Trail Town Spotlight: The Outdoor Guide to Dearborn, Michigan

The sixth installation of our #TrailTownSpotlight series, this edition highlights the natural gems of one of Michigan's most beautiful, historic, and - as of very recently - controversial destinations: Dearborn, Michigan. Join us as we explore and re-introduce this vibrant outdoor community!

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dearborn

First impressions matter. In human psychology, this is called the "Primacy Effect": a cognitive bias where individuals tend to predominantly remember the first piece of information they encounter rather than any information they may receive later on. This first piece of information could comprise of a thought, experience, or second-hand description.

When I hear the word "Dearborn," my brain immediately time travels to a first impression resembling a humid evening in August, circa 1998. My family were Detroit region expats at the time, but we made semiannual pilgrimages back to the homeland. This particular year, the legacy of a distant relative was being honored at a special event located at some place called "Greenfield Village" in "Dearborn." Those names meant nothing to me, other than a cessation in cousin playtime in favor of putting on formal clothes and driving some 30 minutes away.

Stepping out of the car, I experienced immediate confusion regarding my surroundings. The bright red brick contrasting with white steeples. Row after row of older, victorian-styled buildings. Fancy old cars. Men and women in period clothing. Even an old train stationed not too far away. Sights that I had never seen in Michigan before.

"Mom, are we at an amusement park?"

She laughed. The memory ends before I can recall her response.

Photo courtesy of Zoe Communications Group

For decades, that memory of Greenfield Village constituted my sole impression of the City of Dearborn. After my family reestablished our roots in Southeast Michigan, new experiences and interactions started to accompany my connection with the city. I attended several weddings at The Dearborn Inn. Cycling from Plymouth to Dearborn along Hines Drive became a favorite past time. My father and I ran in the 2019 "Martian Invasion of Races" through its downtown.

Most importantly, several of my closest friends - including a significant proportion of my law school class - all came from Dearborn. Men and women of diverse cultures and backgrounds, interests and passions. Amazingly, each and every one of them with a desire to make today slightly better than yesterday - to push themselves towards excellence. Exhibit A is our own Dr. Eric Reilly, a Dearborn High alum, accomplished anesthesiologist, and badass backcountry outdoorsman.

I don't believe that my Dearborn story, as a long-term Detroit region local, is unique. Generations of Michiganders have fallen in love with the historic and culturally-diverse mosaic that defines Dearborn. A collective first impression that's overwhelmingly positive.

On a national scale, however, Dearborn's public image is under siege. This first came to my attention watching a certain episode of "Designated Survivor," where Dearborn was depicted as a post-apocalyptic hellscape of suburban unrest. And then came this month's infamous article in the Wall Street Journal, which we will not be linking here. A xenophobic hitpiece, written by a non-local, intended to sow distrust within a flourishing community.

For better and for worse, we in the Detroit region are no strangers to news headlines painting our communities with a broad, less-than-flattering brush. Especially by "painters" who have never left the confines of DTW. For us at Expedition Detroit, however, we identify with the words of Mark Twain - that "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

So, in the midst of the swirling headlines, we decided to trek down Hines Drive to Dearborn to experience the city firsthand. More particularly, we sought out Dearborn's outdoor destinations, outfitters, cafés, pubs, and other institutions that form the bedrock of its active community. Our mission at Expedition Detroit involves changing the national narrative regarding the Detroit region's status as a gateway to world-class outdoor destinations, so its our honor to reintroduce Dearborn here with a designation that we all can rally around: an innovative, historic, diverse, and flourishing "Trail Town."

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dearborn

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