SUMMER
Things to do in Detroit when it’s
HOT AF
Detroit gets a very small window to enjoy outside before it’s time to dig out the Carhartt jackets and Timberland boots. Safe to say, we make the most of the sunshine when we do have, but sometimes the high heat is just unbearable. Just because the temperature might be six degrees past hell doesn’t mean that all of your fun has to be spent at home, though. There are art museums, beaches, and even a nude resort if the idea of clothes in 90 degree weather is unbearable to you.
n The Reptarium
45559 Van Dyke, Utica; 586-884-6646; thereptarium.com
The Reptarium offers a hands-on petting zoo experience sure to get your scales — uh skin — crawling. Lizards? Check. Snakes? Absolutely. It’s available for birthday parties and private tours, too. The Reptarium is your place for all things reptile, without having to venture outdoors.
n Sea Life Aquarium 4316 Baldwin Rd., Auburn Hills; 248-409-6001; visitsealife.com
Sebastian did his best to try to keep Ariel under the sea, and the Sea Life Aquarium offers you the chance to see what he was talking about. It’s Michigan’s largest aquarium, with 2,000 aquatic creatures including sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles.
n Northland Roller Rink 22311 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-535-1666; northlandrink.com
Nothing beats gliding on a wooden rink — in the A/C. Grab your skates and lace up at Detroit’s famous Northland Roller Rink, where DJ Moodymann throws his “Soul 32 | METROTIMES | City Guide 2022 | metrotimes.com
Skate” roller-disco party around the time of Detroit’s Movement electronic music festival.
n Glenlore Trails 3860 Newton Rd., Commerce Charter Twp.; glenloretrails.com
In 2020, Bluewater Technologies, a Southfield-based company that provides audiovisual technology for large-scale events like the North American International Auto Show, had to pivot due to the pandemic. That resulted in Glenlore Trails, an immersive, illuminated experience that saw a half-mile trail in Commerce Township outfitted in custom light and sound installations. The company has since updated it for Halloween and the winter holidays, with new installations that help flesh out the installation’s characters and storylines.
n Turtle Lake Clothing Optional Resort 2101 Nine Mile Rd., Union City; 517-741-7004; turtle-lake.net
OK — so this might be a two-hour drive from Detroit, but it offers a unique and stripped-down socially distanced experience that would likely get you arrested anywhere else. Turtle Lake Clothing Optional Resort in Union City is exactly what it sounds like. Is there a better way to shed the shackles of conformity, societal judgment, and unpleasant chafing than by getting nude with strangers? Opened in the 1980s as a traditional camping resort experience, Turtle Lake ditched the clothing requirement sometime around 2003, when it transitioned into quite possibly Michigan’s best clothing-optional getaway. They have pools, hot tubs, a tiki bar, a range of outdoor sporting activities, as well as a private beach where skinny dipping is encouraged.
n Grab some ice cream
Metro Detroit really likes ice cream. Even though our warm season is short, there are
