We left Chicago on Friday morning. The drive there took longer than we expected, because we ran into traffic leaving Chicago and then again as we approached Detroit, since we got there during the evening rush hour (oops). So we had just enough time to check into our hotel in Troy and get dressed before heading over to a nearby restaurant where a Hawaiian-themed dinner/dance was being held. It was fun seeing my mom and aunt meet up with people from their hometown who they hadn't seen or heard from in years. Lori and I also met some people from our generation :-) which was cool, since I was concerned that we'd be the only "young" people in attendance... I was almost certainly the oldest of the young'uns, but everyone initially thought I was still in my 20s, if not a teeneger, heh. After dinner, Lori headed off to hang out with some of our new friends, while I headed back to the hotel with the "grown-ups" (I was feeling my age and was pretty tired by that point).
On Saturday, we headed over to Metro Beach Park along the shores of Lake St. Clair, for a picnic with the PAUSA group (the main event of the whole weekend). The weather was great, there was a ton of good food, and I met some more people. After lunch, some of the "youngsters" and I walked over to the beach which was populated with seagulls and Canada geese (!) then headed back to the picnic area for some fun and games, photo opps, and more food. The picnic went on till sundown, then we headed back to the hotel to rest for a little while. Around midnight, Kevin (one of our new pals, who lives in Detroit) picked up my sister, me, and two of Kevin's cousins, and we headed into downtown Detroit for some late-night sightseeing. We saw Ford Field, Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Center, Hart Plaza, and the Spirit of Detroit. We also got to see the Windsor, Ontario skyline, and we drove through Detroit's Greektown. After our little excursion, we grabbed a bite to eat at Steak & Shake and then got back to the hotel around 3am. :-) It was a good time, and Kevin now has a "tour route" that he can use for future Detroit visitors, hehe.
Today's drive back to Chicago wasn't quite as long as the drive out, although we still hit traffic heading into the city (I think a White Sox game let out just as we were driving through the south side... great timing). I had fun spending quality time with the family, and meeting new friends, but it feels good to be back home. Too bad I have to go back to work tomorrow. :-P
Here are a few pics... I will post more once I get access to the ones from my mom's and/or Kevin's cameras.
The PAUSA members
Egg game
In front of Comerica Park
Windsor, Ontario skyline
Mimicking the Underground Railroad statue
