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Snapshots: Beaver Island - Michigan's Emerald Isle

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Snapshots: Beaver Island - Michigan's Emerald Isle

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and is home to a year-round population of around 650 people. Beaver Island has an interesting history for such a small place. It was originally settled by Irish immigrants, but in 1848 a group of Mormons, led by James Strang, came to the island and took up residence. After the death of church founder Joseph Smith, most Mormons recognized Brigham Young as his successor, but a small group known as “Strangites” believed Strang should lead the church. They named the main town St. James in his honor and he declared himself king of the island, pushing many of the original Irish settlers who wouldn’t convert back to the mainland or to Mackinac Island. In 1856, Strang was assassinated by two of his former followers as he walked down the main street in the town named after him. When news of his death reached the mainland, the Irish exiles returned to reclaim “their” island. More Irish immigrants would come to Beaver Island after being exiled from their island of Arranmore in County Donnegal and many of their descendants still live on the island today. I only spent one night on Beaver Island, but it was long enough to explore the St. James area and get a feel for the island and its people. If I had another day, I would have rented a car and gone further afield, but it was still a nice day.

I love islands and their distinct characteristics and quirks, and Beaver Islands was no exception. The islanders like to use the word “boodling” which I’ve seen loosely translated as “to roam in a carefree and loosely structured manner, often with beer”. Apparently they sometimes boodle by throwing a picnic table in the back of a pickup truck (somehow legal on the island), and drive from place to place enjoying beers and snacks. The next time I’m there I will have to try it out. I really enjoyed the two museums on the island - one about local history and the other about the maritime history of the island (the docent there said I got the record for most time ever spent in that museum). I happened to be there during Museum Week which meant that the night I was there had a performance called Music on the Porch, which brought out the island’s musicians to perform from the porch of the old Mormon Print Shop (the local history museum). It was wonderful to be a part of and I really admired those who were perhaps less talented who still got up to perform. I had a great time out on Beaver Island and I hope you enjoy these photos from Michigan’s Emerald Isle.

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This Week on the Road - July 15th-21st

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This Week on the Road - July 15th-21st

Hello Everyone! It’s hard to believe another week has passed here in the Great Lakes State. They really seem to be flying by and while I am seeing and doing a lot, the time is really moving. I’ve finally crossed the 45th Parallel (midway between the equator and the North Pole) for the final time here in Michigan and am only heading north from here. I spent a little more time than I would have liked to have in Traverse City this week, but it was a nice town and I was able to catch up on some work. I finished another episode of my podcast (out now – listen to it here or by searching “American Anthology” wherever you get your podcasts), which is always a bit of a chore even if it’s something I really enjoy doing. I also spent a night out on far-flung Beaver Island, Lake Michigan’s largest island and an interesting place to visit. The weather has been holding up pretty well, but we’ve had some hazy days here which hasn’t made for the best photography conditions. All in all, it’s been a pretty good week on the road.

When last I wrote, I had just arrived in Traverse City. Traverse City is a very pleasant town with a good variety of services which allowed me to get some work done. In addition to the library which had good internet access, they also had a gym to shower at and plenty of shops to restock my supplies. On Thursday night, after I finished up last week’s This Week, I headed out to the Traverse City Pit-Spitters baseball game. The Pit-Spitters are a part of the Northwoods League which is a summer league for college players. The game was a lot of fun and it was $2 beer and hotdog night which you really can’t go wrong with. I also have to applaud whatever genius came up with the name “Pit-Spitters” because I absolutely had to buy a t-shirt at the game. And the Pit-Spitters won, so that made it even better.

On Friday morning I toured the old Michigan State Asylum in Traverse City. At $30 for a ticket, it was a bit pricey for a walking tour, but it was really good and I would say definitely worth it. Our guide grew up in the area and had several connections to the hospital when it was still active (which it was until the 1980s). He intertwined his personal stories in with the history of the building and what they accomplished there. The central idea by which they operated was “beauty is therapy”, which meant that the campus was full of ponds and flowers and walking trails and the buildings had big windows to let in plenty of sun and it was well appointed with nice furniture and plenty of art. Patients were expected to work, and the hospital was self-sustaining for much of its early existence, producing enough food that there was a surplus which was sold to the local community. When the hospital officially closed, the community banded together to save it from being demolished. Today the campus is getting a second life as a mixed-use complex with condos, restaurants, studios and low-income housing. The whole place was really cool and definitely worth seeing. After my tour, I enjoyed a nice lunch in one of the restaurants there. When I finished at the hospital, I embarked on an afternoon drive up the Old Mission Peninsula which took me to the Old Mission Lighthouse and past some wonderful farm stands and wineries. They’re coming to the very end of the cherry season here in Michigan, and it’s been great to eat so many cherries and taste different varieties. I’m probably about cherried out though. Heading back in Traverse City, I went to a nice winery just outside of town for some live music and a few glasses of wine and to finish writing the last bits of my podcast.

