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Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Why America's least-known stretch of ‘coast' may actually be its loveliest
Detroit gives up the ghost without much of a fight. Not in that stereotypical sense of its supposedly being America's great failed city (its resurgence over the past decade makes it anything but); more in the way that it vanishes in my mirrors with barely a murmur or a wave. One minute they are there in the urban panorama behind me – the Guardian Building in its art deco majesty; the grand bulk of Michigan Central Station, freshly restored to its Belle Epoque glory. The next, they are gone, and all I am left with is water. Of course, water is not a difficult thing to find at Michigan's south-eastern corner. For this is the realm of the Great Lakes. And in leaving 'Motor City' in search of the state's many miles of lake shore, I am spoilt for choice. I could go south, towards the arrowhead of Lake Erie, its tip pointed at the froth and fury of Niagara Falls. I could go west, towards Lake Michigan – that expanse of grey-blue so colossal that it might as well be a sea. I could even go east, to Lake St Clair which, while not technically one of the Great-Lakes quintet, is an important piece in the vast navigable jigsaw of waterways that defines the eastern parts of the relationship between the United States and Canada. But no. I am ignoring each of these possibilities. Because I am driving north, towards what may be the least appreciated of the Great Lakes. Certainly, Lake Huron is the least known of this famous five – even though it is larger than the more celebrated Lake Ontario (where Toronto holds court as a Canadian New York); even though it is only eclipsed in surface area by the enormous Lake Superior (the biggest lake on the planet by certain metrics). A giant in its own right, 23,000 square miles in its hugeness, Lake Huron is somehow also dismissed as an appendix to that road-trip heartthrob Lake Michigan – to which it is connected by the narrow Straits of Mackinac. Never mind that the suspension bridge of the same name which spans this gap is a further photogenic joy, a Midwest cousin of the Golden Gate Bridge, preening in green and white – Lake Huron is an outsider. But it is this forgotten soul – in its silver magnificence – that I am seeking. More to the point, I am looking for its most curious stretch of shoreline. If Michigan's 'Lower Peninsula' – the core of the state, shaped by Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Huron on the other – is generally deemed to resemble a super-sized mitten, then the lump of land which juts up, and out, some 100 or so miles north of Detroit is the thumb on this gargantuan hand. Indeed, it is referred to as such, via the quirky moniker 'Thumb Coast' – an area of fresh air and considerable beauty, but few international tourists. Certainly, there are few visitors in evidence when I pull into Port Huron. This doughty town occupies a crucial position – at the south tip of the lake, where the St Clair river breaks off and ebbs 40 miles south towards Detroit. It is shadowed, for the entirety of this journey, by Canada, which waits on the other bank, the border running down the middle. The view is only interrupted by the tankers that thread this slender needle, either forging down to Motown, or escaping from it, craving the deeper waters that the Huron promises. Deeper, but perhaps not always safer. Positioned right at the meeting of lake and river – so close to the junction that the Blue Water Bridge to Canada all but sweeps over its rooftop – Port Huron's main hotel, the Doubletree, keeps a careful eye on the currents. It provides an information board for tanker-spotters, displaying the estimated times that these great metal beasts of the ocean will darken its rear door. Its restaurant (inevitably called 'Freighters') is a perfect spot from which to watch these ships as they lumber past. There is also a warning from history; a stark mural depicting the spume-tossed sinking of the SS Regina – a freighter, loaded with crates of soap and whiskey, which went to the lakebed just off Lexington, 20 miles to the north along the Thumb Coast, in the infamous 'Storm of 1913'. This four-day cataclysm (November 7-10 1913) remains the deadliest such weather event in the documented history of the Great Lakes, destroying 19 ships and taking 250 lives. The Regina's wreck was finally located, in 80ft (24m) of water, in 1986. As befits a maritime connection-point of such barnacle-hulled authenticity, Port Huron has a wealth of these stories. Life and death – with the latter often taking the lead – have danced a frequent waltz around its streets in the three and a half centuries since it sprouted from the military acorn (Fort St Joseph) founded by the French in 1686. The town museum runs a regular tour, aboard an antique trolleybus, which picks at