Jaunted

How To Get Tickets To / Music Festivals / → All Tags

How To Get Tickets To The Orion Festival in Detroit This Summer

Once again this year Metallica has organized an eclectic mix of bands for their annual Orion Music + More Festival, taking place on June 8 and 9 on Detroit's Belle Isle.

Along with Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foals, Deftones, Rise Against, Dropkick Murphys, and The Joy Formidable will all be a part of the 2013 line-up.

more ›

Animals / DTW / BWI / ALB / Southwest / Horses / TV Travel / Disability Travel / → All Tags

A Modern Pegasus: How One Little Horse Flew on Southwest Airlines

True frequent flyers may believe they've seen everything on planes, but travelers at three different airports on Tuesday were treated to something really rare—a service animal boarding a Southwest Air flight. This wasn't just any service animal, however; this was a mini-horse named "Cali," being filmed for a documentary.

Cali's story isn't so different from that of a seeing-eye dog in that she was trained (in Saratoga Springs, NY) and now finds a home helping a blind girl through life. Her owner, Mona Ramouni, is a grad student at MSU in Lansing, Michigan. So, when the Australian show "Sunday Night" decided to focus on Mona and Cali's story, it was only natural to return to where it all began, in Saratoga Springs. For this, the horsey would have to fly.

more ›

Videos / Airports / Airport News / DTW / Detroit Travel / Delta / Skyteam / Boeing / 747 / KLM / → All Tags

And Now, Your Moment of Zen (from Detroit-Metro Airport)

If you've flown into Detroit-Metropolitan Airport in recent years, then you know about the fountain. Well, we should really rephrase that to: "if you've flown Skyteam into Detroit-Metropolitan Airport," because flights from this airline alliance are the ones privy to the magic of the water feature in the center of DTW's McNamara Terminal.

Detroit is a hub specifically for Delta, formerly the "largest airline in the world" until the United-Continental merger swept in to claim that superlative. In any case, everything from Delta Connection puddle jumpers to jumbo 747s pull up to gates at McNamara, and the design of the terminal—check out those floor-to-ceiling wide windows—practically allows you to Eskimo-kiss the aircraft.

Still, one cannot forget the fountain. Here it is, in video, in all it's make-you-wanna-pee glory:

more ›

Airline Security / BOS / DTW / TSA / Airports / Terrorism / → All Tags

TSA's New 'Chat-down' Security Expands to Detroit Airport

We really don't want to be those travel bloggers. The ones who reflexively complain about everything TSA does just because it's really easy to pick on TSA. We try to be fair about moron passengers, we take pains to explain why TSA agents sometimes have to conduct intrusive inspections, and we give the agency credit when they improve their security protocols.

But the more we read about TSA's shift to Israel-style airport security inspections—which are now being called "chat-downs" by journalists and politicians, because naming things is fun—the more worried we get. This is the agency's new SPOT program, where agents ask you personal questions while you wait in line, and then they try to read your body language to determine whether you're making things up. We haven't quite figured out what's wrong but we're pretty sure we don't like it.

more ›

Movie Set Travel / Chasing Michigan / Real Steel / Ides Of March / Michigan Travel / George Clooney / → All Tags

Two Made-in-Michigan Movies Will Battle It Out at the Box Office This Weekend

Real Steel and The Ides of March will battle it out that the box office this weekend, and even though the two movies seem like they couldn't be more different, they actually have one thing in common; they were both filmed in Detroit.

Real Steel, a family-friendly sci-fi flick set in the future when giant robots face off in the Robot Boxing League, was filmed at various locations around Detroit. Some notable spots are the Detroit Fire Department Headquarters (which was transformed into a boxing ring), the COBO Center, the Parkway Motel near Holly, MI, and Joe Louis Arena.

more ›

Movie Set Travel / Jaunted On Location / Celeb Travel / Food Travel / Chasing Michigan / Jason Segel / Emily Blunt / Five Year Engagement / → All Tags

Jason Segel, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt Eat Up Michigan for 'Five Year Engagement'

Funnyman Jason Segel, along with co-stars Emily Blunt (and her husband John Krasinski), Alison Brie, Chris Pratt, and producer Judd Apatow, have been eating their way through Michigan while filming Five Year Engagement.

