Thursday 13 September 2012

DETROIT: Navy Week 2012


The past weekend marked one of the Navy stops on it's tour marking the two hundredth anniversary of the war of 1812 [us English were fighting the newly independently US]. This war alone is credited as shaping the modern US Navy and at the time the Great Lakes [lakes bordering the US and Canada of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, Huron and Ontario] were a major transportation route. The US gaining control of these lakes stopped the English advancement further westwards. So this English girl and her American boy went down to the Detroit Riverfront on Sunday to have a look on a gorgeous late summer afternoon.

So for a couple of days boats were docked and welcome tourists aboard. This year we managed to see the US two masted Brigg Niagara [pictured] a reconstructed boat which helped the US win the battle of 1813 and the Navy patrol ship USS Hurricane [additionally pictured], and on the Canadian side of the river the HMCS Ville de Quebec was docked. Further down the river was a coastal guard and another navy ship. We also managed to get close up to some humvee's [hummers] which is often considered the vehicular backbone to the US military although many countries globally use them. After you always hear so much about the US military it was great to come face to face with some of their ships and vehicles. But more importantly to me at least, it was great to see the Detroit Riverfront so popular and busy.

Have you ever seen any old ships?

10 comments:

  1. I like your posts about Detroit. I've never been there and I'm always interested in seeing and learning about new places. I think your photos are lovely.

    Tracy @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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  2. As you know I have an American Studies degree so I find these posts of interest. I am a bit slack at commenting but I am always reading :)

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  3. Ditto. I like your Detroit posts too. It's such a contrast to Nowhere, PA! Also, with everything Detroit's been through I think these posts have a great social value too. You could join a Detroit tourism team!

    Also yes, I have seen an old ship! I visited the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith, Edinburgh. Great attraction.

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    1. Yeah that's why i try and write them, to address the assumptions and perceptions people have of the city, and if they help all the better. I know if i lived anywhere else people would be all over it. But it's Detroit and people don't want to know about it. Anyway .... the Britannia is a great ship to visit, we went there on a very cold March day - was very impressive I will admit. Also being a Yorkshire lass we got to see James' Cooks boat when it went to Whitby a lot.

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  4. I live in the middle of the flat and almost treeless corn and soybean fields of central Illinois, and sometimes I blog about that. If people don't like it, they can skip that post.

    I used to live in Detroit, though, and it's a heckuva lot more interesting than where I live now :-)

    Keep posting.

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  5. A very interesting post. I enjoyed it very much.

    Love, Joann xxxx

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  6. Oh my those pictures are stunning !
    I would love to go see something like this :)
    I like your detroit posts to :)
    It's your blog and you should blog about what you want and what makes you happy !

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  7. These are amazing pictures! I never would have guessed that was Detroit!

    XO
    www.pearlsandpaws.blogspot.com

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  8. Oh, love these! I love getting to explore cities through other bloggers! I've never been to Detroit before, but I sure have been on lots of Navy ships! ;) The oldest Navy ship I've been on was the Constitution still on display in Boston. -Jessica L

    THEJESSICALBLOG.COM

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