Up the not-so-lazy-Detroit River

Want an advance look of the Riverwalk? See it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx9ld8DaC58&feature=channel_page

This is a view of Detroit from Belle Isle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx9ld8DaC58&feature=channel_page

 

Letterbox mania

Ok – I am totally addicted to  letterboxing and geocaching. If you are looking for a treasure hunt,

Concours d'Elegance at Meadow Brook Hall

I’ve got a letterbox hidden at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Meadow Brook is also available as a Spectacular Stroll and is an absolutely beautiful place for a walk. Check out letterboxing.org and Matilda’s Ride.

Detroit Riverwalk

If you haven’t been to Detroit’s new Riverwalk – you are missing something truly amazing. This summer, a food concession stand opened up near the carousel and bike rentals are available. The Riverwalk Conservancy has done a terrific job adding flowers and foliage to the walk, which delivers a glorious view of the Detroit River. It also gives spectacular strollers a safe and informative view of the city and  surrounding areas through some wonderful sculptural maps. It’s also a good site for geocachers — you know who you are. Next up for strollers – the Dequindre Cut, a rails-to-trails pathway connecting the Riverwalk to Eastern Market. Grand opening is scheduled for this fall.

Pasadena

  The ladies of Shepard Brothers enjoyed a Spectacular Stroll in Pasadena recently. The neighborhood walk, which began at the fabulous Langham Huntington Hotel, traversed through tree-shaded streets filled with beautiful homes. Visit the Pasadena Convention and Visitor Bureau Web site – just Google it – for a free walking tour map. 

Detroit Institute of Arts

The new DIA in Detroit is wonderful! I advise visitors to get there early — they open at 10 a.m.  — to find ample parking and beat the crowds anxious to see the newly expanded art museum. My favorite gallery is the Diego Rivera mural Garden Court, but check out the exhibits in the new wings and the “virtual dining” experience on the third floor. 

My brother Bill at the abandoned Michigan Central Station

Our Corktown stroll includes an up-close view of Detroit’s abandoned train station. It’s beautiful and sad, a bit like a Roman ruin.

Spectacular strolls make a great date

Walking through Corktown or on the Riverwalk in Detroit is a fun way to get to know someone. You are outside in the fresh air, you’ve got the walking tour card to show you what you are walking past and the treasure hunt question to give you a shared sense of purpose. Plus, you are walking past bars and restaurants. What could be more romantic?

Me, my husband and grandson at Campus Martius

This is me, my husband Randy and our grandson Will on the Woodward Avenue walk in Detroit between Campus Martius and Hart Plaza. Will lives in Seattle with his mom, dad and brother Hugh. He had a spectacular stroller ride.

Riverwalk

Went to the opening of the Asian Marketplace on the Detroit International Riverwalk last night. The new Fusia restaurant is beautiful and a great addition to downtown. The RiverWalk is so pretty at night, down by the carousel there are these amazing art-maps. One of the maps is embedded in the concrete and shows Detroit and Windsor, all the major highways and the suburb cities. Next to it, a fabulous glass sculpture map illustrates all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. A third sculpture map [I made up this name] is near the Ren Cen. It’s also embedded in the concrete and is a map of the world featuring lights on major cities.

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