Spring was quickly getting run out of town with the third day in the 80’s. I was concerned with fruit bearing trees being exposed to another blow of winter breath. Wow it feels like summer! Jen was ready to ride, so was Dan, geese kids again, Yup! As we started to gather around we soon found ourselves joined by Amber, Connie from the Suicide Squad, James and Lauren feeling right and what would it be without late coming Mike, riding in from Ferndale and ready to bike.

Tonight’s ride was a visual honor. Colors of the spoke to the wheel ready to ride; diversity is the celebration of life. The silencer to the monolog that keeps us all apart is the bike, the trail or the ride. Dan was willing to take point as tonight’s ride was not planned out/informal. We sharked by HJ’s to see if anyone was around, circling back we pedestrian bridged our way to Buchannan and headed out to the way west.

Street after street on the outside of Mexican town, which might as well be called Mexican city given how far north and west it really has expanded was alive with community life. The smell of home cooked food was thick floating through the warm air. The view was filled with families spilling over from patios onto steps and walkways, then into their yards, and in some wonderful occasions, right into the street! Sweeping in the back I was able to say hello to so many people 1/2 in English and half Ola if you please. Okay at first maybe there could have been some judgment, or perhaps a little of that conversation in the head? Jen would say “oooh wait”, then the smile, then say hello, sure is a nice day today.

Heading South on Springwells it was feeling a little rushed. Only Charlie’s place left open on the west side. They unlocked the back patio, we brought our bikes in and were picnicking about when Dan emerged with 8) award winning PBR’s. Amber made mention of being here last year, the others smiled on in and soon the much anticipated Taco Truck Debate was upon us. From there we flew south to Jefferson in the Delray. Quick stop Ma Kovacs, circa 1896 and sadly we think the place is presently^ forever closed . Darting down Jefferson, Dan thought he could talk the Ft Wayne security Guard into a quick sharking but we were denied. Continued Bridge underpass, “yeah we closed down Jefferson Ave in the name of fear!” merry-go-around-to- fort right on downtown. Right again at the modified watershed hill, we found Jefferson Again. Back side Post Office sprint behind us; we caught our breath as we all turned onto the river walk for some people surfing.

Unlike other nights, tonight the river walk was wonderfully aglow with many, many people. First the fishermen, then the families, then the lovers, then the clowns, we all surfed on through in and around. Sooner or later designated traffic lanes will have to be addressed and provided, if not it may very well become a Chicago kind of walk. Anyways, we slowly- nicely, (Okay Suicide Connie had every right to speak up) but still felt nice making it our way through, onto to St. Andrews.

Another PBR and soon we were off onto the Sprint Cup Dequindre Cut to Eastern Market and then back onto MCB. Amber was off to her conference call, were as others pow-we-vowed and confirmed the circle.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

The reminder text was sent out earlier that day. Most cannot help being caught up in the patterns of life. For me it’s 9:30 lights out 5:00 a.m. lights on. The conversation in my head was telling me the Same-o-lame-o. A Bike Detroit ride is always aimed at the silencing the conversation forever. Dan met up at 9:45pm at the Palmer house so we could both catch up and talk about the inspiration of the new moon and why it is so important to us each and every month.

The new Moon represents the doorway that is open, No waxing-waning effect, no weight of la Luna’s water cycle upon us. Abraham knew this and used the cyclic opportunity to open his heart and avail himself to the Heavens divine inspiration. The seekers of heartfelt intent might ought the same.

The police bike came off the hooks, out of the cobwebs and onto the road tonight. We talked about it long enough. Would it fit Dan’s frame or at worst be a loner on and for anyone who was without? A few adjustments to the seat and we were off flying through Streetlight pole’s stripped Palmer, on our way to the Third Ave blast straight on down fast and funning. Dan been off the bike all winter, a few more adjustments were made, while working on downtown.

Needless to say, or yup we were about 10 min late in arriving at MCB, we ‘slight sharked it’ and slid onto HJ’S for a beer and good catch up conversation. The same page of a two sided circle is Harmony and Peace. Seek the doorway and enter there in, a must is a heartfelt friend.