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This Week on the Road - July 8th-14th

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This Week on the Road - July 8th-14th

Hello Everyone! Well I’m a day late and a dollar short, but what else is new? It’s been an amazing week out here on the west coast of Michigan, probably the best so far. I just got back from a wonderful 3 day, 2 night stay on lovely South Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and was hoping I would have time to get my newsletter done last night, but I was simply too tired and couldn’t get to it until today. Better late than never, though, and it was definitely worth the delay! It’s been such a busy week that it’s hard to imagine it all happened in one week, but that’s how it is sometimes. Before I get into the details of the week though, I’ve had some things come into my head this week and thought I’d share them here.

The first came from an old college friend from Penn State this week. He is on vacation with his family and wrote on Facebook about an 850+ mile day they had driving across several states. I simply can’t imagine doing that on a vacation – I’ve done it in my professional life as a tour bus driver, but never with passengers on board – and it was never a good time. I know I have another college friend and his family who are on a 14 day trip from New Orleans to California which is a little more reasonable but still a lot of miles for a family to cover. As you know, I’m obviously a fan of slow travel and smaller destinations, but I bring these up for a couple of reasons. First, because Americans put up with way too little vacation time, forcing these ridiculous cross-country sprints to try and make the most of what little time people have. I don’t know if people have any idea that much of the developed world has a minimum (by law) of 6 weeks’ paid vacation. Americans work too much and I wish they had more time off to enjoy this wonderful country and all it has to offer. With the decline of unions and our politicians in the back pockets of big businesses on whom they depend for campaign dollars, nobody is advocating for workers in the U.S. right now. My hope is that the current scramble for employees might turn that trend, even just a little bit. 10 days off a year is simply not enough to recharge your batteries, especially if you want to go see something during your time off. I wish this situation was different.

The second came from an old high school friend of mine, but was along a similar line. He posted something vague and somewhat worrisome this week about reaching the end of his rope. As I always try to do when it seems like someone is calling into the darkness for help, I sent him a private message with my phone number in case he really had nobody to talk to. We haven’t been in touch much since graduating from high school, now over 25 years ago, but he’s still a friend and someone I share a common past with. After I reached out, he sent me a message saying he wanted to come ride around with me for a while. I told him to come on up to Michigan and we’d go have some fun and catch up and he could get out of town for a while and clear his head. I don’t think he’s going to come, of course (although he’d be welcomed if he did), but it’s nice that I can give him something else to think about – an escape from the demons in his head right now. He was basically telling me he was overworked and underpaid and the day-in and day-out of it was really starting to wear on him. Again, I think if he had some time to get away and clear his head at some point during the year, he might not be in the mental state he is in now. I know in this country we hear about how “America is the greatest country in the world” all the time, but the people that shout that the loudest are usually those who haven’t spent a lot of time outside of the U.S. I love this country and most of the people in it for many reasons, but how our companies treat their workers isn’t one of them. When people ask me when I’m going to get a “real job”, I often tell them when I am offered a decent salary and a month’s vacation and I’m not kidding about that. I know a lot of people have to work these hours in these jobs and have families to support, and I definitely understand, but I’m still incredibly sympathetic as to how hard it is to work and do anything else. From watching your health to enjoying a hobby or taking a real vacation somewhere, it’s incredibly difficult to do when you’re overwhelmed by work all the time. We may have a tremendous GDP, but the quality of life of the average American could definitely be improved upon. Okay, enough of that…

