Largest historic public market in the U.S.–

  BOOM!  Started in 1841 and covering about 43 acres this is the largest historic public market district in the U.S.: Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan.  On Saturdays about forty-five thousand people make their way here looking for veggies, coffee, meats, sausages, plants, flowers, sandwiches, camaraderie, social time, bloody marys, etc.  It remains a bustling hive of activity even as Detroit struggles to find an evolved identity beyond the burnt-out buildings, abandoned lots, and feeling of desolation.  So, calling all adventure travelers, make your way to Detroit, do some exploring, and contribute to the urban renewal that is happening here right before peoples’ eyes.

I send you lively vibes from Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan. . .feel them. . .they are the stuff that civilization is built on.

To see more fascinating images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Motor City vistas–

POW!  The sun also rises in Detroit, Michigan. . .who’d a thunk it?  Morning glow again and again and again and. . .you get the idea, somethin’ is happenin’ here.  We were here three years ago, and the town was quite visibly messy and burnt out and on-edge. . .and now–June 2015–lots of the city feels cleaned-up and tended-to just a bit more than before. . .so, I imagine that in another three years there will be more clean-up. . .then three years after that even more clean-up, etc. and so on.  Rock bottom has been hit, and now Detroit is moving upward and onward. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!. . .glad to see it.  We look forward to seeing and hearing about more and more renewal efforts, seeing more restaurants, seeing more business owners, and seeing more people returning to this fascinating place of industry, hard work, and perseverance.

I send you upward and onward vibes from Detroit. . .feel them. . .they are history in the making.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Detroit tradition–

You gotta have a Coney Island hot dog when you visit Detroit, Michigan, and one of my favorite places to do this is at Lafayette Coney Island in the heart of downtown.  The place is over one hundred years old, the staff is just under this age, but the coneys are as tasty and delectable as ever.  The only way to have a coney, in my humble opinion, is with mustard, onions, and chili. . .mmm, aaaahh!  And of course you gotta wash these babies down with an icy-cold can of Labatt’s Blue beer–one of Canada’s finest mass-produced brews–crisp and invigorating.  So, pop on over to Day-twah for a long weekend, contribute to urban renewal, and gobble two or three of these babies along the way. . .you will like, I gar-ron-taaaay!!

I send you tasty vibes from Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit. . .feel them. . .they are surprisingly worthy of your attention.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Is it gonna happen?

Is Detroit going to be reborn into something new?  Is it?  Or is it just slowly going to turn into a mostly rural 18th-century-esque town with a tight little downtown area for the masses to enjoy surrounded by lots of gardens, markets, cozy little dining spots, and rustic homes?  Wouldn’t be too bad if this is what happens, in fact, it feels like this is what is happening right now, and I kind of like it.

If you are feeling adventurous and you want to do some interesting exploring, then head to Detroit. . .in some ways it feels like one of the most exotic places that I have ever visited, and in other ways it feels just like home.  Check it out, eat some grub, sip some beverages, snap some photos, then return home and tell yer friends that an interesting experiment is happening live and in-person in Detroit, an experiment in human endeavor and flexibility and ingenuity. . .an experiment in survival.

I send you up-and-coming vibes from Detroit. . .feel them. . .they will put a skip in your step.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

We get up, we get down–

BOOM!  Here we are checkin’ out the fascinating symbol of urban decline in Detroit, Michigan, the Michigan Central Station, aka, the MCS.  This baby opened in January of 1914. . .it was a key stop for folks traveling by train from various points in New York to various points in and around Chicago. . .it was a main destination for folks doing business in and around Detroit–and there was lots of business to do in the auto, steel, banking, and manufacturing industries that helped America thrive through WWII and beyond. . .then in the 1950s the building started its slow decline as automobiles and airplanes changed the way that Americans were traveling around the country.  Businesses pulled out and Detroit did not adjust fast enough leading us to the town we see today–with this building still standing to represent the dramatic decline here.  The MCS attempted to evolve and change numerous times, but the decline continued throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s until the whole thing came to a halt and was shut down as the last train pulled out on January 5, 1988.

Since then vandals, squatters, graffiti artists, homeless people, etc. have been the main residents of MCS.  Today the building is owned by a billionaire dude called Matty Maroun. . .he wants to redevelop the property, but no one knows what would really work here: casino, hotel, homeland security offices, grand museum, etc. or tear it down–it is on the National Historic Register so this is hard to do. . .no one knows what to do, and, more importantly, no one wants to pull the trigger on spending hundreds of millions of bucks to make it over into something only potentially viable.  Of course, this, too, shall pass. . .yes, but to what?

Come to Detroit on an adventure visit, eat a coney island hot dog or three at Lafayette Coney Island, eat some BBQ at Slow’s, and take some photos of the Michigan Central Station. . .it may not be here much longer, or it may become something even more fascinating than before.

I send you cyclical vibes from MCS. . .feel them. . .they are part of all of us.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny-tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 brunch…Detroit–

 BAM!  Here we are hangin’ in Detroit, Michigan, place of my birth, and as you can see we have found a delightful and tasty spot for brunch called Gold Cash Gold. . .jaaa!  The restaurant is actually an old pawn shop/jewelry dealer/on-the-spot loan shop located on Michigan Avenue on the same block where Slow’s BBQ is doin’ its thang.  The ceiling of Gold Cash Gold is a herring bone pattern made out of reclaimed wood found around town. . .the poached eggs on biscuits & gravy is damn tasty. . .the bloody marys look wonderful–didn’t taste one as I am driving. . .this is Motown, you gotta drive yerself around. . .the iced tea and coffee are both strong delicious. . .the outdoor dining area out back is totally chilled-out. . .and the staff are spot-on in this new-ish establishment–they just opened in December of 2014.

So, don’t be afraid, pop into Detroit for a visit, check out what urban renewal can potentially look like, drive along Michigan Avenue until you come to the ghostly, abandoned Michigan Central Station, pull in the driveway for a couple of photos, then head across the street for some wonderful brunch at Gold Cash Gold. . .you will like, I gar-ron-taaay!!

I send you slowly reviving vibes from Gold Cash Gold in Detroit. . .feel them. . .they could grow into something good, we just don’t know what.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s l0vely out there.