If you haven’t strolled along the Detroit River lately, then you may not have realized there’s been some mighty big improvements made, namely: walkways and parks that will eventually connect the area just South of Belle Isle all the way down to the Ambassador Bridge.

Right now, there’s a cobble-stone-esque walk along the river at Hart Plaza – stopping at the police station complex – which then picks up again at the GM Renaissance Center (Riverfront Promenade) and continuing Northward for a ways.

That slice of no-man’s land between those two segments is currently being worked on (the pilings are being dramatically hauled and rammed into the riverbed – photos at my FLICKR site., which will offer a nice long stretch of walk’n/cycling. There’s also 13 petanque courts at the GM Riverfront promenade which are used during the weekdays (Noon-1pm). Okay, perhaps they’re not officially petanque courts (what is Petanque? www.detroitpetanque.com ) but they serve as such.

Imagine, in time, what a delight it will be to traipse (yes, and dawdle too!) along the river’s edge of our magnificent city, eating big ice-cream cones (there’s food and shop concessions planned) and laughing heartily.