When I left off last week, I was in Holland, Michigan and headed north. I made my way out to Grand Rapids for two days, but was very unimpressed by it. I tried. I tried really hard to find what the big deal is about it. After 2 days, I decided it wasn’t there to be found and I took off. I did run a permanent orienteering course about 20 minutes out of town at Siedman Park which I enjoyed. The mosquitoes ate me alive, but I loved exploring the park with my map and compass and tracking down the markers in the woods. I also enjoyed visiting the Founders Brewery while I was in Grand Rapids as well. It was the first big brewery I’ve been to in a while and definitely one of Michigan’s most widely known. I didn’t get into the brewery itself, although I could see it through the windows and smell it from the vents, but they had a nice taproom on the premises which was great. I love visiting breweries which I know and trying the beers that don’t make it out to the mass market. I can definitely report that those guys know what they’re doing and their small-batch brews are as good as their mass-produced ones, or better. Another highlight of my time in Grand Rapids was a little tiki bar called Max’s South Seas Hideaway which was an authentic tiki bar and very well put together. The atmosphere was perfect, the staff was great and their cocktails were pretty spot-on. I finished my month in Hawaii two years ago this week, so it was nice to sit at Max’s and think about those wonderful days in the South Pacific. Beyond those wonderful spots, I found Grand Rapids drab and lifeless and desperately in need of some beautification. The region it is in is amazing, and as a base of operations to work from, I can see the appeal. As a city though, it was less than impressive.

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Snapshots: Marshall - Southern Michigan's Cutest Town

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Snapshots: Marshall - Southern Michigan's Cutest Town

Tiny Marshall, Michigan sure has a lot to see in a very small area. Most of the downtown area is part of the National Historic Landmark District which includes over 850 buildings, a staggering amount for a town of just 7,000 people. It is not easy to maintain a town in the condition Marshall is in, and I really take my hat off to those who are working so hard to keep it the way it is.

Marshall was founded in 1830 and grew as a transportation hub catering to road, rail and river travelers with several historic inns and restaurants in the city dating back to those early days. The town was named for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall and of the more than 20 towns named after Marshall, this was the only one so-named before his death. Marshall became an early innovator in the public schools movement and their model was copied across the country. The town was also one of the final contenders to become the State Capital when it was moved from Detroit, but lost out to Lansing in the end.

Today, Marshall is incredibly well maintained. I loved that I could pick up a map outside of their tourism office at any time of day and the music playing on the street made me smile. There were historic walks laid out on the map, and markings on the sidewalks to help guide you along. The buildings downtown were well preserved and some truly transported me back in time. The homes in the surrounding neighborhood were equally historic and also well cared for. My favorite was Honolulu House which offered a wonderful guided tour. I came to Marshall planning on spending an hour and ended up there for more than half the day. It was definitely the cutest town I saw in all of southern Michigan and I am definitely looking forward to returning in the future. If Marshall isn’t on your list of Michigan small towns to visit, it certainly should be. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful Marshall, Michigan.

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Snapshots: Battle Creek - Artistic Flair in Cereal City

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Snapshots: Battle Creek - Artistic Flair in Cereal City

Battle Creek was home to the Potawatomi people long before white settlers arrived in the 1820s. The completion of the Erie Canal brought a wave of people into Michigan seeking work in the lumber industry and the town of Battle Creek was formally established in 1839. During the antebellum period, Battle Creek served as a minor but frequent stop on the Underground Railroad and in 1857 abolitionist Sojourner Truth chose it as her new home where she would live until her death in 1883. In the late 19th Century, the Battle Creek Sanitarium opened as a health resort for the rich and famous. Some of its more famous guests were President Warren G. Harding, Mary Todd Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart and Henry Ford. The manager of the Sanitarium was Dr. John Harvey Kellogg whose brother William also worked there. I’ve read several accounts of how they accidentally created their now-famous corn flakes, but however it happened, they were a hit. A lesser known guest at the Sanitarium, C.W. Post, took the cereal idea and ran with it, setting up his own Post Cereal empire in Battle Creek. Between Post and Kellogg’s, Battle Creek has taken the nickname Breakfast Capital of the World, or, less seriously, Cereal City. Because these two successful brands still call Battle Creek home, the city looks great. The downtown area is vibrant and full of unique artistic flourishes and beautiful murals. There is a wonderful walking path along Battle Creek River and some great bars and restaurants around as well. Although it was quiet when I was there, I really enjoyed my visit to Battle Creek and I hope you enjoy these photos from Cereal City.

