The picture below taken from the 62nd floor of Detroit Mariott hotel has several unbelievable landmarks in a single frame.
- A river that is also an international border between two of the largest countries in the world.
- A convention center that makes way for a freeway underneath it.
- A metro train taking a turn over an elevated track that crosses the freeway.
- A cruise ship docked on the shores of the river.
- Hundreds of cars speeding over the freeway and hundreds of other cars parked in the rooftop of the convention center.
- Skyscrapers on one side and a bridge spanning across two countries on the faraway horizon.
The US and Canada are so huge countries that a glimpse at the globe shows Canada is obviously lying to the north of the US. From every city or state of the US, when people want to go to Canada they head north. Detroit is an exception where they head south. This is because of a turn of River Detroit which is also the US-Canada border.
Most people living in Detriot call themselves Detroiters but they in fact belong to the suburbs like Novi, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Sterling Heights, Warren, Pontiac, Troy, Farmington Hills, and are merely Michiganders. Several real Detroiters refuse to acknowledge them as Detroiters since the suburbs are nothing like downtown Detroit. I agree with this having traveled to Novi, Troy, and Warren. Whether they are Detroiters or suburban, all of them head south to reach Canada unlike anyone else in the US.
The part of Canada that is seen in the picture is Windsor in the Ontario province which also has a major city by the same name. To give an idea of how wide the freeway to Canada is, the picture below shows the window view of the COBO Center below which the freeway passes and then further underneath the River Detroit to emerge in Windsor, Canada.
For US citizens, a mere stamp on the passport allows them to cross over to Canada but for travelers like me with a B1/B2 visa, this is off-limits.
Have you ever got an opportunity to view a natural entity like a river or valley forming an international or state border?
I’d be interested in knowing your experiences.
Until then… Happy Guiding ?
Accessibility Features
Most places mentioned in the article definitely have the bare necessary accessibility arrangements for the differently-able and also for the vision-impaired.
Ramp access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.
Wheelchair-accessible Washroom/Toilet.
Wheelchair-accessible Elevators.
Tactile Paths for the Vision-Impaired.
Extra Large Displays for the Vision-Impaired.
What else to do in Michigan
While you are still in Michigan, especially in Detroit, these are the top 10 recommended places:
5. GM Renaissance Center
6. COBO Center
7. Belle Isle, located in Detroit River
8. Detroit Public Library
9. Greenfield Village
10. Historic Fort Wayne
