While it may not be as exciting as “getting your kicks on Route 66”, today all the local car enthusiasts either took to the streets, or their camp chairs, to soak up the sun and ambiance while the classic and vintage vehicles rolled down M-85.

Yup, today was the annual “Cruisin’ Downriver” event.

Downriver residents have learned something in these 18 years since “Cruisin’ Downriver” began. If you have to drive anywhere, ensure you stay clear of Fort Street, once the cruise begins at approximately 10:00 a.m.  However, while 10:00 a.m. Saturday is the “official start time”, actually the cruisers have been out since Thursday night.  Last night they revved up their engines, burned rubber and whooped it up ’til the sun went down – maybe even longer.

I had an errand before I went on my walk, so I was out of the house by 8:00 a.m., and, as I pulled onto Fort Street, some cruisers were already up and at it.

This picture above isn’t Yours Truly tooling around in my Buick, just in case you were wondering. I was not so chic and glam in my tee-shirt and pants, and, I had not donned cat-eye shades nor a chiffon headscarf either.  I hurried home and had my own buggy tucked into the garage before I could become part of this annual traffic jam, which was much worse this year since Fort Street is the primary detour for the River Rouge Bridge project.

So, where else can you and several hundred thousand “friends” watch the El Caminos, those classic ponies a/k/a Mustangs, the occasional Model T, modern vehicles, plus all the huge semis that are diverted from I-75, all rolling along, neck-in-neck, down M-85, the official name for Fort Street? The cruisers travel through the cities of  Lincoln Park, Southgate, Wyandotte, and Riverview.

From my driveway, I could see the parade of vehicles going along Fort Street, but did not join the car buffs, opting instead to head to Council Point Park. I was way overdue for a trip to the Park, having only garnered steps from running up and down the stairs with the handyman, or traipsing around running errands; other days I was housebound, hampered by rain for several mornings.

Since I arrived later than usual, and saw no familiar faces from the “early crowd” (including squirrels), I finished off my loops in record time. I saw a soccer game in progress as I was crossing the parking lot … I didn’t stay to watch though as the sun was high and it was getting mighty hot by then.

A pair of small planes pulling square banners about automobiles, kept circling overhead and they continued their relentless circular journey the entire time I was walking. When I got home, they were still circling, and, as of this writing, I still hear them buzzing nearby.  The hum of the planes, and the drone of the cars on Fort Street sounds like a gigantic swarm of bees.

My walking has taken a big hit during the month of June, and today I was dismayed to discover I’ve driven two more miles than I’ve walked thus far in 2017.

My mantra going forward: Must drive less; must walk more!!

[Image by Jill111 from Pixabay]