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Snapshots: Michigan's State Capitol

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Snapshots: Michigan's State Capitol

Michigan became a state in 1837 with its Capital City in Detroit. At some point in the 1840s, a debate grew over the vulnerability of Detroit which sits right across the lake from Canada and had been occupied in the War of 1812. Many cities vied for the seat of government, and the compromise was to build a new Capital City at a strategic inland crossroads. The area, known as Lansing, was renamed Michigan City, but the original name would be restored the following year. A two story wooden structure with a tin roof was built to house the state legislature and would serve as the State Capitol for for over 20 years. Finally, in the 1870s, construction on the current Capitol was begun. Elijah Meyers was chosen as the architect and he modeled the building after the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Meyers would go on to design the Colorado and Texas Capitols as well. The building opened in 1879. A hundred years later, people were calling to pull down the old building and replace it with a modern structure like they tragically did in Louisiana, Florida and elsewhere. Thankfully, that did not happen and instead a major, top-to-bottom restoration took place. The meticulous restoration even brought in artists to hand-paint all of the walls as had been done in the original design. The result is really quite something. The Michigan State Capitol is beautiful inside and out, and I was very fortunate to get a personal tour with the building’s lead guide. I hope you enjoy this look inside the beautiful Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.

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Snapshots: Flint - Vehicle City on the Rise

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Snapshots: Flint - Vehicle City on the Rise

All I knew about Flint when I arrived, I learned from Michael Moore's 1989 documentary Roger and Me. That and not to drink the water. Some people warned me not to go. What I found was a vibrant, clean city with an interesting past and a bright future.

In 1819, Jacob Smith established a small trading post on the Flint River. It grew quickly and become a convenient stopover on the route between Detroit and Saginaw. By 1860 the population had grown to 20,000 and Flint’s major industry, like most of the region, was lumber. In the late 19th Century, Flint became a major producer of carriages which paved the way for its entrance into the automotive market a few decades later. General Motors was founded in Flint in 1908 and would grow along with the city for many years. When GM started pulling out of Flint in 1978, the population began to drop and crime and poverty, which always go hand-in-hand, began to rise. For several years, Flint was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the country. The recent water contamination issues have led to Flint once again being in the spotlight for less than ideal reasons.

During my visit, I found a city that wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Flint has fought back against its bad reputation and taken serious steps to beautify its downtown and move the city forward. I found a vibrant Farmer’s Market, beautiful murals throughout the city, some great historical markers and statues (through a partnership with the National Park Service), and some great bars, restaurants and breweries. It was quiet when I was there, but I saw exercise classes going on in the park and some kind of jogging/scavenger hunt which looked like a lot of fun. While it was frustrating for me that their main museums were closed, they were closed for renovations and promise to come back next year better than ever. I was only in Flint for two days, but I’m certainly glad I stopped for a look. If you’re ever in the area, drop in and see what’s new in Vehicle City. You might be surprised by what you find there. I Hope you enjoy these photos from downtown Flint.

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This Week on the Road - June 23rd-30th

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This Week on the Road - June 23rd-30th

Hello Everyone! I hope you’re all having a wonderful summer so far and are getting out and enjoying yourselves wherever you are. 2020 into 2021 was such a long year and a half and while I know we’re not out of the woods with the coronavirus yet, it is really nice to be vaccinated and on the road again. I can’t believe that I’ve been gone almost a month – it really has been flying by out here. This week wasn’t very eventful. I spent a good chunk of it in Lansing, waiting to get Shadow Catcher’s transmission fixed and hanging out with my friend, Eric. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much accomplished this week work-wise so I feel like I’ve fallen behind, but I am trying to catch up. I am going to try and buckle down a bit so I can get all of my photos edited and published this week as I make my way out to the coast and up along shores of Lake Michigan.

After finishing up last week in Flint, I headed down to Lansing and met up with my friend, Eric. Eric and I were both teachers in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We interviewed together, trained together and while we went to work at different schools, we were often together for work and after work as well. Since we both left New Orleans it’s been hard to catch up with him in person. I saw him a couple of years ago when I came up to Lansing for his office’s Grand Opening, but that was a busy day and we didn’t get to catch up much. I really enjoyed getting to spend a few days with him this week, even though it wasn’t under the best of circumstances. Eric’s friend’s 16 year-old son had just been shot and killed last week while downtown in a park. He was an athlete and a good young man who just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I went with Eric to the young man’s repast, which was hard even though I didn’t know him, but was definitely organized as a celebration of his life. Eric had lost two other friends who were closer to our age in the last couple of weeks as well, both due to health issues. Over the four days I was in Lansing, a steady stream of people came through their house and it was great to meet so many of his friends, even under those circumstances. I was glad to be there to help support Eric through his grief. Sometimes I feel like I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, exactly when I’m supposed to be there, and this weekend definitely felt like that.

