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Destination Detroit

After farewelling Rick, Shona, and Jack, we headed off via car for a reverse Underground Railroad journey from Canada to what has become shoot-em-up USA. Note: though obviously our journey was very different, both St. Catherines and Detroit played a role in the Underground Railroad journey (see prior blog and below).

On our way south, we passed a sign for Brantford, Ontario, which calls itself the “Telephone City” and has an Alexander Graham Bell Way. Wait, what? That created a discussion with Bob about what we knew about Mr. Bell and the phone, as we both thought this was an American thing. A quick Google search later that day would show that Mr. Bell was born in Scotland, emigrated to Canada with his family, hatched the idea for the phone in Brantford, and honed it in Boston. So I guess three countries can claim him.

We had a very strange feeling return to the US. Unlike in New York and Niagara, Canada, where there are numerous signs for the bridge crossings. I don’t believe we saw any overt signage that the tunnel we crossed was a border crossing— just the name of the tunnel. We paid $5 US to drive through the subtle tunnel and then had a quick chat with a nice border patrol guy who glanced at our passports and we were in downtown Detroit. It all felt a bit surreptitious.

We are staying in the Elemental Hotel in downtown Detroit on John R Street. I have not yet asked or digitally searched for who John R might be and why just the initial. We quickly checked into our room and headed out for a walkabout on a beautiful, sunny day. Bob had read about their Riverwalk, so we headed in that direction.

We found some interesting buildings downtown.

This hotel was named for the now defunct Shinola shoe polish (made in Chicago if my internet source is right) that is the reference in the saying “You don’t know shit from Shinola.”
The building where Detroit will be holding the NFL draft — in 2024!
A sign counting down the days, hours, minutes, etc, until the 2024 NFL draft.

The riverwalk was very lovely and reminded us that Detroit is more than sports and cars, though we would get back into sports later.

Looking across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario.
A statue in tribute to the Underground Railroad. Detroit was a destination for awhile until Canada became a safer option after they abolished slavery in 1834.

After a lovely stroll along the water, we walked back into town, passing 3 of Detroit’s sports fields/arenas.

Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team, with a Shinola clock. So as a Green Bay Packer fan, I’d be tempted to say this is an example of shit and Shinola, but that wouldn’t be nice.
One view of Comerica Bank Field, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, which is at or near the bottom of their division right now.
This is actually a restaurant I believe near the Little Caesar’s arena that hosts the Detroit Pistons basketball and the Detroit Red Wings hockey teams. Pizza, pizza!

We found a Whole Foods store to pick up dinner and came back to the news of the horrible mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. An 18 year old from the community killed 14 elementary students and 1 teacher. Sadly, America will again let this go unanswered.

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