Detroit by Bicycle from the Megabus - Part 3

Hopping curbs, riding sidewalks, running lights, and heading the wrong way on one way streets - totally illegal but great on a bicycle.  They let you go faster, see more, and sometimes be safer.  That's how I usually ride fast in a city but I didn't need to do that on Saturday in Detroit.  The city is so empty and the streets so wide that a bicycle can often just take up a lane without interfering with traffic.

Some downtown scenes before we hit the waterfront:

"The arena is empty except for one man still driving and striving..."

Windsor, Canada - just across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit:

General Motors:

The Waterfront:

Belle Isle is the green space in the distance

Views from Belle Isle:

The bridge to Belle Isle.  A tree.

That which once was

Wedding:

I used the bike as a ladder to get my box back from the locked dumpster enclosure.  Disassembly was far easier than assembly and I leaped aboard the bus at 5 for the return trip.  I actually wanted a coffee before I boxed the bike so I rode in circles for blocks and never did find a Starbucks - strange because they're every two blocks in NY.

My friend picked me up at 10 pm at the Convention Center in Pittsburgh after less than 24 hours away from home.  The maps were a great idea but I need a smaller bike with smaller wheels that'll fit into a bag I can carry with me.  It's not so convenient if you have to travel by Megabus and leave the box somewhere.

I want to pedal more cities.  Detroit was wonderful.

I honestly considered not including part 3 since the waterfront and Belle Isle are so fabulous.  The next time you're in Detroit to see the Red Wings and the Penguins, ride the waterfront and Belle Isle but don't forget to head out Gratiot to 8 Mile.  It'll open your heart as it opens your eyes.  It'll also begin yet another addiction - Netflix Detroit.