Flat on through WSC, north on second passing the Fisher, the empty silence of the doorways at night, let the starlight shine on down, breathing in, out, up, practicing all the way back to Palmer.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

What a beautiful Day! Jen called to tell me that even though we have nothing officially scheduled she wanted to do a ride tonight in honor of one of her oldest friends who was in town from Kansas city. Welcome Michelle! Meeting down at MCB Jen had a chance to catch up with one of her earliest childhood friends where as I unexpectedly found myself being interviewed for a proposed documentary film on what we were doing out at Palmer Park? All I could ask is what this fellow’s intent was? He was shocked to learn that the proposed urban Farm was set upon Rudolph Steiner’s Bio-Dynamic farming principals. You never know who or what you will meet or find when you head on in and out for one of our bike rides. Seeing the ‘Good-ness’ of Jens elementary school friend reminded my I really fell in love with my wife. A good heart is truly inspirational!

With lighting streaking up the sky we took off on a simple run down to the river walk and onto Andrews. There was absolutely NOBODY on the river walk. Only us, the wind and the silence of the lazy Detroit river gently flowing by. In the miles that ensued emptiness and peace is what we all experienced. Stopping at Andrews as our turn around spot once again our Big Ole Burly Man bar keep was singing ‘Air-Supply’s’ All out of Love, all I could do is smile and smile as he and his friends were having a Dart throwing competition.

We started to head back and thought a sprint of the Dequindre cut was in order for our out of town guess. She asked why this was the only rail to trail conversion? Wow what a good question? From there we snaked through Eastern Market as we made our way back to MCB, fond-fair-thee-wells ensued and with a quick hug we were on our way back home to our sleeping children.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

What a beautiful morning! We met up at Palmer Park and jumped on one of our new favorite LaSalle Blvd to enjoy a leisurely ride down to Cork town. It was really hard to believe but big Mike actually was relaxing? The first time I had seen this in quite a while. The goal was to arrive in time to see Jen run in the 5k race and perhaps stick around to enjoy the annual St. Patty Parade. Making it down was silent and peaceful. On Sunday morning it always is, no matter what street you find yourself on in our great city. Mike made a comment on how “good this part of the city feels” and thought it would be great to add this route to one or two of our scheduled rides this year.

Arriving around 10:00 a.m., way early, it was great to see some of the eventual 7000+ runners warming up in their green running shirts. No cars just people, Now We Getting Somewhere as Donkey would say. Mike made a quick call to his lovely wife Lisa seeing if she wanted to join us downtown? We headed back up to Honest Johns for a quick break and from there Mike headed north back to Palmer and onto his home. I spun about and headed back to Cork town in just enough time to see my Sister in Law, Kelly chug on by where Michigan Ave meets Trumbull; Go Sis!!!

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

41 outside sun was shining, I knew this was a rare afternoon in early February season. Inspired from the Annual Bike-Detroit meeting from 10 days ago I was set, bound and determined to ride this newly proposed mid range bike route. Basically a 23 mile route that interconnects 20 Parks along the path less traveled. This was our proposed ‘Inner’ loop of our 3 part offering of the ‘Emerald Necklace’ plan we have been working on for the past 3 years.

It was a great first time out, many Parks were open and others were land grabbed shut? I wonder who I can contact at the city about this? Do any of you know where I might send an email to? Okay back to the trail…. I found 4 great pedestrian ways of getting over the expressways and railroads. A few of the areas out near west Chicago and Wyoming did not particularly feel that good. The route was edited earlier this morning! All told 28 miles traveled including turn around. One historic footnote to bring high end camera, shoot and share Cooley High School etching and symbolism left in and over many an outside wall, so that in turn we can share with all of our friends.