some of these threads: the store where Herbert Youngblood, an associate of US gangster John Dillinger, was shot and killed by police in 1934; the stretch of the smaller Black river where the SS Eastland, a pleasure-cruiser, was built in 1903 (only to become the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history when it capsized while docked in Chicago in July 1915, killing 844). There are brighter tales too. Directly below the Blue Water Bridge, the Thomas Edison Depot Museum covers the American genius's teenage years. The inventor of the lightbulb lived in Port Huron between 1854 and 1863, and spent some of this period working on the railroad – selling newspapers and refreshments to passengers riding the line down to Detroit, while conducting experiments in a laboratory set up in a rear carriage. The train service to Motown has long since ceased, but the tracks still cling to the waterfront, halting at the former station where the adolescent Edison leapt off and ran home for tea. It is almost impossible to take your eyes off the water. Just beyond the bridge, where Lake Huron begins to unfurl, the Fort Gratiot Light Station monitors the waves in that stately manner of 19th century (in this case, 1829) lighthouses. A staunch vision in whitewash, it has always had an important role to play. Directly behind it, Lighthouse Beach is a gorgeous stretch of golden sand, but the message printed on the signs here is simple: 'Warning: Dangerous currents, deep water and steep drop-offs. Enter water at own risk.' And yet, Lake Huron retracts this bare-toothed grimace for every mile I advance up the Thumb Coast. Soon, I am into that pastoral, almost picket-fence America where small communities perch on the shore, and the lake is a pane of glass under a benign sun. North Lakeport is a picture of calm, where the picnic tables and swings of Burtchville Township Park nuzzle the waterline. Lexington quietly ignores the ghost of the SS Regina, out there beyond its shallows, to face the world as a homely place, children and grandparents fishing in the little lagoon next to the marina. Port Sanilac plays a similar card 11 miles farther north, First Mate Ice Cream waiting to sell frozen treats to the youngsters who are dashing about in the adjacent playground. Another 30 miles on, Harbor Beach hardly raises the volume, even if the two elongated concrete piers which reach out into the Huron give it an improbable status as the planet's biggest man-made freshwater harbour. It all comes to a head – or, at least, to an unvarnished nail – where Pointe Aux Barques crowns the 'Thumb'. From this point, the Lower Peninsula shore continues to twist for 300 more miles, to the foot of the Mackinac Bridge. But here is an easy full-stop of sorts. And a pretty one. 'Turnip Rock' is surely an ungracious name for the sea-stack that compliments the lakefront in this lovely hamlet, its hundreds of undercut layers of rock offering an unspoken wisdom; a tacit record of the relentless motion of the waves over many millennia. As I am admiring its contours, a freighter bellows out on the lake, the sound reverberating even as the vessel inches towards the horizon. Perhaps this horn blast is a farewell to the land. Maybe, if you will pardon the pun, it is an approving thumbs-up. Essentials Delta flies direct to London Heathrow to Detroit from £745 return. The Doubletree in Port Huron has rooms from £87. America As You Like It (020 8742 8299) sells a Pure Michigan road-trip which visits Port Huron and the Huron lakeside as part of a 13-night route around the state. From £1,945pp, with flights, accommodation and car hire.
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Michigan Matters: New chapters being written at 2 revamped historic buildings
It's a tale of two historic buildings in Metro Detroit finding new life as leaders involved talk about changes at Michigan Central Station and the Dearborn Inn on Michigan Matters. It's been a year since the shuttered train station reopened as Michigan Central Station, which has grown into an innovation hub revitalizing the Corktown area, as Joshua Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central, discusses. Joshua Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central. Briana Thompson/CBS Detroit Then, Laurel Martinez, Destination Sales Executive for the Dearborn Inn; Julie Mendola, Global Portfolio Director for Ford Land; and Ted Ryan, Archives and Heritage Brand Manager for Ford Motor Co., discuss the revamped Dearborn Inn. It was started by Henry Ford as one of the first hotels in the nation for an airport a generation ago. Laurel Martinez, Julie Mendola and Ted Ryan. Briana Thompson/CBS Detroit The Inn recently reopened after being closed as it underwent a significant makeover. The goal is to grow its impact in Dearborn. (Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). (Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan).
