June 3

We are definitely back up north. As I type this, at 9:45 our time, we are heading north on I-75, and the sun is only just now beginning to set. Reminiscent of Kalispell, we stay busy longer not realizing it’s time to start winding down. We have now covered over 1000 miles this trip and are only just getting started.

Today was packed with so many sights. We left the hotel this morning and headed straight to Greenfield Village. This 80 acre park was compiled by Henry Ford and dedicated in 1929 in order to preserve an appreciation for pre-industrial America. Though Ford was a great inventor himself, he came from humble beginnings. With the advancement of technology it was important to him that people not lose sight of our humble beginnings, so over the years, he purchased and moved in buildings that he considered a significant part of our country’s history. Among some of the sights, we saw: the Heinz House, Wright Cycle Shop and Home, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, Noah Webster’s Home, and the William Holmes McGuffey School and Birthplace. The employees all dress in period clothing, and Model T’s and horse drawn carriages ride through the streets of this village. As we were about to head for the museum, Samuel discovered the Armington and Sims Machine Shop. He stepped in a discovered a 1917 turret lathe at work. He was excited to find out that he would be able to turn his own candlestick out of brass. Samuel, Caleb, and Taylor all took a turn and will now have their very own hand turned candlestick for birthday cakes.

It was after 2 before we began our pilgrimage through the museum. Our first exhibit took us through another historical look at trains, plains, and automobiles and campers. (Our feet were killing us!) While Nathan and the older boys continued to cruise the museum, Andrew and I chilled near the front. When we all met back up, we thought we only had a small bit left to see. Boy, were we wrong! This museum is like a Smithsonian. We finished out with a visit to the assembly line, telephone progression, media progression, the history of agricultural equipment, furniture, and steam engines. There was also a home prototype, Dymaxion, that was considered following WWII. Instead of the traditional looking home, this dome shaped metal home was full of very practical room saving innovations. (Think airstream shaped like a bubble that is your permanent residence.) This home could be placed on land or water.

We left Dearborn around 5 and took a brief tour of Detroit. Nathan was able to locate the Model T Assembly Plant and the American Loan and Jewelry (home of Hard Core Pawn). The road infrastructure in Detroit was insane, but the traffic was not bad. I’m glad to be headed north back into farmland and countryside though. We stopped briefly in Bay City for supper and the chance to see some lovely homes, and then we were rolling again.

We bedded down in Gaylord by midnight after crossing the 45th parallel between the equator and the north pole, but I think we’ll sleep in a bit since we are so close to tomorrow’s destination.