Day 63/64 – Aug 14 – 15, 2015 – Imlay Mi to Detroit Mi 63.35 mile and Detorit 0 Day

Day 63/64 – Aug 14 and 15, 2015 – Imlay City Mi to Detroit MI – 65.35 miles
0 Day Detroit – 11 miles – “Tour de Hood”
The approach. How do we get into the big city without too much difficulty. I know Detroit is a disaster and I would suspect the streets, especially for us bicyclist would be too. We diverged from the Adventure cycling route to find a place to sleep and and descent restaurant, although that we found just by chance. So we had to find a good route where we would not be killed by the commuters and trucks heading into the city. That was hard. We chose one that mixed road and bike trails and crossed our fingers. As we found out the Michigan highway country roads do not have shoulders. That was bad. We got loads of drivers truly upset as we had to take the lane to make it safely. Their choice was to slow down and wait to pass us or kill us. They all chose the to slow down.

Once we got to a place called Almont we hit our beloved country road, no shoulder but little traffic. Then the “Google maps route” took us off on another side road heading south which was OK, lots of bumps, but then it turned into a dirt road for several miles. We were really trying to understand what was going on, there were beautiful large country homes on either side of us and dirt roads? What was that all about? As Gregg said, “this make it countryfied”!! Whatever. We were glad to hit civilization again and a paved bike path at Romeo MI for 11 miles.

But as we left the bike path the “hell” started. Broken concrete, worse than weather bumps on asphalt. We had to deal with that an no shoulder and massive commuter traffic about 25 miles outside of Detroit. It was so bad we had to get on the super bad side walks that also were not maintained, big dents and grooves and concrete slabs protruding a couple inches, making our ride slow going and terrible. I was dreaming of the country roads of North Dakota then, bring them back, even with the winds. This was bad.

We eventually made it to St Clair Shores were we met up with the Adventure Cycling routed again, 48 miles into the day. Gregg was bonking. We needed to stop for some food and refreshments. We found a place called Waves where I had coconut shrimp and Gregg some sweet potato fries. It was filled with retired folks that probably lived in the apartments along the lake shore. The elderly proprietor came around in her Moo Moo and tried to sell us on a “frequent visitors” program, but of course, as in many places before, we would never be back there again. Sorry Waves.

But once we left there we entered a different world. I suppose most of you know that the affluent area of Detroit is Grosse Point. Well Grosse Point shores and its amazing mansions puts Beverly Hills to shame. We first passed the Edsel Ford Mansion, where the gate house and accommodations were larger than 90% of the homes in the United States. What lays behind that we did not get a glimpse of since the driveway is probably a mile long. The only thing that really compares to this area is Newport Rhode Island, if you can relate. For me it was such an shocking comparison to what lies just a few mile to the west and south of there.

We finally entered the city after Grosse Point Park (a couple cities down from the shores but still nice) and it was like we crossed some kind of a border, immediately devastation. Welcome to Detroit, a city which is witness and is, capitalism’s casualty. Those of you that have not been here in, let’s say 40 years, would be shocked. The city that used to have 1.5 mil people living here at the highest per capita income, with an abundance of jobs and job security for a good middle class existence, is no more. It is some to reflect on. What happened here? A war? A natural disaster?

Day 64 – Detroit
Ironically we tried very hard to rent a car today. It was not possible. The only ones available were at the airport which would have cost us $100 round trip to get to. No way. I was disappointed because I wanted to show Gregg a little more of the “real” Detroit. So we stayed carbon neutral again (you can argue our hotel/motel stays are not or our food consumption), yet we did not get in a car today.

We went to a cool diner for breakfast called The Dime Store. I decided to wear one of my provocative T Shirts today, it would have been my We Cycle T-shirt that is a play on Re-Cycling, or my black T – that says No to sitting on couch, No to TV, No to cellphone, and YES to Cycling which I got in Little Falls WI where Gregg got his bottom bracket spacer thing done. Well I got a huge response. In the crowded hipster diner the bartender who had bike stuff tattooed all over his body and a T shirt that said Bike Polo, came over and was totally stoked. He and a few patrons said that is the coolest T-shirt. “Big Mike” even offered to take us on a ride of the city tomorrow morning. Another trail angel. We decided to take him up on the offer.

But we also decide to explore the city on our bikes. I told Gregg it really would be a shame if we didn’t and so, reluctantly we got on our bikes again. I wanted to show him the Heidelberg Street art project. We got there and Gregg was blown away. I captured his impressions on video. Yes, this city does something to you. It hits you right in the gut. I have been there and Gregg got that today. Tyree, the artist was there today, he did not want to be filmed. But we talked. This is a message to the world and about the world. What remains after life leaves these neighborhoods. Objects that were once precious are not discarded. Like Detroit discarded. Plastic, rusted metal auto parts, televisions, toys, vinyl records, and American flags, forgotten and left behind. But mostly there were shoes. It struck me how much it reminded me of those shoes left behind in the horrendous Holocaust films we all know. Those shoes spell death and Detroit illustrates the death of dreams, the death of a certain part of the American Dream.

We moved on. Stopped at the house of Grave Lee Boggs (look her up) and finally got to another emblem of the “good life” of the 1900-1950s the Packard Plant which now lies in ruins. Gregg was shocked, “how could this place which died in 1958 be left like this in utter ruin in the middle of Detroit?”. Yep? How? It is so sad. The amazing houses that line these magnificent boulevard are derelict. We see a past that is so far away from today that it can never come back. I can’t see it.

We made our way back downtown via the Eastern Market. There I saw some hope. People were buying fresh produce and creating community. We stopped at a Save Bert’s event where the local Jazz club that has been around for decades was on the chopping block. We pulled in and the musician commented on my T-shirt. I turned to the crowded and everyone applauded. Turn it OFF and get on a Bike – seems to resonate.

Back in Detroit we stopped at Wrights and Co which I had visited with Felix and Thomas, my Washington DC based colleagues as we were filming a story about Ayiana Jones murder issues and Police brutality. By the way, we stopped at her grave today at a cemetery near the Packard ruins. This place is amazing. We has freshly made original cocktails, and best of all the pork belly sliders.

Detroit. I will say good things about Detroit. It is a sad place but a happy place. People are trying hard to pull in up out of whatever hit it. They love this city. And, it a strange way I love this city. My Audi was totaled last year and I bought a Chevy Volt, in part because it is made in Detroit at the Hamtramck plant. As some of the T shirts in the city say “Detroit vs. the World”, whatever that means. This place has spirit. I like it.