Hello, hello! How was your Monday? Better yet, how was the weekend?
When I woke up this morning, I had no idea it would take me the entire day to get a post up. But, life is all about surprises and today was the perfect example of that.
I thought I was going start my day with a wonderful recap of the camp retreat I attended over the weekend, but I didn’t want to rush that and just throw it together. There are so many great stories I want to share, so I’ll wait until I can spend more time on it. You should expect to see it up tomorrow!
Today, I want to cover something pretty special about an area of Downtown Detroit that I hadn’t a clue even existed.
A beach!
Detroit’s City Beach: Campus Martius Park
As soon as I was heading downstairs to start my work on the computer for the day, I received a call from Scott asking to help out with a last minute video shoot. It was for our favorite furry friend, HOOPER, and we would be playing a prank on people walking by and scaring innocent bystanders. You know, just your typical Monday afternoon at work.
It sounded like fun, so I was on board and on my way as soon as I could get out the door. Those downtown folks getting outside on their lunch breaks had no idea what they were in for!
We arrived a little after 1 p.m. and scoped out the area. Parking was fun with a big Pistons mobile that was once actually an ambulance. (Not really.)
After driving around for a good while, I hopped out and sweet talked a security guard to let us park curbside for an hour or so. Our mission was to inconspicuously get an inflatable mascot into a corner, then observe how people respond to him being there.
He may or may not have moved and purposely startled people, and we may or may not have documented footage for an upcoming video skit. Here’s a little preview!
Before we got into our positions, we walked around the area and somehow stumbled upon a beach smack dab in the middle of the downtown city.
What the heck, Detroit! Why have you been hiding this beautiful treasure from me for two years?
Campus Martius Park is located in the heart of Downtown Detroit and covers two square blocks with green grass, gorgeous fountains, outdoor sitting areas, and a small beach complete with sand and lawn chairs.
I thought it was absolutely adorable and almost convinced me to apply for a job downtown just so I could visit it on a daily basis. Almost.
The other side of the beach housed an outdoor stage the Pistons often hold events at, which is why we were cleared for this nonsense in the first place.
There were plenty of kiosks and restaurants surrounding the park to grab lunch and enjoy it right here in the middle of it. A true mid-day escape to paradise!
We got the cameras up and into our positions shortly after checking the place out for the most unsuspecting traffic. We set HOOPER up by a tall monument and it was quite the hour of entertaining in that area!
Generally, the response was great. A moving inflatable animal dressed in sports garb was the last thing people walking by were expecting to pop out, and we all had a lot of great laughs.
It couldn’t have been better weather to get outdoors, either. Thank you for finally showing up to Michigan, Spring!
And just like that, two hours later, we were on our way back to the arena like nothing ever happened. I can’t wait to see the final video and will be sure to share it when it appears online!
Lunch
Before returning back to the offices, we made a stop at Jimmy John’s for a quick lunch. Man, I love that place… and their “free smells”.
As tempted as I was by that fantastic white bread, I refrained from it and ordered an unwhich instead.
Beach Club unwhich (lettuce wrap), hold the mayo with a side of Salt ‘n Vinegar chips.
That’s right. I held the bread on my sandwich so I could fully indulge into a bag of salty, crunchy potato chips instead. I’ll never regret that decision.
And for those of you wondering, unwhiches are fabulous. Not as filling as a regular sandwich (which is to be expected), but they still hold their own and taste delicious.
I also split a giant pickle with a friend. I have the weirdest cravings for them!
I’m so glad to be surrounded by JJ’s up here. Every time we go there I am even more amazed at how fast you can get in, out, and on your way!
Okay, friends. I better get going and start thinking about dinner. I might just take Roadie out for a run if there’s time before I need to go grab Scott from work and attend his softball game tonight.
I’ll see you in the morning with my (apparently, much anticipated) weekend retreat recap. Have a great rest of your night!
Questions of the Day
• What is the coolest thing you have just stumbled upon in your city?
• Favorite Jimmy John’s order?
I have never gotten past two menu items there: the Beach Club or the Turkey Tom. I am always tempted to get The Veggie, but think I’ll end up missing the meat and get hungry again quicker as a result. I think it’s time to switch things up!

The veggie is my favorite at Jimmy Johns! You should definitely try it out once 🙂
I allllllmost got that. Next time I’ll have to try it!
JJ’s tuna is really good if you’re a tuna fan! If you’re looking to indulge the Italian Night Club is really really good; I usually get it without mayo and it still is so tasty.
Aw man, I really wish I liked tuna! I saw that Italian, looks dreamy!
It’s amazing how you can still discover new places in a city even if you’ve lived there forever. I always like to find new parks and walking trails to use when the weather is nice.
Walking outside when it’s nice out is the best!!
We don’t have Jimmy John’s in SF, but I loved JJ’s in Orlando and Gainesville. However, I’ve always found the unwich super messy to eat. It always falls apart. Did you know you can buy day-old bread from JJ’s for like 50 cents? True story.
Ha, yes! Panera does that too! I just pretend I don’t know either. 😉
That “beach” looks sooo fun! What a great way to get in some outdoor fun during the workday!
Looks like such a fun place! Love the beach 🙂
I love that you showcase Detroit in such good ways. Detroit has such a bad rap in the rest of the country but it sure looks like fun to me!
It definitely does. I thought the same before I moved up here! There’s so much more to the city that people know, so I am doing my best to showcase the good parts! 🙂