I am thinking 1 more edit session and 2 more test runs to make complete. Our hope is to finally have all of our maps published by March 15th, just in time for the 2012 season.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

Thanks again to brother Dan, today’s exploration ride was once again inspired by his research and intuition. We have been talking about the original city founder’s intentions for the Boulevard systems as of late and have amended our 2012 rides this season to share with people the original trails created by these remarkable men. For me, staring at the maps that had been so badly scarred by the freeway systems, it was hard for me to imagine the reasoning beyond the French influence of design, most notably the Boulevards of Paris and France and how wonderful they felt. Yet again my good friend was on to something so I decided once again to travel down a trail as of yet unexplored by our group.

In honor of the French Connection today’s journey started out the old Log Cabin Farm as it appears to me, time and again that many a Masonic trail concluded here, the old Log Cabin sitting center to the Old Log Cabin Farm, lost for ever as it once set amongst the fairways and Greens of the now private Golf club. The clock read 2:30 as I started out from the Palmer house and made my way to La Salle Boulevard. Today’s journey would be French in a couple of different ways. French for the Boulevard, La Salle named after one of the founders and thanks to my Grandma the 25% Francis flowing through yours truly. Skipping around the Northwest corner of Highland Park at Log Cabin road a few blocks further west and I found my street and turned left and entered on in.

A beautiful collection of classic 20’s residential architecture waits for the traveler just south of McNichols. I said to myself wow this is beautiful and yet another viable collection of homes that must be added to the ‘University District’ conversation. Crossing over Puritan the tune changes a bit. As I approached the Lodge Freeway I wondered east one block so I could catch the pedestrian bridge/overpass that was waiting for me, all-be-it without a Kerb cuts, just at the end of Baylis. A quick jump up and over the Kerb I darted left up and onto the overpass. I once again found myself smiling at the joy of an elevated view over a sea of endless automobiles. I wondered to myself if people would ever see how urban sprawl, commuting and burning fossil fuel really doesn’t work? Once across I found La Salle again and headed across Fenkell Ave. and on down La Salle Ct to see if there was a trail thru all of the apparent land grab, make shift barricades and illegal dumping piles. Nope, just another armpit of neglect, in need of a good cleaning and a shave. I looped back North to Fenkell and headed west on the south sidewalk turning left onto Linwood Ave. A quick left onto Oakman and I soon found myself back on the La Salle Trail.

From Oakman down to Buena Vista the traveler will be delighted to find another beautiful collection of apartment buildings similar to the Historic Palmer Park collection. Similar in differentiated style’s, set upon a smaller scale or footprint if you will. All of the lawns were cut and trimmed, no weed trees devouring fence lines. Another sight for History’s sore eyes, as the group managing this space seemed to have not lost the fight.. I continued south through a somewhat debilitated section but as I approached Courtland Ave the tune started to change. What greeted me next made me slow down. The site before me was Central High School!

The Masons once again left a mark, so clear and so concise that it made me stop in my tracks to Marvel the Cathedral/Lodge Room that stood silent before me. The center portion of the old school building felt like I was back in Europe on one of my study tours. Adorned in full symbolic array and constructed from Magical proportions, that would make Pythagoras smile, I wondered if any of the students could feel the energy of the amplified space or ever had cause to wonder what all of the Symbolic accents and Latin words meant? Slowly I circled the entire structure, enjoying the message from the still in good working order sidewalk that surrounds. From there I continued on South to the K-8th grade school, made smaller in scale yet set with Magical proportions and symbolism from the Quatrefoil to the founders Latin cryptic message still in plain site. With our kids faces stuck in hand held media streams I wondered if any, would get the founders message?

Smiling with yet another beautiful discovery, to carry with me in my heart, I continued on and down the grand old Boulevard anxiously awaiting what ever would meet me next. Boston Edison is most beautiful west of the Lodge. The sections near Woodward perhaps are grander in scale but the overall feel and sense of community, at least to me, appears warmer west of the ‘Lodge’ freeway. West Chicago, Longfellow all of the way to Blain all sang in similar tunes. With a brief zone of decay passed on thru, I was floored but what came at me next. ‘La Salle Gardens’ might just be the most beautiful neighborhood in all of the city of Detroit! That’s right, that’s what I just said and to think of it before today was unimaginable, as I had never seen what now stood beautifully set before me!

