Yesterday when I was at a friend's house for Christmas dinner, I was talking to a friend of my friend about Detroit. She used to live there and said that when people told her there was nothing to do in this city, she took issue. She found there was plenty to do and, as it turns out, she has company in her thinking. The New York Times has come out with a list of 58 places to see in 2008. Detroit is number 40.

The Motor City Casino Hotel, formerly a Wonder Bread factory that's been artfully turned into a lodging, eating and gambling establishment that opened this fall, and the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) are part of the reason for the kudos. The DIA just opened after a pricey renovation. One thing that caught my eye about the art museum is the Brunch with Bach series that happens the second Sunday of each month. Food is paired with various musicians from Michigan and elsewhere. Every Friday night the museum is open until 10 and there is free music as part of the visit.

The Web site visitdetroit.com lists loads of attractions that can keep a person busy. Whether you like African American history, historic houses, like the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, music, botanical gardens, the zoo, there's something for everyone's flavor. One place I'd like to go to is the Detroit Historical Museum run by the Detroit Historical Society. Currently, one of the exhibits is on the 1920s building boom. Maybe Detroit, like Cleveland will be able to make some bucks on the tourist dollar. That would be nice.

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