Green Cruise: Ferndale to Belle Isle and Back

Every year the week before the Woodward Dream Cruise the Sierra Club organizes two rides.  One ride is a suburban ride of 22 miles and the other is an urban ride of 42 miles from Ferndale through Detroit to Belle Isle and back. 

There was a beautiful sunrise as I drove down Interstate 94.

I made great time. I have a wonderful parking spot. It is going to be a perfect day.

The weather was wonderful. By the 8:00 start time the temperatures were in the 70s and warmed up into the 80s.  There was no threat of rain.

Our staging area was the Ferndale Project Brewery.

They were open for restrooms and coffee was available.  A bike mechanic was able to help with minor adjustments. There were also trail treats to put in your bags to hold until our first snack break. The longer ride was split into a fast and  a slower group.  There were about a half dozen "ambassadors" helping to manage the group and street crossings.

Turn by turn, just in case.

Our leaders knew the way and I had downloaded the route from Strava, but they worked to keep the group together.  Eventually some wanted to head off on their own.  If you left us, you were on your own.  The route was very bike friendly.  Detroit has been adding painted and protected bike lines through the city for years.  We also took advantage of one way streets to allow space for passing cars.  Drivers are tuned in to the biking scene in the city.

Michigan Central Station

After about a dozen miles we stopped for a photo of the newly renovated building and grounds. Ford Motor Company has done a wonderful job rejuvenating the area.  We passed on to connect to the River Walk that took along the Detroit River.  This area has been a project for years to reclaim the area from the industrial buildings that lined the river. It is always windy along the river, so we did not feel the hot day.

River Walk along the Detroit River.

Windsor is across the river. 

Our break spot at the Cafe along the River Walk.

Some riders enjoyed the splash pad. Belle Isle in the background.

Douglas Mac Arthur Bridge Heading connecting Detroit to Belle Isle.

Detroit is on the right and Windsor is on the left.

James Scott Fountain on the island..

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory or more commonly referred to as the Belle Isle Conservatory.

The green tile ceiling of the aquarium.

Some riders took a break while most of the group rode the 6 mile loop of the island. We did not take the time to explore all the points of interest today.  Belle Isle is now run as a State Park.  From here we started our ride back to Ferndale.

The Belle Isle Casino.

The slide! Woo hoo!

lnside the Lexus Velodrome.

Our stop for refreshments and restrooms.  Only about 10 miles from our end point.

This track gets a lot of riders.

We did a loop around the Heidlelburg Project.

We went past urban farming and greenhouses.

What a wonderful day of riding.  The group going with us and coordinating our route, stops and safety did an excellent job.  I had done this ride before but  this was a different route.  I strongly suggest it to anyone comfortable riding 40 miles.