Compared to what was going on in Eric’s life, my van issues were certainly less important, but they did need to get resolved. I had ordered new house batteries for my van to be shipped to Eric’s place and they were there when I got there. Most smaller items I can pick up at an Amazon Locker, but these were too big and heavy and I was very grateful to have somewhere where they could be delivered. There are very few places in the country where I’m more than a day’s drive from a friend and for that, I’m eternally grateful. It took me about an hour to switch them out, and I am so happy to have fully charged and functional batteries again. Eric also had a friend named James who could take a look at my transmission. As you may know, I’m not a huge fan of getting van work done when I’m out here, but it’s definitely inevitable with an older van. Of course new cars and vans break down as well and are usually more expensive to fix, so there’s that too. Bringing in a vehicle with out-of-state plates can bring out the worst in a mechanic who knows you’re vulnerable, so having a personal recommendation really makes a big difference. That and the fact that I could hang out at Eric’s place while the work was being done and not have to sit there all day was also a good thing. James seemed like a really good guy and a good mechanic, and the problem turned out to be just a leaky gasket which was what I had suspected all along. While he had the pan off, he replaced the filter and fluid and it should be good to go for another 80,000 miles or so (at least as far as the transmission is concerned). It’s a huge relief to have those two issues sorted out and I’m very grateful to Eric and his wife, Wendy, for all of their help this weekend.

I did get out to see a little bit of Lansing while I was there. I toured the State Capitol which is definitely something I have tried to do in every state I’ve been to and was lucky enough to get a private tour from the lead guide. I wandered around downtown a bit to see the Lansing Lugnuts’ stadium and Lansing Brewery and definitely ate at some pretty good restaurants as well. Mostly, however, it was about spending time with Eric and getting my van ready to roll again. I got to meet his grandson, Legend, while I was there. Legend is 2 and is such a cute and sweet little boy. We had fun playing together and twirling in circles and I definitely enjoyed spending time with him. It made me miss my little buddy, Mason, but it was really great. We had tornadoes touch down while I was there as well, and I was even more grateful to be inside and in a place with a basement if the need for shelter arose.

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Snapshots: Frankenmuth - Michigan's Bavarian Village

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Snapshots: Frankenmuth - Michigan's Bavarian Village

Frankenmuth, Michigan is a whimsical fantasyland of Bavarian architecture, fried chicken, cheese and chocolate. The town was originally settled in 1845 by German immigrants from Franconia who combined their homeland’s name with the word “muth” for “courage” and called their new home Frankenmuth. These early settlers were Lutherans and attempted to convert the local Native Americans to their religion without much success. They did build one of the larger Lutheran churches in the state though. Today, people come from far and wide to eat chicken at either Zehnder’s or the Bavarian Inn, right across the street. I chose the Bavarian Inn and the chicken was good, but not great. I did enjoy the feel of the town, the architecture and strolling around the shops and down by the river. It’s definitely different and very photogenic. I hope you enjoy these photos from tiny Frankenmuth, Michigan.

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Snapshots: Port Huron - Gateway to Lake Huron

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Snapshots: Port Huron - Gateway to Lake Huron

Port Huron is a lovely mid-sized town where Lake Huron empties into the St. Clair River. Originally inhabited by the Ojibwa people, the site was settled during the War of 1812 with the establishment of Fort Gratiot. People moved to the area for jobs in the lucrative lumber and shipbuilding industries. While he was born in Ohio, Thomas Edison spent his formative years in Port Huron, selling candy and newspaper on the Grand Trunk Railroad route to Detroit. Today, Port Huron is a quiet town with a beautiful lighthouse, a charming downtown area and a wonderful riverfront walk that takes you right under the Bluewater Bridge which connects Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario. I had a great stay in Port Huron and absolutely stunning weather while I was there. I hope you enjoy these photos from my time in this lovely waterfront town.

