Detroit moms share family bucket list ideas for 2025! Metro Detroit is packed with exciting activities, great dining spots, and nearby destinations perfect for a family getaway. These local moms are setting their sights on unforgettable experiences in the new year—here’s what’s on their bucket list!
Read more: The Ultimate Bucket List Guide for Metro Detroit Families
Meet the metro Detroit moms
Katie Jones of @michiganmomwithkids: Katie is the creator of Michigan with Kids, a go-to resource for family-friendly activities, events and travel tips to help families explore the best of Michigan.
Elizabeth Lewis of @detroitmoms: Elizabeth Lewis is the owner of Detroit Moms, a community dedicated to celebrating, supporting and uplifting women through every beautiful and messy stage of motherhood.
Faten Saad of @authentically_atpeace: Faten is a writer and community advocate dedicated to helping moms heal, break generational cycles, and navigate motherhood with strength and resilience.
Jennifer Stallings Dewey of @jenniferstallingsdewey: Jennifer is a writer, attorney, professor and mother dedicated to fostering open dialogue on race, gender, body positivity and the realities of imperfect motherhood.
Iesha Paul of @impublicrelationsbranding: Iesha is the founder of IM PR + Branding, a public relations agency dedicated to helping brands cut through the noise and rise to the top.
What is a kid-friendly restaurant that you want to try in 2025?
Katie: Host Utica has been at the top of my list because they host Parents Night Out and I just think that’s a really special way to encourage the community to come out by offering childcare in a place that has a great menu, cocktails and more. I love that they’re making an amazing night out accessible to parents. The beets and burrata is the thing I’m most interested in on the menu.
Elizabeth: The Spot Truck in Dearborn is on my list for SO many reasons! First, the food scene in Dearborn is insane and one that makes for an incredible date night. I have an obsession with birria tacos and always try them everywhere I go. As you know, they aren’t all created equal! When my oldest daughter shared food critic, Keith Lee’s reviews of The Spot, I knew I had to add it to my list. Plus, who doesn’t love a good food truck?!
Faten: I’m looking forward to trying CIBO in Detroit. A friend of mine recommended it for its lavish vibes and great food! I’ve heard great things about their Mediterranean-inspired dishes and I can’t wait to try their Zaatar Seared Tuna!
Jennifer: I am dying to go to Lady of the House in Detroit. It was a restaurant that closed and reopened in a new location. The old restaurant just really always hit all the marks. It was nice without being pretentious. It felt casual enough for happy hour but also special enough for celebrations. It was not a vegetarian restaurant, but had amazing veggie dishes (even before it was cool) and had a roasted carrot dish that I still think about at least once a week. I’m not sure what’s on the new menu, but I can’t wait to find out!
What is a local event and/or attraction that already exists or is coming to Detroit and you have to check it out?
Katie: I’m most excited to get downtown to see Michigan Central Station. We haven’t been able to make it when it’s open yet but are hoping to in this season for Winter at the Station.
Elizabeth: I love pouring into myself so that I can pour into others! For me, taking care of myself is a top priority and in 2025, I’m putting more time into taking care of my scalp. Queue the scalp massages! Recently, Lauren Murray shared her experience at a Korean Head Spa in Troy called Foundation Acupuncture and K-beauty. I instantly fell in love and knew I had to try it.
Faten: This year, I’d love to experience The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn. It’s a place where I can connect with my heritage while sharing it with my family. They host wonderful events and exhibits that celebrate Arab culture and history, making it both educational and inspiring. It’s the perfect balance of family-friendly and culturally enriching.
Jennifer: Immerse Spa at MGM Grand in Detroit has a beautiful pool and hot tub. If you book a spa treatment, you get access to it for the day. I suggest booking treatments around the same time as a friend and then lounging by the pool for a while! You could also go to the casino, book a room at the hotel, or make a reservation at one of the restaurants downtown and really make a day out of it.
What is a destination within two hours of Detroit that you would love to travel to with the kids?
Katie: For 2025, we are actually looking at visiting Southwest Michigan. Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Three Oaks, New Buffalo. One of my very good friends and Michigan Travel Influencers, Explore Michigan More, is from that area and we somehow have never been so we’re looking forward to it. The drive is about three and a half hours from the metro Detroit area.
Elizabeth: We’ve had renting an RV from RVShare and traveling through Michigan on our summer bucket list for years. So, we’re making 2025 the year it’s happening and heading along the Michigan coastline visiting our favorite beach towns and we won’t stop there. We’re hoping to make it into the Upper Peninsula for one unforgettable summer road trip: from Benton Harbor to Leland, and then making our way over the Mackinac Bridge through adorable towns to the Porcupine Mountains!
Faten: For 2025, I’m planning a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Leelanau, Michigan. It’s about four hours from Detroit and offers a peaceful escape with beautiful scenery! I’m most excited to see the sand dunes and be able to take some beautiful photos with my family there!
Jennifer: My best friend lives in Chicago and she just had a baby. I am dying to go visit and get my hands on that baby! I don’t normally visit Chicago in the winter so the one thing I would like to see this time of year would be the ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo. If they are anything like the Detroit Zoo Wild Lights, it will be good for all ages!
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