Friday, Jun. 04, 2010
3. Belle Isle
This island lies in the Detroit River between the U.S. and Canada. Detroit bought the island in the late 1800s and commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted, a chief architect of New York City's Central Park, to oversee Belle Isle's landscaping. For decades, the island was a central part of life in the region, home to a zoo and an aquarium, the latter of which the city has kept closed in recent years because of budget cuts. But other attractions, including a private yacht club, remain. In the summer, stroll or jog along Belle Isle and get terrific views of downtown Detroit and Windsor, Ont. You can get there by crossing the MacArthur Bridge, which is about 3 miles east of Detroit's downtown.