Comics, graphics novels, and board games: I need more of them in my life, I’m thinking, after visiting Vault of Midnight in downtown Detroit a few weeks ago.
The emporium for the aforementioned items of whimsy and imagination and magic reminded me of how much I love playing board games and how I’m always saying I’m going to host a game night at my house (but have yet to). It peddles an impressive amount of serious board games: intricate, strategic games far from the toy-store game-land of Monopoly, Mall Madness, and Operation that I grew up in.
These serious games are stickered with serious price tags; with many in the $40-to-$80 range, they are not what I’d categorize as an impulse purchase. I assume most people going into Vault of Midnight to procure these board games are doing so intentionally, either because they know exactly what they want or are confident they’ll find something they’ll want enough to buy.
All I know is, I’ve been fortunate enough to play some of these kinds of intricate, strategic games at other people’s houses, and I find them as entertaining as all get-out. Not to trash the $10 ’90s-version of Clue that I grew up with (that game was LIFE to me in the first grade!), but these serious board games are fun to play because they’ve been crafted with care, from their rules to their artwork to the elaborate planning and scheming required of many of them to win.
What I’m saying is that in my experience, these serious board games are worth the serious price tag if you know you’ll be playing them on a regular basis instead of letting them collect a thick film of dust on a shelf in a closet in your basement (cue my copy of Scrabble: Deluxe Edition enduring that very fate). And I think it’s amazing that there’s a place right here in downtown Detroit reminding us of their awesomeness, beckoning us to enjoy some unplugged fun with them for an hour or two.
Of course, the unplugged fun is not only being touted by the serious board games at Vault of Midnight but also by its wide selection of comics and graphic novels.
I’ve never been an aficionado, per say, of either comics or graphic novels, but I did read the Detroit Free Press funnies religiously for years as a kid and fostered a love for Archie comics stemming from the ’60s-era issues saved by my paternal grandparents (and still find myself pondering the latest volume of the Riverdale gang’s shenanigans every time I spy it in a grocery-store check-out line). And I’ve read and enjoyed a few great graphic novels, such as Maus and Ghost World. It’s a genre I’ve long intended to explore more but haven’t. As with the board games in my basement closet, that intention often lies dormant, collecting a thick film of dust in my mind.
I can’t speak to the specific kinds of comics and graphic novels that Vault of Midnight stocks, because I didn’t delve too deeply into them. I looked at a few comics that appeared to be small-batch varieties, possibly even handmade, which intrigued me. I’d like to return and check those out in greater detail.
Maybe it’s time for me to more seriously consider and pursue my interests in board games and graphic novels and comics. Maybe it’s time to actually set a date for game night; maybe it’s time to invite more whimsy and imagination and magic into my life. Certainly, another visit to Vault of Midnight is in order!
1226 Library St.
Detroit, MI 48226
(Locations also in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor)
with soothing arnica, St. John’s wort oil, cinnamon, lavender, and peppermint since discovering it in 2016. I love using it as a natural pain-reliever for sore muscles; it’s soothing and smells AMAZING.
(I’ve used the soap, too – it’s good stuff!); the 
(intriguing!), and the 
(Practical-Yet-Cool Gift Alert!) Check out its wares, support a local company, and help your loved one’s kick off 2018 lookin’ and feelin’ fanstastic!
Hi, guys! Happy Monday! I hope you had an excellent weekend exploring. I was fortunate to be able to check out a couple of new places this weekend, including 3 Winks, a gift shop in downtown Ferndale.
Bohemian Home is yet another cute shop that I visited while in downtown Plymouth last December. Its wares included: a number of Michigan-themed items, artisan candles, and the fun coin purses shown above.
Sideways is one of the shops that sticks out for me on my recent visit to downtown Plymouth, because it touts such unique items. I would characterize it as half home goods, half quirky-awesome gift items. There are elegant flatware, glassware, and fancy packaged foods inside the expansive storefront, but there are also coffee mugs and canvas bags with silly sayings on them (see above). There is Poo~Pourri! and goofy notepads. There are fancy coffees and teas and candles and loads of other stuff you’ll get lost in looking at.
Guys, I’m so behind on this blog! I’ve been posting more regularly on my food blog, 
Here is another one of the super-cute shops I visited in downtown Plymouth last month, Urban Loft! It sported gorgeous upscale home décor, with most being holiday-themed at the time I was there.
Another store I visited during my recent visit to downtown Plymouth was Earth Lore, a spiritual/new-age store similar to recently highlighted 
Hi guys! Happy Tuesday! I’ve been lax about recounting my visit to downtown Plymouth the last week of December, so it’s time to catch up. Here’s another shop I visited: Opendohr. The store offers – as its front door proclaims – a mix of vintage, antique, and new finds. The eclectic items displayed there appear to be carefully chosen and are incredibly fun to take in – check out the gorgeous tower bejeweled with a variety of colorful plastic items shown in the photo above.
Last week, during the holiday break, I met a friend for lunch and shopping in downtown Plymouth. We had an excellent afternoon. I was reminded of how much I love that city and how worth it the approximately 45-mile jaunt from my neck of the woods is to get out there!
100 Places in the D 