Saginaw, Michigan

We spent the first evening of our trip crossing Upstate New York, bridging the Niagara River at midnight. After an over-night across Southern Ontario, we entered southeast Michigan at sunrise. Trading the steering wheel back and forth and long naps prevented the marathon from becoming a chore. In the morning we made our way north through Michigan, stopping for a while in Saginaw.

45 years ago Lefty Frizzell sang a song called "Saginaw, Michigan". He may have only picked this town because of the rhythm it makes when singing its name, but hearing it on local radio when I lived in northern Michigan ten years ago put a version of the city into my imagination. We pulled off the freeway to finally see the place, and found what looked like a mass abandonment. I think a whole boom and bust cycle occurred here in the half-century since that song was written.

Whole blocks of houses were boarded up. Strip malls were largely hollow and wildlife has started to reclaim the sprawling parking lots. Scattered around the city were what looked like small bands of survivors waiting at bus stops. Although it was late morning on Thursday, the downtown was as quiet as a Sunday afternoon.

We stopped for breakfast at a diner, and in response to the "Hi, how are you?" greetings, the waitress said she was "blessed". Given the context of her city, I couldn't help but hear it as a reference to the fact that she was working.