in California!  Well in the summer it may feel like this, yet in the winter you walk out to burr!!!! But Partridge Creek is still a delight, not only are there stores, there is also a theater and many restaurants that you can enjoy!  I love it most in the summer when the fountains are working and families are sitting around them and all you see is kids running in and out of the water, everyone is just so happy!  There are also the dogs that are also very fun to look at, well the little cute ones… the big ones  I have a tendency to walk the other way.  Partridge Creek is located in Clinton Township right on M-59 past Garfield (Near Macomb Community College Center Campus, to those that are familiar with this this institution).  Partridge Creek has not been opened for very long as it was opened in 2007!  Yet, this mall is full of fun and great excitement for everyone to visit and enjoy. 

Image - http://detroit.broadwayworld.com/article/Detroit_Pistons_Drumline_To_Perform_At_The_Mall_At_Partridge_Creek_1121_20091116

The Fox Theater

I will continue with the same theme with my prior post (theaters)… this time I will blog about The Fox Theater!  This theater is also in downtown (not to far from the Fillmore, might I add).  This theater is also a historic theater that has been around for a while (built in the 1920s by William Fox).  It is used for entertainment purposes as well.  There are three levels of seating with many seats for you to choose from for any particular event occurring at this theater.  I have been to this theater a while back as I saw the show “The Rockets”, the show was not only great, but the scenery and environment the theater holds is also spectacular. What amazes me is that this theater still stands after ninety- one years; I think that is another reason why it is so great to visit… it carries a lot of history.  Many shows are held in this theater, especially now with the upcoming holiday, you are bound to see many more holiday relating shows, such as “White Christmas”.  Tickets to such functions can be found on ticket master website.  The theater scenery and design comes from an Indian, Egyptian, Far Eastern style (which I think makes it more beautiful and elegant).   The decorative scene keeps most guests coming back and new guests that “ah” feeling.   If you have not been to this theater, you should really go and check it out as the features themselves will enlighten you.

The Fillmore!

The Fillmore is a theater located right in downtown… lots of shows and entertainment is held in this theater.  Much of this entertainment comes from the music industry.  Actually, the Mojo show on 9.55 is hosting a Jingle Jam show here at the Fillmore on December 6!  This Jingle Jam is the radio show’s annual Holiday office party.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow for those of you who are interested (tickets are being sold at reasonable prices) you can get more info on the 9.55 website.  But the show seems fun as it is featuring David Guetta (who I love to listen to since his accent is so entertaining), Llyod, Cobra Starship, and LEWD Society.   Mojo tried to get Eminem as Eminem agreed to come, but the dates were bad timing for Eminem as he will be in a different country(I believe Australia) on a tour, so he won’t be performing.  These other performers do seem great though, and this event should be fun.  If you have never been to the Fillmore, this event could be your first… most people enjoy the theater as it has been in the heart of Detroit for many years now (originally opened in 1925, yeah LOTS of years).  The theater‘s environment makes you feel like you are back in time (chandlers are very elegant!)  If you are not into the Jingle Jam holiday party, there are other future events occurring such as performances by Indigo Girls, Mastodon, and City and Colour.  Your night at the Fillmore is a great experience you will not regret. 

  Images - http://www.detroitfunk.com/?tag=fillmore-theater

Motown Historical Museum

This is not some ordinary museum, it also once was the headquarters of Motown records and Tamla records during the 1960s.  This is also an attraction in our very own downtown.  What I thought was cool was that Stevie Wonders and The Temptations recorded their hits here.  Other artists I may not know, but some of you may be aware of are Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and Miracles, and The Marvelettes.  Another cool thing I read about was that the Motown Records was nicknamed Hitsville USA because it produced so many hits at once.  The museum (which is actually two houses combined) consists of an office, a recording studio, a switch board, and a daycare.  I know at first I thought this was all very random.  The Motown museum holds memorabilia for all its’ artists.   This includes album covers, costumes, and pictures that relate to the history of Motown.  The founder of Motown was Berry Gordy.  If you like music, why not visit this attraction and learn about the history of those artists that were founded right here in your hometown.  I did not know this place existed until I was researching attractions in Detroit and this came up.  This attraction seems interesting enough to visit.  Motown holds a lot of its’ history still today.  It still has cigar and candy vending machines, the same ones from before.  It also has much of the recording equipment from back then.  I love history and any type of historical attraction will work for me.  This attraction preserves the history of Motown Records.

Greektown

A night of entertainment and enjoyment… this is what you should expect when you visit our very own Greektown casino and resort.  This attraction is located right in downtown area.   Greektown is known for its’ magnificent restaurants as the food is what some people keep coming back for, well I  know that why I always tend to go back.  The other thing is I am still not 21 and therefore cannot gamble, which leads me to my other point… the casino!!!  Greektown is one of the major casinos located in the downtown area.  As weird as it sounds, well maybe to just me, my parents still go on somewhat “dates” to Greektown and enjoy a nice dinner and then entertain themselves at the casino.   This would be one of those“best of both worlds” type of attraction when it comes to taking someone on a date… since you have the dinner and the entertainment back to back with one another.  Greektown also provides its’ own hotel for those that want to “getaway”.  They can go downtown and enjoy their night and instead of going back home, they can enjoy a longer night out and then just go right upstairs to their room.  It should feel like they are really on a “mini type of getaway”.  Greektown casino also provides music and show entertainment for its’ guests.   Just remember the dining is available for anyone, but the casino only allows those who are 21 years old.

Image -  http://detnews.com/article/20090722/BIZ/907220337/

Cider Mill

This time of the year is the perfect time to gather your friends or family and head out to the Cider mill!  One of my favorite cider mills is the Westview Orchard.  This orchard provides a cider mill, apple picking (this time of year; as it may vary depending on the season), and an adventurous farm.  The different crops or fruits that grow here vary from peaches, apples, pumpkins, cherries, corn, strawberries, and much much more.  They also provide a mini farm area with farm animals you can feed or pet.  If your bring children along, this orchard has a children playground.  I have been on many field trips here with my preschoolers/toddlers and they love it!  The playground is very safe might I mention, as it is cover with tire rubber (instead of rocks or sand) which is very convenient and safe when little children are running around.  The cider mill and donuts are absolutely delicious as well!  This cider mill is located on 30 mile and Van dyke (if you take m-53 all the way up it would be on your left hand side once you pass 30 mile).  Spending the day at the orchard is fun and relaxing.  You can also walk around and enjoy the scenery while you are there.  Make sure to grab some extra cider mill and donuts before you leave (you might crave them the next day as I always do).  The cider mill will not be open for much longer, so take the opportunity and head out there before it gets too cold out!