My Travel Bucket List: Yes, Detroit is in my top ten
Without question, Detroit has been through the mill over the last few decades. Formerly the home of America's car manufacturing industry, the Motown music scene, and more, the good times definitely stopped rolling in the 1970s. Decline started due to massive changes in the automotive market.
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, the Motor City went through one of the roughest falls out of any US city. Detroit became synonymous with crime, economic hardship, and the collapse of American manufacturing. What was left behind ironically looked like a scene out of RoboCop.
The past decade or so has seen a revival in the city's fortunes, largely driven by the remaining local population and a divisive gentrification process. For the first time in a long time, there is new development in a city that was on the brink for more than 30 years.
Why I'm fascinated with Detroit
I grew up on the Canadian Prairies in the 1980s and 1990s in a very small town. Cable TV didn't arrive until the early to mid 1990s, the internet after that. Prior to that, TV was rabbit ears with three local channels, one of them French. And I do not speak French.
Cable TV meant access to ABC, NBC, and CBS, all of which came through Detroit. I always thought that was kind of odd considering that there were numerous American cities with affiliate stations that were closer to where I grew up. Still, this had an impact on me.
I grew up watching Detroit news, particularly before Letterman started each evening. I became well acquainted with what was happening in the city, its history, and its sports teams. Honestly, I'm still a sucker for the Lions. And I went to a Blue Jays game in Toronto just to see the Tigers.
What I want to see
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go to Detroit just to see the various teams live and in person. Seeing the Lions, Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings on their home turf would be absolutely incredible. That's would be the fulfillment of a life-long dream for me.
This is a city with deep roots in the American music scene. The Motown sound has shaped my musical tastes my entire life. There are numerous venues in the city I want to see and experience local musicians perform in.
More than that, I just want to be in Detroit. I know it probably sounds weird being that it hasn't exactly been a big tourist attraction for a long time. But that city played a huge part in the development of my tastes in so many aspects of my life. Going there would be a full circle moment for me.