La Salle Blvd. South dead ends and or becomes interrupted by the beautiful La Salle Park set as a center square surrounded by a magnificent residential collection. I ditched on the idea of the central sidewalk and decided to drive around the square, not once but twice so I could marvel at the beautiful collection and expressions of Architectural history that stood there in front of me. Before today I could not even imagine the phrase Colonial-Art Deco but believe as you may, two incredible examples of this only-ever-seen style can be found on this square. To that you can add everything else you can imagine. Colonial, Art Deco, Spanish, Moorish, Tudor, Tudor Revival, Greek Revival, Stream Line, Modern and all points in-between can all be found in this one beautiful place. No other neighborhood I have ever seen, throughout the entire world, could ever boast such a display of residential Architecture!

Shocked and still amazed I continued on South through the narrows, La Salle becomes 16th or 15th it is rally hard to say. I crossed over I-94 on 14th and found my way back to 15th and took it till it dead-ended into Grand River. From there I did kind of a ‘Boomerang’ move northwest on Grand River one block to 16th and then swung in and continued south again. Crossing Warren, Forest and Buchanan the area is empty with a few houses darted inbetween the fields waiting the plow. I made my way to Butternut, (yes the white form of Walnut tree) and headed back east to 14th and on down to the River.

From that point it was a sprint, as the new viewing/recording was now done, as fast as I could peddle I passed many a mail truck rig along Jefferson Ave, onto the River walk, up the GM ramp and on through Greek town. I sharked on by the Park Bar and made my way to MCB for a break, water and refreshment. From there it was a sprint through Wayne State all the way back up 2nd to our new Palmer Home.

Bike Detroit! James Meyers bike explorer

Mike called me out on Saturdays ride asking why it had been over 2 months since my last Blog post. He went on to tell me that we have somewhat of a following on the Blog and added that not only should I continue but he would be joining in on his own accord soon. Well I have really no reason or excuse for my absence, but I will however share with those interested that the last 2+ months I have been busy helping out at home, spending more time with the family than ever, loving every minute of it!

The fact is the rides have continued throughout the winter and my thought was not to try and re-create the sense excitement and adventure now/considerably after the fact, but rather offer some dates and notes about the journeys, saving my ‘In the Moment Passion” for the next true Blog entry.

November saw the Wed before Thanksgiving ride which has now become something of a tradition. Big Mike and yours truly rode the Modified East Emerald Necklace route as well as we considered further revisions to the trail that we are proposing, (tomorrow night at our annual meeting we will be finalizing and voting on our Emerald Necklace Plan).

December saw a trip down to Sanibel Island in Fla. We went there for a long weekend and simply enjoyed the best biking infrastructure ever designed for a Golf Coast/Caribbean Island or Key. If you have not been, pack up the bikes and the whole family and go on down and enjoy bike paths that are as extensive as the road infrastructure. Finally a place where bike paths approach the 50% mark, a balance in comparison to the street and road footprints. December’s warm weather also gave re-birth to the Southfield trial system. I rode it twice, once alone and once with Mike. Again it rings true in my heart that all of the maps have to be available to the public. I am hoping this is completed in time for the early spring rides.

January saw our 5th annual New Year’s Day ride. Many promised but only Mike and I showed up at Palmer Park to begin our ride. We headed down south against that amazing Westerly cross breeze, it was like sailing via tact. We headed South down 3rd crossing over near Wayne State to Cass Ave. and continued our ride on down to the river to see the rolling white caps pushing the surface of the River against its flow, smashing East onto the tip of Belle Isle. Wow is a word that could never do the experience justice! As we headed back up along the Ren/Cen we were blown out like a Bowman’s Arch, having to hit the east sidewalk to cross the Jefferson, for try as we might we couldn’t have gone straight if our lives depended on it. Heading through Greek town we stopped at Honest Johns to pay new owners Jeff and Kelly a visit. We decided since this was the place it had all started back in 2001, we would schedule 25-50% of our Thursday night rides to depart from the good ole bike friendly place for the 2012 season. With the warm weather I was able to take out the old Diamond back and do a solo run down against the clock, out of shape on 26″ rims and still done at 59 minutes. Thanks to Dan I was able to dry out and catch a ride back vs. riding back into the wind.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

