Amy Haimerl, who moved to Southeast Michigan last summer and joined Crain's Detroit Business two months ago, now has a river-level perspective on Detroit. She recommends it for others in a blog post at the publication's site.
Amy Haimerl joined Crain's in April after a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at UM.
"It's like Venice, but in a thoroughly Detroit way," the business reporter writes after kayaking Belle Isle's canals last weekend in a group adventure led by Riverside Kayak Connection of Wyandotte.
Residents watched and greeted us as we floated by. . . . The trees swayed overhead. The birds sang and the dogs barked at us. It was magical. . . .
Some of the kayakers couldn't believe we were in Detroit; I could. That's what I love about this city already: the surprises that are around every corner and the absolute beauty everywhere you look.
The east-side excursion, escorted by 15 volunteers, began at Maheras Gentry Park and included sightseeing at canals near Riverfront-Lakewood Park. It was Haimerl's first time in a kayak.
The next two-hour Detroit canal tours are July 14, Aug. 3, Aug. 24 and Sept. 1. Cost and registrations details are here.
Three entrepreneurs -- Alex Howbert, Brian Ellison and Andy Dold -- are preparing to launch another kayaking outfitter, Detroit River Sports, this month. They produced this three-minute video last summer:
