Cycling the long way home

On Friday, I cycled home the long way along the Huron River before heading up Maple Road. Although it added about one mile to the trip, it was well worth it, with the balmy sunny weather. Here are some photos I took at that time.

 Bright and sunshiny day on the Diag. Slightly over-exposed, but I think you get the idea. Too bad this didn't happen before the start of exams...

Some sculptures made of old concrete pavers. North Main Street.

On Barton Dam, you can see a City of Ann Arbor official benchmark. Unfortunately, there is no indication of the elevation... This website, although having a lot more information, also didn't have elevation...

Cycling up to the new High School, one can see the not-so-good-looking option the city chose for storm water management. True, it does create a berm, but does it have to look so... misplaced? Maple Road.

An older stone house on Maple Road made entirely (seemingly) of river-stones. This style of architecture used to be more common in Michigan, where the only rocks one is likely to find in this type of glacial landscape (without having to dig) is river-stone. Some houses are made with rather interesting patterns of sunbursts or geometric repetitions. This one... not so much, but quite nice to look at nonetheless. (Unfortunately, due to the time of day, there was a lot of back-lighting. I'm sure that if it were the morning, the house would look brilliant.)

The buds were just starting to get ready to burst open. This lonely tree in Westgate Shopping Mall seemed to be quietly waiting in a field of cars and asphalt for spring.

Plum Market - the West Side's version of Whole Foods - has become the lifeblood of the West Gate. I've never been in, and made a point of not going in this time either. (Although part of that could have been due to the fact that I didn't have my panniers on my bike at the time...)