Myself and three of my close friends drove up to Michigan for a long weekend. Primarily, we went to cheer on our Alma Mater as they took on the Michigan Wolverines in one of my bucket list attractions, Michigan Stadium, aka., “The Big House”.
Our four-day weekend was centered around the football game, a Tigers game (tickets were dirt cheap), and lots and lots of breweries that the recession-decimated city offers.
The Michigan fans we interacted with could not have been nicer. Maybe it was a “Bless Your Heart” mentality knowing their opponents were 35-point dogs. Nonetheless, we were offered free tailgating food and beer, and our seat mates were cordial, inquisitive, and fun.
I bought a Michigan Wolverines athletic shirt to commemorate my visit.
Detroit
This was the first time I got to witness just how badly the city had been impacted by the recession.
It was incredibly sad to drive up and down the streets of Detroit to see countless abandoned homes left to rot. Many have been razed and the lots sit vacant. Our Airbnb was one of the two-family homes that had been restored.
Even large skyscrapers with ornate facades are left with collapsed roofs and broken windows.
But as bad as some areas are, the city is recovering. Downtown Detroit is clean, has plenty of new industry and housing, and the suburbs are being rebuilt and revitalized.
Detroit has a long way to go to recover from 2008, but it’s apparent that the city and its loyal residents are trying.
Jesus looking approvingly at the vats of brewing beer. 
You can’t get this glorious Alaskan Amber Ale in Tennessee, so while we’re here, we drink. 
Michigan Stadium about an hour before kickoff 
I hate pictures of myself (left), but I had to have this picture to prove I was here in the event the unthinkable happened (a victory… it didn’t). 
The first snap from scrimmage, seconds before MT recovered the fumble! 
We scored first, so I figured I’d snap a picture while we were briefly ahead. 
Goal-line stand! 
I’m in awe of how many people can pack into this space. 
At one point fans started turning on their flashlights 
#KhakiWatch 
We stayed in a restored home that was an apartment on the 2nd floor and an Airbnb on the first floor. 
Since the Detroit Tigers are terrible, cheap tickets made for a nice, lazy Sunday afternoon.
