Motor City Marina

We had planned a very short day today as we scrambled to find places to stay over the 4th of July weekend. We didn't want the trip to Put-In-Bay to be too long so we found Motor City Marina, just at the other end of the Detroit River. We left late from Grayhaven and as we were underway saw William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. We found that we could get a day pass so we went in at lunch time. After lunch at Atwater Brewery, we continued on to Motor City Marina. The current on the Detroit River is almost as strong as the St. Clair River so we made good time motoring. The wind was of no use. It was a short trip but there was a lot to see as all the pictures will attest.

Approaching downtown Detroit from up river.

Entrance to William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor.

The Renaissance Center, AKA RenCen.

Downtown Detroit.

Cobo Hall.

Another view of downtown.

The Ambassador Bridge between Detroit MI and Windsor ON Canada.

Ambassador Bridge ramp on the US side.

Detroit skyline under the Ambassador Bridge.

Looking downstream at the new Gordie Howe bridge, also between Detroit and Windsor.

Yet another freighter waiting to be loaded.

You see a lot of freighters on the rivers between Lake Erie and Lake Huron.


Looking back upstream through the Ambassador Bridge to the Detroit skyline.


We passed right under the center/last section of the bridge to be installed.


The center of the bridge, still being completed but it is connected.


Looking back upstream at the Detroit skyline under the Gordie Howe Bridge.

I believe that this is a steel factory that take ore to make steel.

Looking up the Rouge River. I believe the Ford Rouge Plant, where the F150 is made, is up this river.

A US Steel factory.

Our boat docked at Motor City Marina. Our hosts were gracious to let us use their sitting area.

View of the marina from land.

A freighter passing by the marina.

The Detroit skyline from our dock.

Some towns do fireworks on the 5th of July. Seen from the end of our dock.

Another view upstream toward Detroit.

During our stop at Milliken State Park and Harbor we walked to Atwater Brewery. I had their Atwater Brat, which was very good. They are not brats in the German sense, more like big higher quality hot dogs; more like a German Knackwurst. Their beers are very solid. They have several IPAs and I did a flight with most of them. I also tried the pilsner, which for an American pilsner wasn't bad, quite good for American versions of European pilsner, but still not up to German or Czech standards however.

We ate at the Speedboat restaurant. They made my eating decision easy since they had a fried walleye and perch dinner. It was a ton of fish. Even I couldn't finish all of the fries. The fish was very good but there was quite a bit of breading that came off easily so I ate just the fish. 

We were luck to arrive at the marina on a day that they had a party planned. They had food trucks selling burgers and host dogs, and an ice cream truck. We did not partake of these since we went to the fish restaurant. But the owner of the marina paid for beer/soda/water and had a band. I didn't get the name of the band but they were a very good three piece band (lead, bass and drums). Oh, and they also had shots of tequila. The people here were great. We had a most enjoyable time, drank too much and didn't get enough sleep afterward. I was surprised when people upstream asked where we were going next and we said Motor City in Wyandotte, that no one had heard of it. It is a very nice marina that had clean bathrooms and showers, but no laundry. It is close to a grocery and restaurants.


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