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Luxury hotel company to locate on top floors of Michigan Central Station
A luxury hotel is moving into part of Michigan Central Station, planning 180 rooms and 30 suites for the top floors of the building's tower. This development will be the debut of NoMad Hotels in Michigan, via an agreement with Ford Motor Company that now owns the former passenger rail station. "A year after we opened Michigan Central Station to the world, our vision to create a global innovation hub and a destination symbolizing Detroit's future is well underway," Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Company, said in the press release. The NoMad announcement Monday follows the announcement of the hotel brand's Asia debut in Singapore, after Sydell Group and Hilton partnered last year in that joint venture. The NoMad brand was founded in 2011 and is led by CEO Andrew Zobler, an industry veteran in the lifestyle hospitality space. The Michigan Central location will be part of Hilton's international luxury portfolio, with wellness facilities and additional amenities amid an interior design that celebrates the work of Detroit artists and makers. "NoMad has built a reputation for developing hotels that take inspiration from the history, art, design and culture that make a place unique, and NoMad Detroit is poised to be no exception," Andrew Zobler, Founder & CEO, Sydell Group, said in the announcement. "A city steeped in history with an incredibly bright future, NoMad Detroit is part of an ambitious project that is transforming The Station at Michigan Central into a center for commerce, innovation, community and culture." The hotel space is expected to open in 2027. The development will mark the first time in the building's history that floors 14-18 will be occupied. Built in 1913, Michigan Central Station was intended as a replacement for the previous Detroit Union Depot. At its peak, the rail station saw more than 4,000 passengers a day. The station closed in 1988 because of changes in travel patterns. Ford reopened the building in June 2024 after a six-year restoration effort. There are now tours, a gift shop, and other visitor amenities with Michigan Central intended to become a cornerstone of development in the Corktown area. A mix of tenants are expected as development continues, and the first to move into the building included Ford Motor Company teams.
Travel Weekly
02-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Hilton and Ford partner to transform Michigan Central Station into the NoMad Detroit
Hilton has unveiled plans to open a NoMad hotel inside Detroit's Michigan Central Station. The luxury hotel will be developed through a partnership with Ford Motor Company, which acquired Michigan Central Station in 2018. The hotel will be part of The Station at Michigan Central, a former passenger rail terminal that's being redeveloped into a district that will have retail, public parks, outdoor plazas and 1.2 million square feet of commercial space across multiple restored historic buildings. According to Hilton, the project will involve a "careful renovation" of the station. Detroit's passenger rail service ended in 1988. The largely vacant building fell into disrepair before being acquired by Ford. Hilton acquired NoMad last year and plans to rapidly grow the NoMad brand. In addition to the NoMad Detroit, Hilton said it has 15-plus deals in various stages of development globally. Those plans include the 173-room NoMad Singapore, which is expected to open in 2027. The new NoMad properties will join the flag's one hotel, the NoMad London, which opened in 2021. Hilton has accelerated the addition luxury and lifestyle hotels. The company expects to add three luxury and lifestyle hotels per week through 2025; more than 150 openings are planned worldwide this year. Hilton has approximately 1,000 luxury and lifestyle hotels globally across several brands, including Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection, Waldorf Astoria, LXR, Conrad, Graduate, Canopy, Signia, Motto and Tempo.
