One-Tank Trip for
Nov. 19/16
By Jim Fox
They say that “everyone
loves a parade” and this one marking the U.S. Thanksgiving next Thursday in
Detroit is certainly no exception.
It’s been around
for 90 years and recognized as one of the best parades in the country.
The storied spectacle
attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and is also shown on TV in more
than 170 U.S. cities.
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| Crowds of spectators line Woodward Avenue in Detroit for the Thanksgiving Day parade. |
It offers a “star-studded
celebrity line-up for this major milestone year,” said Tony Michaels, president
and ceo of the Parade Company.
It moves off at 8:50
a.m. at Kirby and Woodward with “larger-than-life floats, colourful
helium-filled balloons, thunderous marching bands and exciting specialty acts.”
This holiday
tradition is led by parade co-grand marshals Judge Damon Keith and comedian
Keegan-Michael Key.
They are joined by
U.S. Olympic athletes Allison Schmitt, Aly Raisman and April Ross, singer/songwriter
Mike Posner, Motown’s Martha Reeves and the cast of Motown the Musical.
There will be new
floats from Ford Motor Co., Shinola, Quicken, DTE Energy, Huntington Bank,
Lear, Skillman Foundation and the Detroit Jazz Festival, said publicist Heather
George.
 |
Motown’s Hitsville
float moves with the groove at the Detroit parade.
|
Also marching is the
Yankee Air Museum Rosie the Riveter Tribute Corps with two original riveters representing
the Second World War poster icon.
Parade favourites
are Detroit’s sports team mascots and the grand arrival by Santa in his
hand-crafted sleigh bringing up the rear.
Before the parade
starts, some 20,000 runners will flood into the downtown for the Turkey Trot
five-and-10K runs. Details: theparade.org;
(313) 923-7400
No matter how you slice it
All that marching
and parade-watching helps to work up a big appetite and Buddy’s Pizza is
another Detroit iconic business popular with the masses.
It’s been 70 years
since Concietta “Connie” Piccinato and Gus Guerra baked the first Detroit-style
square pizza in the ovens at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria on the corner of Six
Mile and Conant streets.
 |
| Hot out of the oven
is Detroit-style pizza prepared by Bill Kubit of Buddy’s in Warren. (Jim Fox
photo)
|
The birthplace of
one of the Motor City’s most iconic dishes remains open today and continues to
serve up the original recipe, attracting hungry locals and visitors from afar including
Ontario.
There’s
the original square Sicilian-style pizza, made-from-scratch
soups and iconic antipasto salad, prepared as they were in 1946.
The menu features pizzas
named after the Great Lakes, with Ontario being Motor City cheese blend,
cilantro, Canadian bacon, grilled pineapple and Buddy’s BBQ sauce.
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| The Detroit Zoo pizza (foreground) and the Motown variety at Buddy’s. (Barbara Fox photo) |
The Motor City
Pizza Collection has the Detroit Zoo with cheese blend, roasted tomatoes,
basil, pine nuts and tomato basil sauce, and the Motown has cheese blend, Old
World pepperoni and bacon.
Now with 11
locations, Buddy’s is consistently voted the number one pizza locally,
regionally and nationally as it “remains true to its Detroit roots, legacy and traditions,”
said Wes Pikula, vice-president of operations. buddyspizza.com
Attention shoppers
No visit to Michigan
is complete without some shopping.
 |
| An operating Italian-built handcrafted carousel is in the food court at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets. (Jim Fox photo) |
Two of the haunts
that Amy Grundman of Taubman says “welcome a fair amount of Canadian shoppers”
are Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills and Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.
Both have a new holiday
experience called Santa’s Flight Academy” with great photo opportunities for a
fee.
This combines a
“giant reimagination” of the North Pole with state-of-the-art technology to
enable children to become a member of Santa’s flight crew while partnering with
an elf.
 |
| All ready for Santa, the elves and the kids |
Also at Great Lakes
is the Sea Life Michigan Aquarium offering an “awe-inspiring, educational
journey” through the underwater world.
There are some
5,000 creatures such as sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, eels, sea horses,
tropical fish, octopus and fish native to the Great Lakes and surrounding
waterways. visitsealife.com/michigan
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| Sea horses at Sea Life Michigan Aquarium (Jim Fox photo) |
The Passport to
Shopping discount booklet is available at Great Lakes, with 185 outlets and specialty
stores, for visitors from at least 80 kms away, available at Guest Services.
The Metro Detroit
Convention & Visitors Bureau also offers the “D Discount Pass,” good for
deals on attraction admissions: visitdetroit.com/discount; 1-800-DETROIT (338-7648).
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
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