The Traveling Michigander

I was with my wife in Detroit on Tuesday for a computer conference. Nothing exciting there, even though the very real threat of becoming hopelessly lost in the Renaissance Center is a very real threat.

Renaissance Center

After a lunch in the winter garden, the atrium that looks out over the Detroit River and to Windsor, Ontario, we took a walk along the river. I had not been in Detroit for a year, and the RiverWalk ended at Rivard Street. This time, the walk had been extended with the creation of William G. Milliken State Park. A short paved path winds through a nature area with grasses and ponds next to the river.

Detroit RiverWalk

When last I saw this area, it was an empty of anything redeeming, just a dirt and grass lot with chunks of pavement. Now it is a welcome piece of nature in an otherwise boring area of post-manufacturing riverfront.

Detroit RiverWalk

The fountains between the Renaissance Center I and the river have always been a hit with the kids. It’s nice to see so many people out and about. You hear a lot of bad things happening in Detroit, but there are certainly pieces of good things too. Hopefully, the RiverWalk will continue to be expanded.

Detroit RiverWalk

A parting shot of the Ren Cen shining in the sun.

Renaissance Center

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, grand plans of hours and hours hiking through Michigan’s woods ruined, I instead made the trip to Pontiac to visit the Walter P. Chrysler Museum on the campus of the Chrysler headquarters just off of I 75.

After actually getting to the campus, it still took a long and winding road to reach the museum, tucked far from the front entrance of the complex. The museum was not at all busy and I was able to leisurely explore the exhibits. The very friendly volunteer at the counter suggested a route to take through the museum to get the most out of my visit.

Walter P. Chrysler Museum

Now, I’m not a “car guy”, but I found the museum very interesting. From the 1902 Rambler Runabout and the 1924 Chrysler Phaeton , to the modern concept cars, there were dozens and dozens of cars, all in superb shape. And throughout the museum, placards explained some of the technological breakthroughs Chrysler made during the period the cars were built.

Rambler Runabout

During my visit, there was a special exhibit on Vipers. And Vipers are “kewl”.

Dodge Viper

I even snapped a picture of my wife’s dream vehicle.

Chrysler Minivan

In the basement-level garage were the racecars as well as a collection of trucks and mid-20th century cars. There was even a Chrysler  air raid siren on display. And like most museums, you’re not allowed to touch the exhibits, but I did get the chance to sit in a purple Prowler. It was surprisingly comfortable, but I could put the seat way back since there was no back seat.

Trucks at the Chrylser Museum

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum is a great rainy (or sunny) day activity. The whole museum can be seen in a hour, though lingering to read all the information about the cars will lead to a longer visit.

It was a rainy weekend here in Michigan. Though it stopped any grand plans I might of had of exploring deep into the north woods far from Lansing, I still escaped the suburbs, just not as far in as I would have liked.

I hiked at Highlands State Recreation Area in White Lake near Pontiac. The rain was a blessing in disguise. Being a park in the greater Detroit area, I would imagine it can normally get quite busy. In fact, as the rain started to let up (also when my walk was nearing its end), there were double the amount of cars in the parking lot. Wet boots were a small price to pay for a little solitude.

Highlands State Recreation Area

Highlands has over thirty miles of biking and hiking trails. The section I hiked were those on the east side of the park, centered on Haven Hill Lake. It was springtime and everything was green, except for the trees blackened by a recent fire. It wasn’t me, I wasn’t anywhere near the park at the time of the fire.

As I mentioned, it had rained, and the trails were muddy in many places. No problem – I had brought my hiking boots, which are almost always in my trunk. The trails were well marked and appear well maintained.

Highlands State Recreation Area

The trails were not challenging except for occasionally having to leave the path in search of a dryer route. In many places that are particularly susceptible to standing water, boardwalks have been built to keep our feed dry.

Highlands State Recreation Area

If you live in the metro area, Highlands would be a good option for getting into the woods. Otherwise, there isn’t anything that interesting to draw those from farther away.

An article on The Chicago Tribune talked about modern architecture tours in Michigan. As a fan of architecture, I was glad to see a shout-out to this poor state.

When I work in Detroit (which hasn’t happened lately), I take my handy AIA: Detroit handbook to identify the various buildings throughout the city. Slightly geeky? Most definitely, but my natural curiosity requires me to know what those beautiful, though (in many cases) rotting, buildings are. What if I’m kidnapped and put inside an abandoned building, which could happen wandering through Detroit. I could help the police identify where I was. Knowledge is power, as G.I. Joe used to say.

My favorite of the golden oldies in Detroit is the Michigan Central Depot. Formerly a train station (until 1988) and the site of movie shootings such as The Transformers, the Depot sits quietly as it has for decades. There is the occasional talk of tearing it down, but I hope it stays – it was beautiful once, and if the Michigan economy ever turns around, it could be again.

The current victim of the wrecking ball (figuratively speaking, since they don’t use balls anymore) is the Lafayette Building. If you look closely at the picture, you can see trees growing on top of the building. Talk about a rooftop garden.

I took a training class in downtown Detroit, and I could see the Lafayette Building from the training room. It’s too bad they are tearing it down, partly because it is a sign that things were once better in Detroit, but also because there is no concrete plan for the site. A little park, perhaps? A shooting range? A place to send smoke signals to Canada asking for money?

Back to the Tribune article. There was a link to the Michigan Modern blog, which is one I’ll be following. The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office Blog is another such blog. The posts are not edge-of-your-seat exciting, but they are informative.

Thanks, Tribune! We need all the help we can get.