Midwest Part Deux - Detroit and burbs

Bonnie and I just got back from a vacation, to Chicago (read this first or scroll down!) for a weekend, then off to visit friends and family in metro Detroit. Part two deals with time in metro Detroit :

Arrived in Westland in the evening on Monday, July 24. My niece and nephew were staying at my parents' house, as my sister-in-law was going in for surgery early on Tuesday (not too serious as I understood it - wasn't too much worrying by anyone and she was in good hands).
TUESDAY, JULY 25 : My mom took the big dog into visitation. Through the Pet-a-Pet program, she arranges to take her bullmastiff to nursing homes, convalescent centers, hospice, even classrooms and special ed programs, for animal therapy sessions. Bonnie went along with her, and while I wouldn't say she enjoyed it, she got a lot out of it. They came back, we decided (after much much discussion) to take the kids to Cranbrook Science Museum (part of the whole Cranbrook Institute) - they had never been, and neither had my dad! The museum currently has a load of mastodon bones which were excavated at a freeway construction site, they had people cleaning them, available for questions. The other hilite was the Bat Zone - Cranbrook is home to the Organization for Bat Conservation. Then, trying to coordinate dinner. Alison was still not in her hospital room, so Gordon was stuck there, and then I was trying to settle on a time with Ron & Khris. Finally made it out for Mai Garlic Thai food (quite good for the area!). And in the evening, with no call from Ron (actually, never heard back from them the whole week), went on a long drive downriver with Andy & Becki to Stroh's for ice cream and a walk on the Wyandotte waterfront.
WEDNESDAY July 26 : Took my parents on an excursion to Trader Joe's (they got em in Michigan, even had some things different than Cali!), talking them through the organic food and sushi. Drove around the neighborhood, seeing the few standing pieces of Wonderland Mall (soon a super-Walmart) - Bonnie was really into hearing neighborhood, and life stories. Afterwards, went on a nature walk around Hines Park (not for long, had to get away from the mosquitoes). Then hit the pool over at my brother Gordon's place, then met up with Keith and his lady Nicole, went to dinner at East Side Marios (neat decor - replicates a city street scene), and out for a walk around Royal Oak.
THURSDAY July 27: Went with my dad on Captain Jack's river tour along the Detroit river (near Ren Cen, around Belle Isle, skirts the coast of Windsor and under the Ambassador Bridge), weren't sure of the restrictions on crossing the border, plus you have to wait 24 hours to shop Duty-Free! And there wasn't enough time in the week, but that was Bonnie's first time in Canada. After the boat ride, we went on the People Mover, and grabbed lunch in Greektown. Then went to Second City comedy club in Detroit, since we missed it in Chicago, and it was easy to get to (the highlight was getting them to sing a song about a giraffe!). Then decision time - I found that a band that was around when I was at MSU - Calliope - was having a gig in Lansing at Mac's Bar (or whatever it's called now, if it even stays open). An hour drive, plus waiting for who-knows-how-long for them to go on. On a whim, we decided to go for it, and it was totally worth it to see Calliope play, and catch up a bit with the guys in the band, I encourage everyone to visit their web site! They'll have a new album out later in the year, I'll update when it's released! We stocked up on snacks and caffeine, then on the road back to Westland.
FRIDAY July 28: Eased into the day, went to Ann Arbor (missed the art fair by 1 weekend). Trying to find a breakfast place proved tough - finally found one, Bonnie got potatoes and eggs, I got a $2 cheeseburger, can't beat that. Checked out some of the best Ann Arbor shops and locales - Encore Records (where I got a local compilation), Dawn Treader bookshop, Crazy Wisdom books and new age, walked by the Ark (folk-blues-rock club) and State Theater. Afterwards, went to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (a fun arcade + classic games and sideshow replicas of Cardiff Giant, and some Ripley's exhibits), then a stop at Awrey's Bakery before HQ. In the evening, had a party of sorts over at Andy's place, not a lot of people but good times.
SATURDAY July 29: Last day! But we didn't have to leave for the airport til 4. Made a trek to visit my brother on the 'Telegraph Cruise' of classic cars, then headed to Hitsville, USA - the Motown museum in Detroit. I freaked out on time a bit - it was a guided tour, and since the place is just a house, we waited in line for about an hour. Once we got in, it was rushed - we only stayed for the intro movie, one room of exhibits, and the the gift store. But it was enough, and we made it back in time for a family luncheon over at Gordon and Alison's. Then onto the airport, smooth return of the car and exiting Detroit. Smooth transition to Denver, then our troubles began. A 15-minute delay in the electrical turned into an hour-long wait and deplaning. As we waited, they announced they wouldn't have a maintenance update for another hour. Bonnie was told by one person United would put up people in a hotel, then the customer service desk said no, only if the flight cancelled, they'd help you *find* a hotel. More like 'customer disservice' - granted, they deal with a lot of angry, confused, worried, stressed people, but the company should be prepared for problems like this, and the treatment we got and we saw directed at other people was shoddy. Minutes away from us rebooking on a flight in the morning, they announced the plane was ready and reboarding. Bonnie expressed her fear about going up in a plane that minutes before they didn't even know what was wrong with, but we worked it out and were on our way. Let this be my warning to anyone thinking of flying United - think twice. At SFO, Nicole (much gratitude) was there to meet us - almost 3 hours later than scheduled - and we were home!