Woodward Scenic Tours

Day Tour 3: 8 Mile to Royal Oak

The fun doesn't end when you cross 8 Mile Road and leave Detroit. In fact, just the opposite. The cities of Ferndale and Royal Oak are the trendy hotspots of metro Detroit, offering excellent boutique shopping, dining, and entertainment. They are also the primary focal points of the Woodward Dream Cruise, the world's largest one-day celebration of car culture. Each year in August, the Dream Cruise attracts more than one million visitors and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles. On this tour, don't pass up a visit to the Detroit Zoo located on the west side of Woodward just north of I696. Despite its location in suburbia, the Detroit Zoo is actually an agency of the city of Detroit and draws thousands of visitors from the entire Southeastern Michigan region to its outstanding animal exhibits.

Ferndale [A]

Vicinity of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road

Website

First stop on the tour is "Fashionable Ferndale." Park your car on the streets near 9 Mile or in any of the public lots and explore a unique blend of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Ferndale has debatably taken over the crown of "most hip" from Royal Oak, its neighbor just to the north. Diversity is a way of life in Ferndale as evidenced not only by the residents of the city but by the wide variety of shops, cafes, and restaurants as well.

Detroit Zoo [B]

8450 West Ten Mile Road, Royal Oak

Website

The quantity and quality of attractions at the Detroit Zoo make it a fascinating experience for visitors of all ages. See animals in free-ranging natural habitats, amphibians from around the world, the country's first zoo-based virtual reality simulator, and the world's largest polar bear exhibit. In addition to educating and entertaining families for generations, the Detroit Zoo has a history of responsibility. The Zoo began this philosophy many years ago as one of the first in the world with cageless exhibits and most recently as the first U.S. zoo to give up its elephants on ethical grounds due to the harsh Michigan winters.

Royal Oak [C]

Main and Washington Streets between

Lincoln Avenue and 12 Mile Road

Website

Royal Oak is still the trendy home to many of the independent shops and boutiques that made it a hub for starving artists, musicians, and independent restauranteurs more than a decade ago. In addition, the city has added several national retailers and restaurants along with exciting new residential loft developments. Royal Oak boasts an array of specialty stores and entertainment options along Main Street and Washington Avenue (one block to the west of Main). All of this action exists within blocks of quiet, family-friendly neighborhoods lined with charming bungalows and an abundance of parks.

Tour Map

Number of Destinations: 3

Overall Tour Time: 1 day

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