Detroit

I arrived in Detroit early this afternoon and, after locating the hotel, decided to find something to do. Following the local attractions on my GPS, I went to the Motown Historical Museum.  Vicki (not sure if I have I mentioned, that's what I call my GPS.  The voice sounds exactly like Vicki from the movie I, Robot) likes to take routes that bypass traffic, so it's always an adventure. I went through some seriously sketchy areas to end up on Barry Gordy Drive where I found the teeny-tiny museum. Turns out that the museum is in the original house where Motown started and recorded their material from the 60's through the early 70's.  I must say we had a very enthusiastic and interesting tour guide.  The history of Motown is not something that I'm a particularly familiar with, but this guy knew his stuff and made the whole thing very interesting. By the way, Motown loves Michael Jackson.  Sadly, no pictures inside the museum. 

Afterward, I felt I had plenty of time for one more museum and decided to check out the Henry Ford Museum.  Thank god Crissy had forwarded me an email from her mom (Hi Mandy - Love that you're following my journey!) mentioning it's official 'Greenfield Village' name, because I was having no luck finding it.  Turns out it's in Dearborn and that's why Vicki was lost.  Anyway, I drove out there and arrived a little before 4:00 p.m.  knowing that the museum closed at 5:00 p.m.  When the man at the ticket counter pointed this out to me, "you might not have time to enjoy the full museum properly," I told him I thought I would be fine with an hour.  I walked into the museum and realized what he was talking about. The place is huge.  There's an exhibit on cars, airplanes, American History, American Ingenuity, funiture, silver, and about nine other things. It is a little out of control.  I walked through the car museum section and couldn't resist looking at the airplanes and American History/Ingenuity part. I still can't figure out what the American Revolution has to do with Henry Ford and automobiles.  I kinda get the American Ingenuity, but Washington and Lincoln seemed off topic.  I guess the museum is trying to cover as many bases as possible for the visiting school children. Interestingly, they have an exhibit of presidential limousines, including the car that Kennedy was in when he was shot.  Apparently the car was retrofitted with a roof and continued in service. Seriously morbid.  (They also have the car that Reagan was thrown into after he was shot -- sadly, a missed bullet makes it less interesting... oh my god, I'm going to hell.)

Easily my favorite part of the museum was a silly machine where you got to manufacture your own plastic figure. (Part of the 'Made in America' exhibit.) It was a machine that, for $2, would mold and press a figurine for you.  I loved it and was literally laughing out loud while it was being made.  I just marveled at the concept of it in a museum. I ended up with a very hot, green bust of George Washington.  I carried this thing around for the rest of the museum.  Before leaving I sadly decided that it violated my ordinance on 'no junk' (you have to be very strict in the mini), and with a sad goodbye, I left it on a bench in the museum for a lonely child to find (or, more likely a goofing-off teenager).