Best Places In Detroit To Watch The Sunset
Since the dawn of humankind, there has been perhaps a single event each day that has held meaning, and it is the sunset. Fast forward to 2013 and the allure still exists. Finding a place to watch the great golden orb sink below the horizon in the Detroit area is as easy as getting in your car and taking a little drive.
Belle Isle
8109 E. Jefferson Ave.
Detroit, MI 48214
(313) 331-7760
www.belleisleconservancy.org
Belle Isle has been known for years as the jewel of the Motor City, and when it comes to viewing a sunset, there is perhaps no better place than along Sunset Drive on the western edge of the island. From here you get a view of the Detroit River and downtown Detroit, and when the sun sets over the city, the resulting view can be nothing short of stunning.
Lake St. Clair Metropark
31300 Metro Parkway
Harrison Township, MI 48045
(586) 463-4581
www.metroparks.com
Located just west of Mount Clemens is Lake St. Clair Metropark where a brief walk will put you at one of the best places around to view a sunset. On the Point Walkway, you will be facing west with Lake St. Clair stretching out before you. When the sun sets, the scene can range from calming to stunning and with the sun hanging a bit lower in the sky during the fall, it only gets better every day.
Newburgh Lake
38615 Hines Drive
Livonia, MI 48150
www.waynecounty.com/dps
From the east shore of Newburgh Lake on Hines Drive, the reds and golds of a sunset can be seen on most days of the year. There is plenty of parking and you may have to get out of the car and walk a bit, but if you are looking for a relaxing place to watch the sun go down, then this is one place you will want to be. Hines Drive begins at Ford Road in Dearborn and runs all the way out to Plymouth, Mi. Along the way, you will find plenty of places to pull over and take a quiet break on one of the largest natural drives in any urban area of the state.
Henry Ford Estate
One Fair Lane Drive
Dearborn, MI 48128
(313) 884-4222
www.henryfordestate.org
When Henry Ford had the grounds of the Fairlane estate constructed by Jens Jensen, the landscaping genius put in a lake. Located on the grounds of the University of Michigan, Dearborn campus off Evergreen Road, just north of Michigan Avenue, the estate grounds are open until dusk every day and it is one place close to home to watch the sun descend into the horizon. On the summer solstice, the sun sets precisely at the end of the meadow, so be ready to be back there on June 21, 2014. But regardless of what time of year it is, the sunset as watched from the patio of the Henry Ford Estate is simply beautiful.
Kensington Metropark
2240 W. Buno Road
Milford, MI 48380
(810) 227-8910
www.metroparks.com
Depending upon your tastes, you can watch the sunset over distant hills or over Kent Lake at Kensington Metropark. To take in the view from up above, head to the parking area across from the park headquarters. It is right off the main road, easy to get to and high enough to give you a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape. If you want to see the sun set into the trees on the far side of Kent Lake, then head over to Martindale Beach or the East Boat Launch, both of which are also along the same main road.
Award winning freelance writer and photographer Lawrence DiVizio is based in Southeast Michigan and works to convey in words and images the world around us. His work can be found at Examiner.com.
