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Trip to Hillsdale
Oct 17–26, 2026
Fly into DTW Sat Oct 17 (land ~6:30pm ET), pick up the Alamo SUV,
drive ~1h45–2h to Hillsdale. School events at Hillsdale College run
Fri Oct 23 from 5pm through Sun Oct 25 — blacked out. Fly home Mon
Oct 26 (car due back at DTW 6:30pm).
Day by day
Sat Oct 17 — Arrival
Land ~6:30pm ET, pick up the SUV, drive to Hillsdale (~1h45–2h),
arrive ~8:30–9pm. Late dinner near lodging (The 1910 at Baw Beese
serves until 9pm Sat) or keep it light. Early night.
Sun Oct 18 — Musicals day
The best show day of the trip. Matinee options:
-
Aida (Verdi), Toledo Opera — Valentine Theatre,
Toledo OH, 2:00pm. ~1.5h drive. Pre-opera talk at 1pm, English
captions. toledoopera.org
-
MARVIN: The Marvin Gaye Musical — Music Hall,
Detroit, 3:00pm. ~2h drive. Resale ~$119–190 via Ticketmaster.
-
The Hunchback of Notre Dame — Croswell Opera
House, Adrian MI, 2:30pm. ~25–30 min. Tickets from $26 ($16
students). croswell.org
-
Dirty Dancing — Fisher Theatre, Detroit,
1:00pm or 6:30pm, from $31.
us.atgtickets.com/Detroit
-
The Bodyguard — Stranahan Theater, Toledo,
1:00pm or 6:30pm, ~1.5h.
broadwayintoledo.com
-
“Bastard” — world-premiere dramedy at Jeff
Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre, Chelsea MI, 2:00pm, from $30,
~1.25h. purplerosetheatre.org
Evening: Choral Evensong — Christ Chapel,
Hillsdale College, 6:00pm, minutes from lodging.
Mon Oct 19 — Explore day
Morning exercise on the Baw Beese Trail (8-mile
paved trail, Hillsdale↔Jonesville, past the lake and the
college). Horseback: Rocking K Ranch, Coldwater
(~15 min) — private lessons for all levels, call
(517) 317-3342. Dinner:
The 1910 at Baw Beese Lake (open Mon 2–9pm) —
lakeside dining, handcrafted cocktails.
Tue Oct 20 — Detroit: Pistons home opener + chef dinner
Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics, NBA home
opener — Little Caesars Arena, 3:00pm ET. Verified on sale on
Ticketmaster; cheapest verified pair $34.95/ticket all-in (upper
level). Leave Hillsdale ~12:30–1:00pm (1h45–2h drive). Dinner
after the game: Selden Standard (Midtown,
chef-driven small plates, James Beard-nominated, ~$75/person,
open nightly 5–10pm, OpenTable,
313-438-5055) or
Highlands Detroit (71st floor, Renaissance
Center, panoramic views, ~$80–130/person, open till 9:15pm,
highlandsdetroit.com).
Wed Oct 21 — Ann Arbor day trip
Ann Arbor Sewing Center (oldest quilt store in
the area, open Wed 10am–6pm). Dinner: Spencer
(Ann Arbor) — chef-driven prix-fixe tasting, ~$80–120/person,
open Wed–Sun,
spencerannarbor.com.
Alternative afternoon: “Bastard” 3pm matinee in Chelsea (on the
way back). Alternative evening: Maybe Happy Ending
(6-time Tony winner incl. Best Musical) — Fisher Theatre, Detroit,
7:30pm, from $39 at
us.atgtickets.com/Detroit.
Thu Oct 22 — Final free day: horses + dinner
Horseback: Brighton Recreation Riding Stable
(Brighton MI, ~1h15m) — guided trail rides through the Brighton
Recreation Area, year-round by reservation (weather permitting),
ages 8+, all levels, call
(810) 844-0225. Quilt shops:
Country Stitches (Jackson, open Thu 10am–6pm —
closed Sun/Mon) + Purple Bobbin (Jackson).
Dinner: Olivia's Chop House (Jonesville, ~25
min) — upscale steakhouse, slow-roasted prime rib, ~$30–60/person,
walk-in only, go early.
oliviaschophouse.com.
Evening alternatives: “Bastard” Chelsea 7:30pm, Hunchback of
Notre Dame Adrian 7:30pm, or Maybe Happy Ending Detroit 7:30pm.
Fri Oct 23 – Sun Oct 25 — School events
School events start Fri 5pm and run through Sunday. No other plans.
Mon Oct 26 — Travel day
Leave Hillsdale ~2:30–3:00pm for DTW; car due back 6:30pm.
Indiana Rail Experience
Vintage passenger-train excursions run by the
Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (an
all-volunteer nonprofit), in partnership with the Indiana
Northeastern Railroad — a heritage line linking Indiana,
Ohio, and Michigan. Main depot: 1469 West Main Street, Pleasant
Lake, IN 46779 (Pleasant Lake, IN — drive time from Hillsdale not
verified, so budget generously until you've seen the route).
indianarailexperience.org
The terms, decoded
-
Kitchi Gammi Club — a 1923 Pullman business/club
car (acquired 2025); guests aboard enjoy chef-prepared small
plates cooked and served on board.
-
Silver Diner — a 1948 dining car from the famous
California Zephyr fleet (Chicago to San Francisco), donated by
Amtrak and restored by volunteers; first-class lounge and dining
for up to 40.
-
“48 car” — the New York Central 48, a
first-class car where guests also get chef-prepared small plates.
-
Club cars & open-air coaches — part of the
vintage first-class fleet, with period-dressed staff.
-
Edon, Ohio (note: Edon, not Eden) — boarding
point for the Tri-State Scenic Steam Excursion, an all-day steam
trip (Edon, Ohio ↔ Hillsdale, Michigan, with a 3-hour layover
downtown Hillsdale) behind Nickel Plate Road No. 765. Runs in
June — not during this trip, but the flagship experience.
-
“Tri-state” — the heritage line connects
Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. “Within 12 hours” — we could not find a source
defining this term; it may refer to the all-day format of the big
excursions (the steam special runs roughly 9am–6pm), but that's
unconfirmed.
The ride that fits this trip — the Autumn Limited (Oct 23–25)
A roughly 2.5–3 hour diesel-powered fall-color excursion (sources
differ on duration), Pleasant Lake →
Reading, Michigan and back, no stops. Departures: 9:30am Saturday
& Sunday; 2:30pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Tickets from
$25 (Deluxe Coach $25–45; family package of 4 is $285; open-air,
first-class, Pullman, and private suites cost more). Apple cider
and seasonal desserts on board; cash bar 21+; you may bring your
own food and non-alcoholic drinks. Kids 3 and under ride free in
coach. Book at
indianarailexperience.org.
Timing note: the Friday 2:30pm departure returns
around 5:30pm, which collides with school events starting at 5pm —
skip that one. The Saturday 9:30am departure returns around
12:30pm, fitting before the 2pm Hillsdale football game; both
Sunday departures are open. Ticket availability not yet confirmed.