DETROIT, MICHIGAN 2019 - Day Trip (Part 1)

Because of show dates, we were not able to get out of town for Mike's birthday. So Thursday, we did an overnighter in Detroit. Left about 10am and arrived at our first stop at Eastern Market, the farmers' market near downtown Detroit.

It was pretty much closed, but we drove around and saw all the great murals. I was the driver, so no pix except this:

There are many more murals on the walls of buildings in this area. Google "Eastern Market murals" and then "Images" to see other works of mural art.

We had lunch there at Sala Thai, located in an old fire station. We have been to Thailand three times and love that cuisine. Haven't had a good version in Michigan though and this was not an exception. They had all the traditional dishes, but the ones we tried were just a little off. Take me back to Thailand for a good Pad Thai, where they use Thai peppers instead of cayenne to spice things up. Would not recommend this one, if you know Thai.

Next was a cruise around Belle Isle. Mike and I did not know each other as kids, but our respective families visited and played here. As a couple, we visited here on occasion, but not for the last 35 years.

Here's the bridge from the Detroit mainland across the Detroit River onto the island. The northern U.S.-Canadian border is in the middle of the river, but aligned so that Belle Isle is completely in the U.S. There is no bridge from Canada to the island.

While we lived in California, the 982-acre island was forsaken by the City. It was left to nature until the State of Michigan took it over and converted it from a city to a state park. Now it is slowly being revived and improved.

One addition was 1989 to 2001, 2007, 2008, and each year since 2012, the Detroit Grand Prix has been held here on a temporary circuit set-up at race time. Indy cars run here the weekend after the Indy 500 in Indianapolis.

The rest of the year it is a public park with regular park stuff--ball fields, soccer fields, nature trails, nice sand beaches for swimming, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and fishing piers reaching out into the Detroit River. There is a light house and a yet-to-be renovated children's zoo. (I don't remember visiting it with our family, but Mike does.)

Once on the island, this is the fabulous view of downtown Detroit. The tallest building complex to the left is the Renaissance Center, built by Ford Motor Company, but now owned by General Motors (five connected towers, tallest building in Michigan since completed in 1973, tallest tower has 73 stories). Second tallest is One Detroit Center (completed in 1993). Next to it with spire is the Penobscot Building (1928, art deco).

You can see Windsor, Ontario, Canada (on the left), the Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River, and downtown Detroit on the right. Per Wikipedia, 10,000 trucks per day cross the bridge one way or another, carrying more than 25% of all trade goods between the U.S. and Canada.

On the island we reminisced over various spots seen in our youth. This is the Scott Memorial Fountain. This pix is pretty, but lit and "fountaining" at night is spectacular. To read about scoundrel James Scott, go here:  https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/james-scott-memorial-fountain

We walked along the beach, where we used to swim as kids. At one time the water was quite polluted, but governments and the zebra mussels have cleaned up the river.

We wondered what this cool structure was. Read up on the sign below. Interesting.

We drove past the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, a collection of exotic and rare plants from around the world. It is the oldest, continuously-operated conservatory in the U.S. There are five distinct areas--palm, cacti, tropical, fernery, and show houses, plus 13-acres of outside formal gardens and lily pond.

And the Aquarium, designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn, was first opened in 1904. It is the oldest aquarium in the U.S. (although it was closed 2005-2012 due to lack of city funds). We both remember the huge (or so it seemed at the time) electric eel housed here. I was afraid to touch the glass.

There is also the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, founded in 1928. It is dedicated to national and regional maritime history. We recalled visiting here as kids and checking the submarine periscope that reached through the roof of the building for a view of the Canadian and U.S. river shores. Here you can also see the Miss Pepsi, which participated in Detroit River hydroplane boat races in the 1950s. These races still go on each year in August:
http://detroitboatraces.com/tickets.php

ASIDES:

1) Belle Isle is the largest island park in the country. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same man who designed Central Park in New York City. When we lived in the Detroit area, our house was on Olmstead Street. Always wondered if it was named for Frederick!

2) Zebra mussels are good and bad. Because of their ability to filter water and their high body-fat content, they build up more than ten times the amount of PCBs and other toxic contaminants over native mussels...good! BUT birds and fish absorb these contaminants when they feed on the zebra mussels...not good!

3) Electric eels can generate up to 600 volts of electricity and use it for feeding, protection, and communication with other eels. They live up to 22 years in captivity, so not likely the same eel seen by us years ago.

4) Other details about Belle Isle at:
https://detroithistorical.org/about-us/detroit-historical-society