Detroit

I haven't blogged at all about Detroit, but we've been here and there. It is a fascinating city and the more I see, the more I want to read about the history of Detroit... or watch a documentary.  That's much more my style.  Driving around in downtown Detroit is unlike any other city I've ever been in.  It has huge skyscrapers that are completely abandoned.  This is the Michigan Central Station.  It's a gorgeous building in complete ruins.  So sad.  I've seen pictures of the inside and it looks incredible.  I wish we could take a hard hat tour of this crumbling building.  

We went to a Tigers game.  It was pretty chilly that night, though.  It will be nice to go again now that it's actually summer.

The Detroit Institute of Art is pretty impressive.  It has more than 100 galleries of art from all ages.  We saw some Picasso, Monet, Renoir, and a bunch of others that Chris knew because he's more cultured than I am.  It's free for us since we live here, so it was fun to spend an afternoon exploring.  We hardly covered a fraction of it.

I bet this building was pretty incredible in its hay-day.  The door was propped open, but I didn't dare venture inside.

Last Saturday, we went downtown for the riverwalk festival.  It was more like just a carnival, but it was fun to walk along the edge of the city and see Canada just across the water.

We got to go on some boats.

These little bugs are called fish flies and they are EVERYWHERE.  They cover lamp posts and posters and fences and the sidewalks are marred with their dead bodies.  Apparently they live for two years in the mud under the lake before emerging on the land where they live for about 24 hours.  Fish fly season lasts for about 3 weeks... and it's pretty gross.

It was hot and humid that day, so we took shelter in the GM headquarters.  After lunch in the food court we wandered around the showroom and checked out all the vehicles.

One thing we really love about Detroit is the incredible street art.  There are some really talented artists around and they have some pretty big spaces to work with.  We pass this one on the freeway all the time and we think it's pretty awesome.

I love this one too.

THE HEIDELBERG PROJECT
As you may know Detroit has some abandoned building, home and neighborhoods.  One of the those neighborhoods is on Heidelberg Street.  "Everyday children walked to school past burned-out houses, rubble, debris, crime and decay.  The Heidelberg project's purpose was to offer them a different view, another perspective - to positively change the environment the children see every day." So as a community, they brightened up the neighborhood wreckage with a little paint, a few stuffed animals, some painted shoes and a grocery cart full of burned-up mannequin heads.

It includes several houses with various art projects littering the lawns in between.  If you're ever in Detroit, you have to stop here.  It's fascinating and there is definitely lots to look at.

Just a doll, talking on the phone in a charred house.

THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM
Chris and I were both very impressed with this museum.  It is set up very well with some really interesting pieces from trains and planes to farm equipment, and of course, lots of cars.  Here is the car Kennedy was shot in.

(It's the old lady car from Cars.)

Just watching tv.

This is the dymaxion house.  I can't believe it didn't catch on.  We could all be living in one of these airplane cabins, but I guess people don't like tiny bathrooms you can hardly turn around in.

This is the bus Rosa Parks was arrested on.  I sat in the exact seat she was sitting in.  I know because I sat in every seat just to make sure.