Michigan's largest metropolis, Detroit, is located in this region. "Motor City", includes sports stadiums, casinos and General Motors' headquarters at the Renaissance Center. Belle Isle, in the Detroit River, contains 702 acres and is entirely covered with one of the most beautiful parks in the United States, including some 21 miles of Macadam Roads. The Isle features a horticulture building hemmed by formal gardens, an ornate aquarium complex and the Belle Isle Casino. Activities include swimming, tennis, golf, skating and biking.

West of Detroit, the COE Rail Scenic Train offers one-hour rides through Walled Lake and West Bloomfield in vintage cars. North of Detroit, the Annual Port Huron to Mackinac sailboat race is held in the summer. Also at Port Huron is the state's oldest lighthouse. The original campus of the University of Michigan (1837) is located in Ann Arbor. The Ruthven Museum of Natural History at Ann Arbor contains Michigan's largest collection of dinosaur remains.

At Monroe, in the southern part of the region, is the River Basin Battlefield Visitor Center, which offers displays depicting the Battle of the River Basin, one of the largest engagements of the War of 1812. Exhibits include dioramas, maps and costumed mannequins. A 10-minute auditorium presentation explains the major turning points of that war. The center also provides information about Monroe County.