Day 26: Detroit, MI
Welcome
Yesterday we re-joined The National for a show in Detroit, Michigan.
Let me take you on a tour of Detroit’s waterfront which I had the pleasure of exploring on my run yesterday morning. About a kilometre from the hotel, I found the start of the River Walk, and at the beginning of this trail a round, concrete ziggurat stands, offering terraced seating for anyone wanting a slightly more elevated view of the river. Soaring above the small plaza that holds this large energy dome is an elevated railway that serves the Detroit People Mover, an automated train service operating a one-way 4.7km loop around the city’s downtown.
Looking downriver to the south you see the Ambassador Bridge, coming up on its 94th birthday at the end of this year, and looking as sturdy as ever. An endless procession of trucks trundle across the suspended span, and a charming aquamarine paint job allows the steel structure to effortlessly blend into its surroundings.
Heading north, away from the bridge, I soon pass a large, moored vessel, a riverboat named Detroit Princess, which offers cruises serving up food and scenic beauty. Further along on the left is the Hart Plaza, which features a number of monuments, the most prominent being the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain which honours these two famous automobile manufacturers by shooting out hundreds of jets of water, illuminated by computer-controlled lights. The water emerges from a brown, granite pool shaped like the top quarter of an oak barrel, and is fired up through the middle of a perforated torus, a huge metal donut that also rains huge quantities of water back down into the pool from its many holes. The torus sits several metres above the pool and is supported by two metal pipes that extend from opposite sides at a geometrically satisfying 45° towards the ground.
If you haven’t seen the Dodge Fountain before and thanks to my description you are now able to picture it in your head, feel free to email me a sketch of your efforts at breakfastandtravelupdates@breakfastandtravelupdates.com
Next, I passed the Renaissance Centre, a rosette-shaped cluster of skyscrapers whose outer towers house the world headquarters for General Motors, while the inner, tallest tower, serving as the pistil in this botanical architectural metaphor, is the Detroit Marriot Hotel. Vivid blue LED lights wrap around the tops of these towers and come alive in the evening, casting an eerie glow through the downtown.
The adjacent General Motors carpark was mostly empty when I jogged past, but anyone lucky enough to park their car in this open-air lot would enjoy a wonderful view of the river while they walked across to the Renaissance Centre.
A small section of this waterfront has been transformed into a wetlands demonstration area, and that’s what I passed through next, a winding path leading me through these small ponds filled with reeds, lily pads, and lotus. Wildflowers were in abundance across this waterfront park, their delicate scents filling the air and making this a very pleasant part of my journey.
4.8 stars from 4 reviews is a great rating, and this sculpture certainly deserves it for the joy it must provide to users of the Detroit Riverwalk. I didn’t think to take a picture of John Sauve’s Seinsfrage, but if you can’t be bothered clicking through to the link, the description from the Google Maps landmark “steel modern art man with pipes thru him” should give you the gist.
Further along the park I came across a large mound which is constructed from dirt removed during upgrades to the nearby harbour. The mound is wonderfully landscaped with flowers and berries growing around the base, and atop it is a pair of mounted binoculars that are free to use, allowing me to capitalise on the superior view offered from this elevated position.
Looking back across the wetland demonstration area, with downtown and the Ambassador Bridge in the background.
I continued down the other side of the mound and found the small harbour to which the pile of dirt belonged. There is a small marina housed in the harbour and at the tip of the breakwater a 19th century lighthouse guards the entrance, looking fresh with its white paint job and a little red hat.
Back at the hotel I refreshed myself before heading out for breakfast. There was a café called Folk just a couple of blocks from the hotel and Tristan and I enjoyed the pleasantly cool weather, dining outside on the patio until we were forced indoors by a steadily increasing wasp presence. My meal was a CWO Nosh Plate – herb biscuit, pickled green tomatoes, mozzarella, roasted summer squash, pesto, and local greens.
It only was a short drive to the Fillmore, a theatre located in Detroit’s downtown. Built in 1925, this Italian Renaissance Revival building is in fine shape after a 2018 restoration of its interior. At the top of the room, eight stories high is an impressive domed ceiling with elaborate moulded plaster detailing, carefully painted in gold and turquoise. Glass chandeliers hang in the bays along the walls lighting colourful, tall murals, and scagliola (imitation marble) columns support the arches that house these paintings.
Our green room was up four flights of stairs and over the afternoon and evening we got to know these stairs very well; every five minutes or so someone would burst through the door out of breath. If you weren’t tired out by this ascent our little room was equipped with several pieces of exercise equipment so you could finish the job.
The theatre was surprisingly full when we went out on stage later that evening. Liz delivered some quality banter and I’m sure that everyone in the room was nothing short of completely charmed.
I spent the rest of the night working on Liz and Jons’ secret recording project, a process that was hindered by the noisy concert going on downstairs in the auditorium. Noise cancelling headphones helped somewhat and the track was completed, sent off to begin the next step in this secret production process.
After the show we drove back to our authentic, artisan, boutique hotel and headed straight to bed, ignoring the boutiquey electricity in our room which flickered off and on every few minutes.