Observation:  Being divorced, having an older daughter and having a family that starts festivities later in the day allowed me to get out and ride this Christmas morning for the second year in a row.  There is something very peaceful about riding on a holiday – no one is out and about, and I just naturally felt some sense of joy in the experience.  Sure I was chased for two blocks by some crazy dog protecting his female dog friend, but beyond that, it was a lovely cold sunny morning and it made for a great way to kick off the day.

Distance:  19.92 miles

D-Fact: Detroit has a number of iconic food dishes, but one that was definitely invented in the city was Asian Corned Beef. Kim White, a native of Vietnam, came up with the idea to combine corned beef with Chinese egg roll wrappers in 1978, opening their first location on the west side that year.