Times
14-05-2025
- Times
10 of the best cities to visit in the US
I have lost count of the number of cities I've visited the US — not just for work as a travel writer, but for holidays and concerts, too. I've spent time in some of its best urban hubs (Austin, New Orleans) and some of its worst (Albany, I'm sorry). There are the underdog cities — the ones where people ask why you'd want to go there (one answer is because Detroit is exciting, entrepreneurial and full of incredible architecture). And then there are obvious candidates such as Miami, which I've visited both with my cocktail connoisseur friend, Tom, who loved the LGBT clubs, and solo, both trips being equally fun in different ways. Those are just a handful of the US cities I love — below, you'll find plenty more. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Detroit is sometimes unfairly judged on its history — the once prosperous city, home of Ford motors and more, fell into huge decline during the second half of the last century, so much so that there are tours of the skeleton remains of factories, warehouses and theatres. The revamp and official reopening in 2024 of the once glamorous, then derelict Michigan Central Station symbolised a new era for the birthplace of Motown music. But there had been signs of change and renewal for decades, with fresh, independent restaurants and great community initiatives: the city has a true entrepreneurial spirit. The Detroit Institute of Arts is one of my favourite galleries in the country (the building alone will stop you in your tracks) and a visit to the Motown Museum is a must. The watch brand Shinola made its start in the city, and has its own very cool hotel, too. Newmarket Holidays' ten-day Music Cities of America tour of venues around the Great Lakes takes in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Washington. • Read our full guide to the US There's no shortage of superb cities to visit in California, but San Diego takes the state's top spot for me. There are many reasons I love it — the beaches and the outdoor pursuits, from kayaking to surfing, for a start. But the best bit is its food scene. The city's location, right on the border with Mexico (you can hop over to Tijuana for taco tours and tequila) means that you'll find Cal-Mex cuisine at its best — lightly battered fish tacos squeezed with lime, seafood platters, huge salads and every hot sauce imaginable. From the outside it's a riot of colour; inside, the contemporary bedrooms are a little more grown up. And the downtown location of Staypineapple, Hotel Z, is great too. This fully guided 13-day group tour from Globus takes in all the big hitters of California, finishing up in San Diego. • Read our full guide to California• Best things to do in California There's one city in the US that I urge everyone who loves beaches to visit — Miami. It's a place that has it all — an exciting contemporary art scene (head to Wynwood for that), warm Cuban culture and hospitality in Little Havana and beautiful architecture in the form of candy-coloured art deco hotels. Then there are those seemingly never-ending stretches of sand: the city is a great spot for winter sun, especially if you're looking for a lively atmosphere, LGBT-friendly nightlife and great food. Grab a counter seat and people-watch at La Sandwicherie. A seafront location, contemporary rooms and excellent spa make Loews Miami Beach Hotel a favourite. Virgin Atlantic Holidays has reasonable flight and hotel packages for stays in Miami. • More great hotels in Miami• Discover our full guide to Florida Providence is not as well known as its neighbours, including Boston, which is about an hour's drive north. But the under-the-radar Rhode Island capital, once one of the richest in America thanks to its textile, tool and jewellery industries, is a destination for certain travellers — namely those keen on dining in the restaurants of the country's next big-name chefs. Why? Well, the city is home to some of the USA's best culinary schools. But it's not all about fancy dining: you'll find entrepreneurs opening doughnut shops and fried chicken shacks alongside award-winning restaurants, plus old-school Italian delis in the Federal Hill neighbourhood. Aloft Providence Downtown is a fuss-free but stylish hotel in the centre of the city. Costsaver's ten-day tour wraps up Providence, Cape Cod, Vermont and more in one big trip. Texans — and visitors to the state — will tell you that left-leaning Austin feels very different to the rest of the state. It has a much more relaxed vibe than Dallas and Houston, and operates with the motto 'Keep Austin Weird'. A lot of what you do here should be outside: there are outdoor swimming lakes and municipal parks with so much to do that they could rival theme parks, making it a great city for kids. The best bit may just be the independent restaurants and bars, from an incredible barbecue scene (and vegan food trucks for balance) to festoon light-lit beer gardens, where you can sip locally brewed beers and enjoy live music and line dancing. It's a city that will sweep you away with its effortlessly cool