Motor City Pilgrimage, Part Two: Cars

Last week, I made a tough decision to have week one be about Motown and soul food. This week we explore that other little thing Detroit is known for. With this plan I wanted to do a little more than just go to museums — though we'll do that too. Let's get out in the streets.

Rhetorical question: does metro Detroit start and end on Woodward? Well, regardless of your answer, this Saturday does. We're starting at Avon Donuts. As you approach, you'll see M1 Concourse across the street. For over a century, that land built trucks — the Rapid Motor Company arrived in 1905, GM made it Pontiac West Assembly, and the lines ran until 2008. Avon Donuts has been a fixture across the street for over 30 years. My grandfather worked at that plant. Occasionally, I imagine him getting breakfast before a shift the way my mom would get my brother and me donuts before school, if we were extra good that morning.