It's that time again, kids: family reunion time! For this year's festivities, I was put in charge of "entertaining the out-of-towners" for the entire Labor Day weekend. Now, in a family of over 150 people, how I got put in charge of rounding up this herd of kittens I don't know, but luckily it all went very well! We had lots of fun playing in Detroit and the suburbs, and I already miss them a ton.

I just thought I'd give you a visual of who I hung out with all weekend. Here's Aunt Dianne and (first) cousin (once removed) Craig celebrating a home run at the Tigers' game! By the end of the game, my family had been so animated that all of the strangers around us were giving them high-fives and referring to them by name!

Anyway, one of the "fun" activities that I planned for the reunion party was a quiz about Detroit for the family to try. I thought this would be fun because not only were we gathering in the Detroit suburbs, but many family members either grew up in Detroit or have lived there their entire lives. Since I only lived in Detroit for a couple of decades, I ended up having to do a ton of research and read about a billion articles (reading? research? who am I??) to make a quiz that would cover a wide variety of "Detroit" things. And what do I do with things I work hard on? I put them on my website!

If you want to check it out, here it is. This quiz covers the mid- to late-1900s' Detroit, so I don't know how many of my readers would know this stuff, but give it a try! You might learn something new. Or pass it on to your parents. :)

To find the answers, highlight the area under each question. Oh, and to see how you compare to my family, the winners of the quiz (which received a gift basket full of Detroit-made products... I know, I am GOOD at planning games! haha) only got 3 answers wrong. :)

1. Whose giant fist is hanging in a median on Jefferson? (1)
Joe Louis's

2. What was the name of the captain of the Bob-Lo boat? (1)
Captain Bob or Captain Bob-Lo

3. What was the night Bob-Lo boat ride called? (1)
Moonlight Cruise

4. Who is Ernie Harwell? (1)
The "Voice of the Tigers" from 1960 to 2002

5. Which amusement park on Seven Mile was famous for the wooden roller-coaster, "Wild Beast" (or "Soul Train") and the "Salt & Pepper Shaker"? (1)
Edgewater Park

6. Name 3 activities that have been offered on Belle Isle. (3)
Tennis, golf, ice skating, horseback riding, canoeing, pony-drawn carriage rides, swimming, basketball, baseball, cart racing, yachting, or going to the zoo, aquarium, teepee, casino, conservatory, nature trails, playground, or picnic shelters
7. Where was "The Big Stove" located? (1)
On Jefferson at the entrance to Belle Isle, then it moved to the Michigan State Fairgrounds

8. Name 3 Detroit mayors from 1930-1994. (3)
Frank Murphy, Frank Couzens, Richard Reading, Edward Jeffries, Eugene Van Antwerp, Albert Cobo, Louis Miriani, Jerome Cavanagh, Roman Gribbs, Coleman Young
9. What did everyone think Mt. Clemens always smelled like? (1)
Mineral bath (sulfer or rotten eggs)

10. What was the name of Soupy Sales midday children's television show? (1)
"Lunch With Soupy"

11. What were Milky The Clown's magic words? (1)
"Twin Pines"

12. What did the building and shops that now house the Greektown Casino used to be called? (1)
Trapper's Alley

13. Who was "your uncle in the furniture business"? (1)
Joshua Doore or Uncle Robinson

14. Name another place that the Detroit Lions played football besides the Silverdome and Ford Field. (1)
Briggs Stadium (Tiger Stadium)

15. Who was Vernor's ginger pop's mascot (what was on the bottle)? (1)
A bearded troll

16. How does this slogan, said by Black Bart, end: "Which way did he go? Which way did he go? He went for ______!" (1)
Faygo

17. What was "The Big Ditch"? (1)
The hole in the ground where I-94 is now

18. Name a Detroit-based company that used to deliver milk to your house. (1)
Brickley, Farm Maid, or Twin Pines

19. What's the day before Halloween called around Detroit? (1)
Devil's Night (then later Angel's Night)

20. What are the Detroit nicknames for these freeways: (6)

a. I-96?
"The Jeffries"
b. M-39?
"Southfield"
c. I-75?
"The Chrysler" (in parts where it merges with I-375, it can be "The Fisher"�)
d. M-8?
"The Davison"
e. M-10?
"The Lodge"
f. I-94?
"Ford Freeway"

21. What did Chase (or Bank One) used to be called in Detroit? (1)
National Bank of Detroit (NBD)

22. What did Michigan license plates read before "Great Lakes State" or "Great Lakes Splendor"? (1)
"Water Winter Wonderland" or "Water Wonderland"

23. What caused most of the beautiful Elm trees to die in Detroit? (1)
Dutch Elm Disease (the Elm Bark Beetle)

24. What store was the "real" Santa Claus supposedly at during Christmastime in Detroit? (1)
J. L. Hudson's downtown

25. What controversial Tyree Guyton art work was made from found objects? (1)
The Heidelberg Project

26. Why would you want to go to specifically Cunningham's Drug or Sanders? (1)
To get cherry cokes or milkshakes (fountain sodas)

27. What would it mean if someone said that their phone number started with the words Tyler, Kenwood, Diamond, Trinity, Garfield, Melrose, Madison, Townsend, Plaza, Olive, Tuxedo, or Cadillac? (1)
The first two digits of their Detroit phone number would correspond to the first two letters of the word (ie. "TYler-46050" = "894-6050")
28. Who is Sonny Elliot? (1)
Detroit weatherman

29. What did you call driving along Woodward in the 1960s with your friends in your Chevelle, Road Runner, '57 Chevy, or Super-sport Impala on a weekend night (maybe stopping at the Suzie Q or A & W along the way)? (1)
Cruisin'

30. Where was the Auto Show before its present location, Cobo Hall? (1)
Michigan State Fairgrounds or the Detroit Artillery Armory

31. Name a Detroit-based beer brand that's no longer in business. (1)
Cadillac, Pfeiffers, or Stroh's

32. What was the giant Uniroyal Tire on I-94 originally built to be? (1)
A ferris wheel

33. What songwriter started Motown Records in 1959? (1)
Barry Gordy, Jr.

34. What famous Midwestern restaurant type (which shares its name with their signature food) was popularized in Detroit in the 1920s? (1)
The Coney Island

35. Who painted the famous "Detroit Industry" mural that lines the atrium walls at the Detroit Institute of Arts? (1)
Diego Rivera

36. What form of music, with influences from New Wave and Funk, was born in Detroit in the 1980s?
Techno

How did you do? Feel closer to Detroit? I hope you enjoyed!

ps. On another family-reunion side note, I learned that the desire and ability to juggle bocce balls is apparently genetic!

Ah, I love how hanging out with my family makes me feel more normal! Way to go, cousin Todd!