yet unpretentious atmosphere. Hotel San Jose is a mellow, beautifully decorated former motel with a colourful small pool area. Travelbag's 12-night self-drive trip takes in Austin and other big Texan cities. • Best US road trips The city of Scottsdale is often overlooked in Best of the US lists — it's just 30 minutes down the road from Phoenix, Arizona's capital, after all. It's smaller, more relaxed and — whisper it — far cooler, with epic desert hikes on its doorstep, lush golf courses, very hip spa hotels and great independent boutiques, restaurants and galleries. Its location makes it a handy base for day trips to the Grand Canyon and it's a great tag-on to any California trip. Don't miss a stroll around Taliesin West, the former home of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Mountain views and a slick spa combine at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, just a ten-minute taxi from the old town. Cosmos' Western Wonders group tour takes in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Palm Springs and more. • Best US national parks If you were to visit just one city in the US, I'd make it New Orleans. It's impossible to not be immediately captivated by NOLA, a city that's adored by every visitor, whatever their intentions. Some visit for food and nightlife, others for the historic architecture, from small colourful homes on the outskirts to the ornate balconies of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. Creole cuisine is big here, as is the po' boy (a Louisiana sandwich), but there are other foodie spots to love — from burgers at the counter at moodily lit Port of Call to cheese and wine with a side of live jazz in the garden at Bacchanal. Music is everywhere — hop between bars and hear sensational solo musicians or bigger brass bands, from morning till late at night. Electric, colourful decor is just part of the reason that the Columns, a lovingly restored boutique hotel, is such a special stay. Exodus Adventure Travels has a ten-day New Orleans to Nashville group tour, taking in several soulful southern cities. • More great hotels in New Orleans• The ultimate guide to Mardi Gras in New Orleans It would be remiss to write a list of the best cities in the US and not include New York. The sights of Manhattan are a must for first-timers: views from the top of the Empire State Building; pictures beneath the bright lights of Times Square; Central Park wanders. But there are plenty of other great ways to see the city, from kayaking along the Hudson River to joining an afternoon sailing trip (book via Airbnb Experiences), tacking past the Statue of Liberty. Brooklyn has soared in popularity over the past decade thanks to its restaurants and independent shops, but don't bypass Queens for food (Flushing is home to the city's largest Chinatown), or the Bronx, with its Beer Hall in an old-school food hall (deli meats and huge sandwiches) in Little Italy. Comfy beds, strong rain showers, reasonable prices and a location in the thick of the action makes Moxy NYC Times Square a great choice for first-timers. Cosmos has 11-day tours of the US, taking in Washington DC, Niagara Falls and plenty of time in NYC, too. • Best affordable hotels in New York• Best hotels in Brooklyn Neoclassical mansions on cobbled streets; leafy squares lined with oaks; wide, empty beaches just 15 miles away: Savannah is one of the prettiest cities in the south, and feels like a gentle, elegant escape in a country of thrumming cities. Its temperate climate also makes it a great choice during the UK's winter; you can still dine alfresco in one of the many quirky cafés and stroll streets that feel like an outdoor gallery. The city is really easy to walk around, and it's worth booking a walking tour to digest the fascinating history, from inns and churches to multi-storey mansions. Leave time to explore the sleepy stretches of sand and quaint neighbourhoods of Tybee Island. Bed down in Hotel Bardo Savannah, one of the city's most stylish and central stays. Intrepid Travel's eight-day Georgia History Trail tour has stops in Savannah, Charleston and Nashville. • Most beautiful places in America One of Denver's biggest claims to fame (aside from its location right by the Rocky Mountains) is that it's one of the most liveable cities in the US. Three hundred days of sunshine a year — or something close, at least, to the oft-repeated claim — certainly helps with that. There's plenty to pack in to a few days here, from the antique shops in SoBo to the smart food halls of downtown via excellent museums such as the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art and the kid-friendly Denver Museum of Nature & Science. That's before you head out on any hikes. There are hundreds of trails within a 20 to 60-minute drive from the city, with forest walks and more challenging mountain ascents. Inky blue paint and mahogany walls help make Life House, in trendy LoHi, one of the city's coolest stays. WeVenture Travel's three-day group tour of Denver and the Rocky Mountains is a great tag-on to a trip to the west of the US. • The ultimate US travel itineraries