The movie, about the ups and downs of an engaged couple, is filming at several restaurants in and around Detroit these past couple of weeks. Today and tomorrow, they will be filming at Randy’s Roadside Bar-B-Que on US-12 in Brooklyn, MI, which is known for serving smoked meat sandwiches, starting from $4.75.

more ›

Travel Tips / Airports / DTW / Airport News / Layovers / Flight Delays / Lists / Five Things to Do on Your Layover / → All Tags

Five Things to Do on Your Layover at: Detroit-Metro Airport

We’ve all had layovers that were a little longer than initially expected. Mechanical delays, weather emergencies, and all kinds of other issues make that tight 45-minute connection turn into something extraordinary. We can’t get promise your flight will depart on time, but we can offer some time killers at the airport.

Five picks for spending a few extra hours within the McNamara terminal at Detroit-Metro Airport:

· Sushi Stop:
Delta uses Detroit as a gateway to the East, so it’s not surprising that you can start your vacation or business trip with a little sushi right in the terminal. Sora has all your sashimi favorites, but they also have plenty of noodle bowls for those long cold Michigan winters. Prices are somewhat reasonable, but the best thing is that the place isn’t gross. There’s no prepackaged fake crab rolls here, and we’d even say it’s actually pretty darn good considering its location. It’s near gate A35 near the gates typically used for Tokyo-bound flights.

· Work On Your Fitness:
DTW's McNamara terminal makes the airport one of our favorites, but you still might want to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of the terminal. During longer layovers make your way to the Westin hotel that’s right in the airport. It has its own entrance not too far from the center of Concourse A, and they’d be happy to have you inside to test out their treadmills, weights, and elliptical machines. Along with providing an escape from the terminal the hotel offers day passes to the gym for just $15. It’s worth it if you’re a little more ambitious than us—we’re usually the ones in line for a cookie and frappuccino.

more ›

Travel Snapshots / Airports / DTW / Art / Graffiti Travel / → All Tags

Graffiti Rocks are a Hidden Attraction at Detroit's Metro Airport

On your next trip through Detroit’s Metro Airport you might want to take a couple minutes to leave your mark for future passengers. There’s always the option of ruining the bathroom stall with a little bit of graffiti, but frequent flyers and families have found a better place to leave their mark within the McNamara Terminal.

If you’re connecting through the airport thanks to the comfort of a regional jet—you might be somewhere within Concourse B. Even if you’re not, make your way to the end of the hall towards Gate 21, and you’ll stumble upon a few potted trees trying their best to get a little sunlight. Look down towards their trunks and you’ll find this awesome collection of graffiti rocks.

more ›

Movie Set Travel / BBQ Travel / Street Art Travel / Michael Cera / Jimmy Fallon / → All Tags

If Michael Cera Can Tour Detroit's Abandoned Train Station, We Wanna Go Too

Actor Micheal Cera, who took a break for a second from hanging out with his new posse The Cast of Jersey Shore, recently told MTV, "I've done a lot of stuff I'm really ashamed of" and when asked if it was illegal, he replied, "Yeah. And I'd rather not elaborate on that." Well, we know of at least one illegal activity Cera participated in while filming Youth in Revolt in Detroit—trespassing.

On Tuesday night he told Jimmy Fallon about a little trek he took through Detroit's abandoned train station. "We went in the abandoned train station, which you know about, we went in it, it was one of the scariest...There's this train station in Detroit that was designed by the guy that did Grand Central, y'know, that guy," he explained. "So its a beautiful structure and like, huge, but its been abandoned since '85 or something so its just filled with rubble and broken windows and we were in there because we were with a local who had gone in there since he was a kid, and well, we were in there we heard gun shots. So it sounded like the gun shots were coming from the bottom of the staircase we were descending and it was terrifying, but I think they were actually outside. So someone got shot and it was terrifying." Then he added the disclaimer: "don't go there, its not a tourist attraction or anything."

