Tuesday, March 22, 2016

DNR Outdoor Adventure Center


After weeks of reading friends' posts and blogs about this new DNR Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit, we finally made it there ourselves to check it out.  And it did not disappoint!

We were the first customers in on a chilly Saturday morning.  We walked by the elk, played at the campfire, and decided to go straight upstairs to sit in the plane, ride the snowmobile, and the ATV before it got crowded.

It ended up being a wise decision.  The place quickly filled up, but the boys were able to ride each of the "attractions" twice before a line started to form.  It was so much fun!






The entire complex is just stunning!  Tons of natural light, animals, and trees everywhere you look.  And the waterfall towards the back of the place is beautiful!  They did a phenomenal job recreating the "up north" feel here.





The suspension bridge freaked me out a little the first time I went across it, but considering my boys were obsessed with it didn't leave me many options.  We went back and forth many times all morning.  The giant tree that the kids can climb up and down in led them up to the suspension bridge.  That was tricky when you were at the bottom of the tree on the first floor to only realize they made it to the top upstairs and were about to run off upstairs somewhere.  They had a staff member that would shout down to the parents, but still...not sure that was a well-thought out layout for young kids.


The boys loved playing in the tent, at the campfire, and running through the exhibits.  They were able to play in a log cabin on a bunk bed, sit in a fishing boat and pretend to fish, kayak, and do some farming in a vegetable garden.  I really felt like this place attracted a wide-range of ages.  I saw middle school age children entertained by the same exhibits that my 3 and 5 year old boys were.  





One of my favorite parts was being able to show the boys a giant map of Michigan with the great lakes and point out places that we've been.  When I showed them where we were on the map at that moment, it led to a great opportunity to walk across the street when we left to show them the bridge to Canada, Windsor, and the Detroit skyline.  Sean was really impressed with the "skyscrapers".





It was definitely chilly, so the boys only managed 10 minutes outside before they were ready to head to the car and grab some lunch down the road at the Atwater Brewery.  I can totally envision taking them back to the Adventure Center and to the Riverwalk in the summer when the weather is nicer.  Lots to explore and enjoy outside!

Lunch was delicious!  Scott and I weren't very hungry so we grabbed a beer and some hot pretzels (to die for).  The boys each had a kids meal (sliders for Sean that was sooo tasty and a pepperoni pizza for Evan that was decent).  The best part?  The brewery had stacks of board games that kept the boys busy while we waited for our food.  Sean and Scott played two intense games of Jenga, while Evan and I played Connect 4 and Cooties.  

Another great outing in the books for 2016!  More to come with Spring Break a few days away!  

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