When I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s, we would visit BobLo Island for a day of amusement food and a typical day at an amusement park. The only difference, was that we would meet at the Detroit River docks to board the BobLo Island Ferry which took us to an island owned by Canada that had the whole island full of amusement rides, fun house, and all sorts of foods.
This was "Captain BobLo," for as many years as I can remember, welcoming all of us kids on board. Of course there was music, dancing, and plenty of food on board the two ferries that transported us to and from the island. Those boat rides were my fondest memories of this special day going to BobLo Island.
Here is the starboard view of one of the ferries. As you can see, it had four or five decks with different interests on each level and one was free to move about on the boat. (technically, it is a ship since it is well over sixty-five feet long. The captain would blow the very loud steam whistle and this very low, throaty sound would instantly appear telling us we were about to be under weigh on our journey to BobLo Island.
This is the view of the bow of one of the two boats that serviced BobLo Island with what looks like a view of the Ren Sen or now known as General Motors Center.
Here is the port-bow view of the boat. Unfortunately, good things and good times come to an end and the island closed it's park in the 1990s, if I have it correctly. The Island went back to its original name and has been turned into some very nice condominium development. The two boats stayed moored at the docks for many years, were moved to another site and finally sold to a private company that has plans to make them floating restaurants. "All aboard!!" "Welcome to BobLo Island!" I will always remember that call from my past youth.
4 comments:
Well at least you have still the memories :-) This was very nice to read.
Martin: Yes, and very fond ones. It's unfortunate that this type of diversion is not offered to the kids of today. They get to stay home playing their ( what I call ) "Thumb Games," with Nentendo and the host of other games one can play watching a screen. To bad. We also, rode our bicycles where ever we went, played baseball, tag games and just adventure hiking through the woods and areas that weren't taken over by the corporate industrial crawl that seems to consum all the homes and many of the people I knew, erasing where they lived and the history. Just a few streets south of where I grew up do not exist anymore because a super highway needed to be put right through that area. ( more pavement, and less earth, plants, trees, etc. sigh . . .
Glad you enjoyed reading this entry.
yes, this was a nice read
WonderMan: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I know, it brings back fond memories for me.
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