It’s fall in the U.S. In many places the trees are turning, the air is cooling off, and the hustle and bustle of good weather and nearing holidays is everywhere. In Georgia we have a moderate view of fall, we typically go pretty quickly from 100 degrees to the pit of hell – uh I mean winter – and we savor those short but sweet autumn weeks. So, we were excited to head to Michigan & Ontario where fall is a bolstered experience.
Back in June, my friend and I were texting back and forth and she mentioned the Detroit Free Press Marathon as a target race for her. I had already signed up for a full marathon in November, but it was a brand new race which means trying to target that race for a personal record (PR) could be risky. So, Jon and I talked and I signed up for Detroit shortly after.
Detroit gets a bad wrap, and for some really good reasons, however, stay with me and let me prove to you it’s got a lot to offer as well! As we were walking through the city one day I told J that a city is what you make it and I want to believe we are really good at finding the gems!
We flew in very early Friday morning because we had one goal in mind: get over the border and enjoy some quiet time outside at Point Pelee National Park. Thankfully our flights were right on time and the rental car experience was fairly quick, and we were off…
Day #1: Point Pelee National Park and an incredible Lebanese meal – about an hour southeast of Detroit. You cross over the Ambassador bridge and you spend about 15 minutes at the border, nothing terrible. The roads are smooth and quiet for the most part. We stopped for sandwiches in Leamington the last town before you arrive and enjoyed driving down the Main Street of this small town. Before you enter Point Pelee you drive down this row of houses along the coast of Erie, it’s beautiful and peaceful.
It cost us about $10 USD (you pay in CAD) to enter the park, and when I got the visitor guide and opened the map I was shocked! This place was expansive. We had only planned to spend a few hours here, but we could have easily spent all day. There was a beautiful trail system, beautiful spots and tourist stops along the beaches of Erie, a board walk along the Marsh, and then of course the main attraction the actual point that is the southernmost tip of Canada. It was all beautiful and as a side note: the Visitor center was also really well done.
When we moseyed our way back across the border it was about 3:30pm and time to check into our hotel. The race organizers had a large block of rooms for a great price and I was grateful to snag one that was so central to everything! We unpacked and freshened up and it was time to head to date night in the city. We dressed up a hair and went to a slightly upscale Lebanese restaurant called Leila. It was 5 stars, hummus and pita were mouthwatering and our main dishes were elaborate and filled with flavor.
After dinner we strolled; since my marathon was Sunday we used Friday as more of our sightseeing on foot day. As we headed towards the conglomerate of sports venues when we noticed it for the first time: the alleys. Tucked into the regular flow of streets and buildings are these well decorated, playful alleys. Kids were swinging, string lights twinkled overhead, and people were popping in for ice cream at the small hole in the wall shop – it was whimsical. AND at this point it had been a long day, so we finished the round and headed back to our hotel.
Day #2: Madame Vice President and the Riverwalk
I laid horizontal for approximately 12 hours and it was incredible. Our plan was to mosey to coffee and pancakes before the crowds really picked up, so we made our way over to The Hudson Cafe and the food and service were top notch. Let me suggest the red velvet pancakes! BUT what we weren’t planning was the blockades. Madame Vice President was in town and staying at the hotel next door to ours; it was fascinating watching the logistics come together to get our out of the hotel and on her way safely towards, non other than, Atlanta. Whether you agree with her politics or not, it’s truly remarkable to watch it all unfold so after my shakeout run of about 3 miles I sat across the street and watched.
After I thawed back in my hotel room I headed to grab lunch with my friend that roped me into this marathon in the first place. Heading down to the riverwalk I finally noticed them for the first time: the General Motors towers. Goodness gracious, this complex was huge and extravagant. They stand out and the cars throughout history are all on the main floor. Unfortunately, the food process went awry and we ended up having to abandon the mission, but the conversation and exploring were worth it!
Back on the riverwalk I met up with Jon and we started towards our plan of going ahead and losing the car. It saved us over $100 and there is a cheap bus option to get back to the airport just around the corner from the hotel we were at. We stopped to explore the leaves changing in the suburban neighborhoods and then were on our way.
There was just one request I had for the rest of the day: Detroit style pizza. Back in 2021 after Chicago I had been waiting for deep dish all weekend, THEN my stomach was a mess (as they normally are after marathons) – I still tried to enjoy and I hated every bite. So this time I wasn’t passing up some delicious pizza, especially to make a final judgment on which style was my favorite. We grabbed two smalls at a place called Buddy’s and we weren’t disappointed… I am definitely a Detroit Style girl.
We enjoyed the the walk back and sweet dreams… tomorrow is the big day.
***Jon enjoyed getting to watch Texas vs UGA while I snoozed.
Day #3: Race Day and Homeward Bound
One of my latest race starts to date was a nice change of pace; the race started at 7am and I didn’t have a timeline to get into the corrals + we were only two blocks away. I’ll save my specific race recap for another post, but for a few key moments: I hit the DoubleTree hotel right before walking into the corral and a nice staff person told me to sneak upstairs to a completely empty bathroom and I was so grateful – I got into the corral with 10 minutes to spare.
We started right at 7am and 2 miles later were trekking up the Ambassador Bridge. The morning light was just starting to glow over the horizon and it was truly stunning. Through 20 miles it was a picturesque race – it was only really 21-25 that were truly brutal, but with the finish line in sight I cut down to a 7’55 mile to finish strong.
Jon and I quickly moved towards the hotel as my stomach was anything but okay, and after a while I was able to pull myself together and we ventured towards trying to get anything in my stomach. We came across a place called Avalon’s and decided to try it – we were so glad we did! Delicious breakfast sandwiches, drinks, and pastries of all flavors and sizes can be found here and we both would go back!
After we ate we headed towards the last bit of the post race party at the park and then it was time to head to the airport.
There were so many unexpected highlights of this trip, but I will say Detroit is EXPENSIVE so if you go – plan accordingly!
In general, I was really glad we didn’t bring the kiddos. I don’t think they would have enjoyed the more leisurely pace that we took and some of the walking would have probably brought out fatigue. Jon and I were grateful for a surprisingly nice time despite the expense!
Until next time!
Jordan
Fueling Her Forward 
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