It’s late January and my kids are starting to go crazy from cabin fever, bouncing off the walls and relentlessly aggravating each other (and their parents). Today was a gorgeous winter day, sunny and clear and bracingly cold, so we bundled up and headed down to Belle Isle for my first visit of 2016.
In addition to having a pretty boss playground for the kids, Belle Isle boasts a nice hiking trail on its eastern end. It takes you past the Livingstone Lighthouse, which is currently undergoing renovations, out to the water’s edge and along a narrow isthmus between Blue Heron Lagoon and a canal (I really wish the state DNR would extend the trail through the gold course to make a full loop, but whatevs). It’s a nice place to enjoy some open space, observe ice formations, gaze out to Peche Island, an uninhabited Windsor (Ontario) city park, and Lake St. Clair, and let the kids play with sticks and ice chunks to their hearts’ content.
Proof that winter brings its own brand of delights — even in Detroit.
I’m so glad Belle Isle is coming back. I rode horses and rented canoes there in the ’50s. Parents had rich friends who belonged to both the Detroit Yacht Club and the Detroit Boat Club. We had such good times on Belle Isle.
detroit1051,
I hear the boat club now has a long-term lease and that extensive renovations are under way. My wife and I had our wedding reception at the DYC, which is a beautiful facility. Canoe rental would be amazing and I hope something similar comes back to the park.
The place is definitely looking better these days, though there is still room for improvement. Thanks for reading!