July 29, 2015 (Mich-again)

Mile  1449- The Ford Factory Tour
We woke up at 4:00 am for the 4.5 hour drive to Detroit, for we had an appointment with innovation! Y'all, we have seen it all today. We toured the Ford Rouge factory where they make the F-150s. It is so cool because you get to walk on these catwalks above the plant and watch the miles of assembly line. I was amazed at the precision of the assembly. Everything just fits together and lines up perfectly. It really made me appreciate the genius of Henry Ford and what his innovation did for this fine nation.  No pics from the tour because it is big time against the rules.

After the factory we toured The Henry Ford Museum. If you ever take a wrong turn and end up in Detroit, seek refuge in this place.  Here is a sampling....

Weinermobile!!! Are you kidding me right now?

At The Henry Ford, you don't have to just wish you were an Oscar Mayer Weiner...

And, one of the temporary exhibits was about the 30 year exploits of John Margulies and he is my hero! He is is personally responsible for Roadside America, a website that records and chronicles fading roadside stops across america. I get a lot of our travel destinations from his writing AND they had a picture of the wigwams from #2 Wigwam village!! FULL-FREAKING-CIRCLE! I love it when that happens!

Shout out to WWV #2!

There is just too much to include without boring you out of your mind, but here is a sampling...

The bus that Rosa Parks rode on and refused to move. You can get on it! And SIT IN THE ACTUAL SEAT! I got chills.

The Chair where Abraham Lincoln sat when he was assassinated. You can see the blood stains. John Wilkes Booth, you better be glad they burned you up in that barn before I got ahold of you.

The car where Kennedy was assassinated.

I could have camped out in the RV portion museum for a week because there is so much to see. I may have to come back to Detroit....yikes.

Adjacent to The Henry Ford is Greenfield Village. It is 80 ACRES of historic structures that Henry Ford bought and moved to the site. Just a few worth mentioning, Thomas Edison's Lab where he invented the light bulb and the phonograph, The Wright Brothers house and shop where they built the first plane, working farms from the 1800s and little model Ts tooting around the streets in the place of modern cars. And look who I bumped into in the merchantile!

He couldn't believe it either! I think he's really missed me since I visited him in Springfield a few summers ago.

The kids were starving and wanted to eat lunch. Again. Sure, we could've gone for corn dogs but not when they are serving up food prepared from 100 year old recipes at the Eagle Tavern!

My kids just love experimental cuisine! (And, I am a liar)

Charlotte's chicken was shaped like the state of Michigan! She wanted to save it to sell on Ebay.

Mae Yucking it up with the Tavern owner.

We toured more homes after lunch until the thunder rolled and the rain started to fall. We ducked into a structure that was actually a historic courthouse from Logan County, Illinois. Because we were stuck inside with the docent during the storm, we got to hear her entire spiel on the history of the courthouse. I bet you can't guess what young lawyer practiced law in that very courthouse? You guessed it! My man A.L.!

No living history village is complete without Victorian tomfoolery!

You can't Detroit without a visit into the Detroit part of Detroit. John had been pretty insistent that we get the full "see the nation" experience. You have to take the good with the bad, right? I have been following the city's downfall from a historic preservation perspective for several years and I really needed to see it for myself. I dialogued with myself that it probably just had some rough pockets that existed within larger pockets of transitional neighborhoods that are on the up and up.  I was particularly interested in the old Michigan Theater that I can equate to The Fox Theater in Atlanta. Several years ago they put a parking deck INSIDE it.

The parked cars are such an improvement!

It was a little tricky to find because obviously it's not called the Michigan Theater anymore. Unless you want to don a frilly frock and pay money to stare at the back of a rusted out Corolla. We finally found it on a shuttered block near "Park Avenue". It was locked up tight as a tick but I did jump out to shoot a few pictures through the razor wire. You can still see some of the stamped copper (or maybe plaster) ceiling in my picture.

The arched window was once part of the theater facade. But, they had to lop it off as to allow all of the traffic into the parking garage. I think I am going to be sick....

Dah-ling I love you, but give me Park Avenue.

This building was once Michigan Central Station. See how you can see light through it? That is because most of the windows have been broken out.  It was once the nation's tallest train station. 

Roads? We don't need no stinkin' roads!

Blocks and Blocks of this.

I just feel bad for Detroit. You get glimpses of the past. Neighborhoods full of historic houses that people would be clamoring for in Marietta, sit sadly drooping with neglect. And, there are "pockets" of rebirth. Cool little neighborhoods that seem to have united and gotten it together (Corktown seemed to be moving in the right direction) But, next block there will be a HUGE group of people just hanging out and pan-handling. I hope this fine city can get it's act together. 

The Bullington's do love a contrast, so we left 8 mile for our residence for the night. The Henry Hotel in Dearborn (Metro-Detroit)

Is it Narcolepsy or STNBG fatigue? The child can sleep anywhere!

We had to feed the children (for like, the 3rd time today) We heard about this awesome little neighborhood pizza joint called Buddy's. SO GOOD.  I think I might have sweet-talked them into opening a franchise in Marietta.

I love how they pile up like dogs under the porch. These days are numbered.