Today’s morning ride was done without bikes, spandex, Helmets or shorts. Today’s ride was done in Suits or one’s Sunday best as we had our day in court from a previous bike ride. Today we were in the 36th district court so as to defend our Honor and good name as we defended ourselves against the Loitering tickets that Dan, Matt, and I received last August while out on one of Thursday night trail/exploration rides.

All men can be reasonable and honorable. As both sides stand at the table of discussion we all must be prepared and willing to give up something so that Peace and Harmony can be obtained. For Dan it was the questioning of the Rail Road Police mans authority as his Insignia was without the State of Michigan’s Crest. For me it was my passion about Heartfelt Intent and rock solid belief that men of honor do not commit crimes, especially when all we were doing was changing the flat on Dan’s bike. For our new friend, the Rail Road police officer it was forgiving us for the passionate tone, questioning or disbelief. For Matt, it was nothing for he was/is the example for all to follow. So, “for the sake of justice we recommend that the charges against these men be dismissed”.

I write this so that we all can be made aware that not all rail road service roads are open to the public. In fact most of them are not. There are numerous owners to the functional and abandoned rail lines throughout the city with private police forces and 500 yard easement that keep them safe from vandalism and harm. Please research the owners and the restrictions associated with each of the lines. Whether or not they are on the Rails to Trails plan/list offered up by Todd Scott, or they are part of the Greenways Pedestrian Master Plan that was commissioned by Ken Cockerel Jr. Everyone has a job to do including our new rail road police officer friend, (hope you join us on one of our Thursday night rides next year, maybe you can give us an escorted tour?) We ask from all of you to respect this fact and do your homework before you begin your ride on any of the rail road systems.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer

Andrea was asking Dad when are you going to write another Blog about your rides, it has been over a month? Okay sorry for taking a break but as this is a part time passion, sometime work trumps the writing efforts that is seems my eldest daughter has come to enjoy..

October 15th: Was our first complete family bike down, we staged my vehicle at MCB and Jen came and picked all of us up as we headed back home and loaded up and road on down. We made a stop in Palmer Park and danced under the colors of a Sugar Maple tree as I chased Sephera around and around laughing.

October 21st: Dan loaded his bike up and met me on Hamilton. I road down to see him then we rode back down to midtown, then turned back and made our way back up to Palmer Park. Along the way we met no less than 14 bike rider traveling in the same direction. Dan stepped up his efforts and soon we had reeled in all three groups and made our way back to Hamilton. I continued on to Lathrup Village enjoying the release.

October 29th: Was a ride that Big Mike and I took which was the modified eastern section of the Emerald Necklace route. Mike was with us when we did the northwestern loop back in August. We staged one of our cars at MCB and drove up to Palmer Park to begin the ride. 26 miles later, 12 parks ridden through/toured, Mike became enthused about what it is we were trying to do and started talking about how we can really make this Emerald Necklace/Sustainable Park route a reality? It has started with Palmer Park and will branch out in both directions. More to come via formal announcements from the city soon!

November 3rd: Was dedicated to the Southfield trails that we originally re-opened some 4-5 years ago. I love it and missed the old route as we have committed most of our bike riding efforts to our beloved Detroit over the past 4 years. I promise to make all maps published on our site come January of 2012.

November 12th: Mike was inspired to hear about my recent tour through the old trails and asked to venture out again with me. Arriving @ 8:30 am we hit it and hit it hard. Trails hills climbs all in Southfield, out to Carpenter Lake, (where I had my first wipe out in 6 years) and back again. Seven forest sections, miles of trails that many people still believe do not exist. Mike was on me as well to complete the maps and get everything published in a down-load-able fashion so that we could share the all of the various trail routes we have helped re-define and or created.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers, Bike Explorer