Kara Knapp

Frozen Four fans will have plenty of options for fun things to do in The D before and after the games. From sporting events and museums to shopping and entertainment, there are many choices to fill your weekend.

Get your sports fill in The D and check out the action with Detroit Red Wings hockey, Detroit Pistons basketball and Detroit Tigers baseball.

Summer is just around the corner " the season of travel for many in the United States. Soon the sound of suitcases being pulled from beneath beds or out of storage will signal preparations have begun for that family vacation, mini-getaway or perhaps even a whirlwind trip through Europe. Following are some space-saving tips, as well as airport travel tips to help make the most of that hard-earned vacation.

Every city has its own take on fun - and The D is no exception. Throughout the year, thousands of events are held in Detroit, from car shows, museum exhibits, live music, food festivals and more. And the summer is when Detroit really heats up with an amazing list of events and festivals. Get ready for a hot concert and live-performance season in metro Detroit with headliners such as Kid Rock at DTE Energy Music Theatre (Aug.

Detroit is a dynamic, vibrant city, with substantial new development throughout the region. From distinctive cultural institutions, new casino hotels and a transformed riverfront, to championship sports, exciting nightlife, fun festivals and events and delicious dining options, now is an exciting time to visit The D. Detroit's International Riverfront has been completely transformed with more than three miles of RiverWalk complete, perfect for walking, biking, running and enjoying the views of downtown Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to make room for a white passenger - and sparked a civil-rights revolution. That iconic vehicle is now housed at Henry Ford Museum, and serves as the focal point of the museum's Celebrate Black History! events in February. Visitors can climb on the bus and hear Parks speak about her experience recorded in her own words, participate in a self-guided Montgomery Bus Boycott Scavenger Hunt, and tour the exhibit With Liberty and Justice for All, which explores the evolution of American freedom from the Revolutionary War through the Civil Rights Movement.

In the Motor City, cars are a big deal. And by far, the largest auto-related event in Detroit each year is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Staged in the expansive Cobo Center, NAIAS draws international media, along with more than half a million visitors during its nine-day public show. Everyone comes to see the latest vehicles from virtually every automaker, and you don't have to dream about being behind the wheel -- just open the door and get inside.

In the metropolitan Detroit area and throughout Michigan, we tend to take a chubby little guy in checkered pants for granted. The mascot for the Big Boy restaurant chain, with his shiny black pompadour and red suspenders, is a familiar icon as he stands sentinel outside more than 100 restaurants in the Great Lakes State. But beyond Michigan, Big Boy sightings aren't so common.

The beautiful golf courses of northern Oakland County can make you feel as if you're actually in northern Michigan, while offering up some of the best golf in the state. Extra nice: you don't have to pay steep dues to play them, either. Fieldstone Golf Club, owned by the city of Auburn Hills, has received rave reviews since it opened 12 years ago.

Go Comedy! Improv Theater is the newest place in town to see improvisation and sketch comedy. Opened in 2008 by veterans of famed The Second City comedy troupe, Go Comedy! offers three shows each night, Wednesday through Sunday. Hilarious variety revues, musical comedy, YouTube bonanzas and the Fresh Sauce open mic nights are never quite the same twice.

A variety of entertainment options are nearby the Motor City. Get up close and personal with big stars at the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The new, 5,000-seat venue is the largest theater within all Harrah's properties -- even bigger than the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The theater books A-list comedians, singers and concert programs ranging from Motown to country.