BRICKTOWN. Stretching from East Congress to East Fort, this impressive stretch of brick buildings is noteworthy for its cornucopia of restaurants, popular nightspots, and trendy boutiques, all products of the city's on-going urban-revival initiative. Aside from the renovated storefronts and brick facades, the neighborhood is also home to Wayne County Building, Detroit's oldest-standing Italian Renaissance structure.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS. This historic English Arts and Crafts-style mansion, built for Detroit newspaper mogul George Gough Booth, dates from the early 1900s. The home still contains much its original artwork, tapestries, and furnishings, affording guests insightful glimpses into the lifestyles of the wealthy "other half" during the pre-World War I era. Surrounding the manor an estate are more than 40 expertly landscaped acres, including dozens of brightly hued annual and perennial flowerbeds, an Oriental garden, a bog garden, and a sunken garden. Advance reservations are required if you want to enjoy a Thursday lunch in the home. House tours include a visit to the gardens. The Thursday house tour is available with an optional luncheon ­ call ahead to reserve.

DOWNTOWN DETROIT. Little has changed at Detroit's historic Eastern Market, which, since 1892, has provided downtown shoppers with a terrific place to find fresh produce, meats, fish, and plants. The open-air market is open throughout the week, usually hanging on until stock runs out. However, if you want to experience the Eastern Market in its truest form, stop by early on a Saturday morning and see the place a-bustle with pro and amateur barters, trying to get the best deals possible. A "must see" if you're visiting Detroit for the first time.

GROSSE POINTE. This splendid and tasteful mansion overlooks Lake St. Clair. Edsel, the only child of Henry and Clara Ford, and his wife Eleanor built this home in 1929, and it remains today as it was back then: an oversized version of the country homes in England. Much of the interior paneling and furnishings were imported from the U.K. Today, the estate is open for tours of the home, gardens, gallery, and grounds. You can also catch concerts, children's activities, bird walks, and lectures on art, history, or astronomy here.

DOWNTOWN DETROIT. Like the Guardian, this building is another fine example of Roaring '20s-style Art Deco architecture. Interior mosaics are made from more than 40 varieties of marble and depict cherubs, muses, orange trees, hemlocks, vines, eagles, and folk art motifs.