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This Week on the Road - June 9th-16th

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This Week on the Road - June 9th-16th

Hello Everyone and greetings from Port Huron, Michigan, where Lake Huron funnels into the St. Clair River. It’s significantly cooler here than it was in Detroit which has been a real blessing. This is the weather I was imagining when I planned to come to Michigan this summer, not the sweltering days I found in The Motor City. I have been able to cool off a little bit, clean and repair Shadow Catcher and make sure everything is in its proper place and think with a clear head as I plan for the road ahead. I’ve seen and done some pretty great stuff this week and I’m thrilled to be able to share it all with you

When I left you last week I was on my way to The Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Dearborn. It was an awesome museum - not extremely well organized, but full of extraordinary artifacts. I should have gone right when I walked in the door, but went left instead. I got caught up in fascinating displays on mathematics, early Industrial Revolution inventions and furniture. I skipped through most of the Civil Rights section as I’ve been to some of the best Civil Rights museums in the country, but definitely spent some time with the Rosa Parks bus - the actual bus she refused to give up her seat on (although I kept thinking there are better places for that bus, especially since it’s a GM). They did do a beautiful job on the restoration, though, and I’m very glad it’s there to be seen.

When I finally got to the other side of the museum where all the cars are, I was already a little tired, but I pushed through. There were 5 presidential limos, including the one JFK was shot in (which actually stayed in use for years afterward, albeit with a solid roof and bulletproof glass). There was a wonderful history of the automobile with all makes and models represented, not just Fords. Of special interest to me were the exhibit on American road travel (motels, cabins, gas stations and even campervans), one of Charles Kuralt’s original OnThe Road RVs and the first production line Mustang, Serial #1. I was there for hours and hours and could have spent longer, but the museum was closing and I had plans for the evening.

I headed back downtown and enjoyed a wonderful pizza at Buddy’s, which had come highly recommended by several friends. I have never had Detroit-style pizza before, and this was the right place to try it for the first time. There were four things right about Buddy’s pizza. First, the crust was thick but flaky and not heavy at all. Second, the sauce was perfect – savory and flavorful and not sweet like some others. Third, the cheese was real cheese and I could taste it, it wasn’t some melty, flavorless goop, and finally the toppings were also of good quality. In short, it was pretty close to a perfect pizza in my mind and I would definitely recommend it. My belly full of pizza, I headed right across the street and into the Detroit Tigers baseball game at Comerica Park. It was a perfect night for baseball – clear and cool but not cold enough for a jacket. The stadium was pretty empty, so I sidled on down to the fifth row behind the dugout on the first base side. It was a great seat and I thoroughly enjoyed the game and the stadium, despite a Tigers loss (I was routing for them because they’re Magnum P.I.’s team). After the game I headed back to Dearborn along Michigan Avenue which was just a wonderful drive. It passed through neighborhood after neighborhood packed with restaurants, bars, strip clubs, gas stations and any number of other little businesses and it just felt like a timeless route through old Detroit.

Thursday I headed back to The Henry Ford complex, this time to see Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is an outdoor living history museum conceived of and begun by Henry Ford himself. Originally founded as a school for neighborhood and Ford employee’s kids, it opened to the public in 1933. It’s full of many wonderful original buildings like Ford’s boyhood home and school and the Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop moved from Dayton, Ohio. Model Ts cruise the streets, as do horse-drawn carriages…

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Snapshots: Greenfield Village

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Snapshots: Greenfield Village

Greenfield Village is an incredible outdoor living history museum located next to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Greenfield Village was dedicated in 1929 as a school where neighborhood children and the children of Ford employees could learn in an authentic historic environment. It was opened to the public in 1933. Today, the museum has around a hundred buildings spread out over a vast campus. Some, like the Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop, are the original buildings moved by Ford to the museum. Others, like the Martha-Mary Chapel, were purpose-built at the Village (the chapel actually used materials from Ford’s wife’s childhood home). There are wonderful interpreters and craftspeople spread throughout the Village to help explain the buildings and their roles in American history. I also loved the fact that Model Ts and horse-drawn buggies cruised the Village constantly (although rides are temporarily suspended for the general public). Some of the highlights for me were the Wright Cycle Shop, Noah Webster’s Yale House (where he wrote his famous dictionary), Robert Frost’s house from when he taught at the University of Michigan, the Cotswald Village (brought straight from England) and an Illinois courthouse where Abraham Lincoln once argued cases. As a historian and a photographer, this place was pretty awesome for so many reasons. I spent all day there and could have spent longer. Here are some of my favorite photos from my day at Greenfield Village. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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