Ten miles is a short distance by bike; an easy one hour pedal by rail trail. But those ten easy miles can sometimes represent a wide chasm, an unbridgeable gap between poverty and privilege, between those who have and those who don’t, something we observed first hand in our cycling venture from Niles to Notre Dame.
After yesterday’s winetasting sans bicycles, we were ready to hit the trail. A quick Google search showed an asphalt rail trail, the Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail starting in downtown Niles, Michigan and then connecting with the 34 mile Indiana LaSalle Trail, within a half hour drive of our hotel. We planned to bike about 20 miles round trip from Niles to Notre Dame with our son and his girlfriend before they headed home to Chicago and we to Detroit. Aided by Waze, we headed towards Riverfront Park in downtown Niles.
I have driven between Detroit and Chicago too many times to count. My impression of Niles was nothing more than an exit off interstate 94, a convenient point for commuters to gas up at the large fuel plaza prior to entering the Chicago tollway. I’d never thought of Niles as a human settlement, a living, breathing city with residents and housing and businesses and infrastructure and government. Driving to the trail head, we saw first hand that this small city tucked in the southwest corner of Michigan on the St. Joseph River was a challenged city – with its boarded up Walgreens, crumbling roads, vacant lots and blighted housing. This is an industrial town that had once thrived in the era of made in America manufacturing, now reduced to 11,000 residents with an annual income of $31,000; a third of its residents living below the poverty line.
We easily found Riverfront Park, a small municipal green space on the St. Joseph’s River that had once been a rail yard for the Michigan Central Railroad. In fact, the picnic pavilion is reminiscent of the mid 1800 railroad station that once sheltered waiting passengers. We couldn’t help but notice posted signs warning those parking at the trail head to lock their vehicles and remove all valuables – the odds of being a victim of a crime in this small community are good – 1 in 33.
The natural beauty of the park and river immediately assuaged any angst we may have felt about our surroundings. Families picnicked in the park, joggers trotted by, dog walkers sauntered past. The trail paralleled the river; green foliage intermixed with sprays of lavender bloomed along the bank. It was a picture perfect summer day in Michigan and an excellent day for biking. We quickly unloaded our bikes and hit the trail.
The trail followed the river for about two miles taking us through the Brandywine Creek Nature Preserve, a nicely shaded, forested conservation area. Within five miles the trail ended and literally, dumped us out on a road partially closed by construction. A little confused about where to go from here, we googled the trail, were routed onto the shoulder of a fairly busy highway for another mile and eventually came to the point where the Indiana Michigan Trail turns off to the LaSalle Trail. This was a typical asphalt bike trail for another mile until we reached the Indiana state line – at which point, we biked onto the best rail trail I’ve ever ridden on – a brand new 30 ft wide concrete path that was far better than the roads we drive our autos on in Michigan. Now that’s a commitment to trails!
Bordered by trees and the occasional field of yellow blackeyed susans, the trail and its environs are a haven for wildlife – black tailed squirrels, rabbits, all types of birds and deer. Occasionally, we passed the backyards of suburban neighborhoods, large stone colonials with attached garages on beautifully landscaped property with all the suburban accoutrements – barbeque grills, swimming pools, basketball hoops. The neighborhoods became more upscale as we approached the campus of the University of Notre Dame, arguably noted as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the US.
We left the trail, crossed a harrowing intersection and entered campus via a breathtaking tunnel of trees. Tall, leafy oaks formed a green canopy overhead that evoked an almost spiritual sensation as we biked through – a fitting way to enter this flagship Catholic institution with its 190 buildings, acclaimed academic and research programs, storied football team and $13 billion endowment. We weren’t in Niles any longer.
Pedaling toward campus, we caught our first glimpse of the iconic Golden Dome, notably the most recognizable symbol of the university, framed by foliage and mirrored in St. Mary’s Lake. The Golden Dome was built atop a new ediface that replaced the main university building that burned down in 1879. The elegant spire of the neo-gothic Basilica of the Sacred Heart was also visibile from across the lake. Construction on this church began in 1870 – it’s unbelievable that this magnificant church with its 230 ft high spire and 116 stained glass windows, was the less elaborate, lower cost option proposed by the architects!
A place of worship has been on the basilica site since the late 1600’s when a French missionary established a small church to minister to the Potawatomi Indians and French fur trappers and settlers. Later, this church was replaced with a small log cabin chapel, then a larger log cabin church when Notre Dame University was first established in mid 1800’s. The current church, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, was built in 1870 to meet the growing needs of the university community; it underwent major renovation in 1968 and was consecrated as a basilica. Scaffolding continues to adorn the back side of the structure as the task of continuous renovation and maintenane never ends.
Campus was deserted – after all it was a Sunday morning in early August, still several weeks from the start of the fall semester. We pedalled across the spacious greens, admiring the architecture – the residence halls, classsroom buildings, laboratories and libraries that reminded one of being in a tidy, English village. This is a gorgeous campus!
Eventually we found the football stadium, home of the Fighting Irish. Given this university’s strong and storied football tradition, its stadium did not disappoint. Completed in 1930, the stadium holds 80,000 spectators and has entrances named after fabled university football heroes.
We stopped for burgers and salad at the Legends of Notre Dame public house. Located across the parking lot from the stadium, Legends is a popular student and alumni hangout – despite it’s spaciousness, the wait to get in on game day is long. Today, it was quiet – there was only one other table of patrons, ironically sporting rival University of Michigan logoed tshirts and ball caps. Fighting Irish trivia, stories and legends adorned the walls and menus.
Full of food and Fighting Irish history, we repedalled our route, admiring one last time this iconic campus from across the St. Mary’s lake.
Past suburbia and bunches of blooming wildflowers, we rode our super trail back towards our parked cars near Niles Riverfront Park. Time to drive home. It was a satisfying day of biking, one that allowed us to experience the contrast between two very different worlds ten miles apart.