Of course, as soon as someone says, "don't go there", we're dying to check it out...

more ›

Terrorism / Delta / Northwest Airlines / Northwest Flight 253 / Emergency Landings / DTW / Breaking News / → All Tags

What Exactly Happened on Northwest Flight 253?

The usually uneventful stream of news over the long Christmas holiday took a sharp turn this year with one security breach after another. Just when we had heard enough about the crazy lady who knocked down the Pope during mass at the Vatican, BreakingNews tweeted this at 2:30pm on Christmas Day:

Passenger on flight from Detroit to Amsterdam reportedly sets off firecrackers, then subdued. Minor injuries. -- CNN

First we thought okay, this is some extremely stupid person taking the traditional applause-at-landing a bit too far, but then the real news began to roll in, marking it as a terrorist attempt with explosive materials and possible al Qaeda links. And yet nothing concrete was known; many rumors were thrown around and still are, but we've attempted to sort them out and present the factual events that happened on December 25th, 2009, on Northwest/Delta Flight 253.

See the truth, after the jump.

more ›

Five-Bad-Rap-Cities / Bad Rap Cities / Detroit Travel / Urban Travel / → All Tags

Five Cities With a Bad Rap: Detroit, The Motor City

Some locales can’t seem to shake their less-than-sparkling reputations despite efforts to lock away the skeletons of yesterday. We’ve decided to highlight five of these Bad Rap Cities that are making moves to shed their grimy and gritty images in hopes of becoming more tourist-friendly. Maybe, just maybe, after reading this series you'll be willing to take a chance on them. Enjoy.

Bad Rap City: Detroit

Why Go?
Despite the auto industry’s depressed state, the Motor City has plenty of bright spots. This is Motown, so soul permeates the streets as well as an admirable air of survival. Even Hollywood has infiltrated the city, filming shows like HBO’s "Hung," and making movies like "Red Dawn" and "Gran Torino" on its streets.

People are passionate here, especially when it involves politics and sports, and they don’t apologize for their opinions. Yes, Detroit is a bit messy-- one street can sport beautiful new buildings, but a block away lies a condemned property awaiting its fate--either remodel or eternal eyesore.

Those still raising their eyebrows over Detroit are usually older folks still channeling 1967 riot memories or referring to neighborhoods where tourists wouldn’t visit anyway unless they were courting trouble. And the tales of government corruption? Meh. Unless you plan on moving there, it’s nothing the average visitor would experience. Our advice? Ignore the naysayers and head to Michigan.

After all, a place that counts Aretha Franklin, Madonna and Robert Frost as natives can’t be all that bad.

more ›

Airport-WiFi-Map / Airport WiFi / DTW / Detroit Travel / Delta / Boingo / → All Tags

Detroit Airport Might Be Spacious And Pretty, But The WiFi Sucks

Update: Ok fine, so as the DTW rep points out in the comments, Boingo is available in both terminals. But our own experience convinced us otherwise, and we recommend checking out the Airport WiFi map (click the icon to the right) to note that most airports tagged have free Wifi; something DTW should think about if they can afford the snazziness evident elsewhere.

We may have told you time and time again about the wonders of Detroit's Wayne Country Airport, but despite the very cool in-terminal monorail and relaxing LED light tunnel, Detroit is not as down with technology as you think.

In particular we refer to their Airport WiFi situation, which is sad to say the least. They've had internet in their Smith terminal since 2004, but with that terminal currently sitting empty Detroit has had to equip the rest of the airport. These days, you can log into the 'net from Delta/Northwest's McNamara Terminal only, and it's a Boingo frontier there.

more ›