After the factory, we decided to wander through Greenfield Village. Mr. Ford started collecting notable buildings in U.S. history. In addition to his childhood home, school, and first factory, he had a courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, the building where Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb (and a chair that he sat in that hasn't moved locations since he last left it), the bicycle shop of the Wright brothers, the home where Heinz ketchup was crafted, and so much more. It was a little overwhelming to see how many buildings had been gathered to this one village. There was no way we would be able to see them all so we took a little drive in an actual 1921 Tin Lizzy (what they called the Model T) to at least view the exterior of all the buildings then we chose which ones we actually wanted to go into. The drive in the Model T was fun. It was so cool to think that car was over 100 years old. The driver was very informative and taught Jonas the differences in how to drive a Model T versus a car today. After our drive, we ventured off to see a few of the buildings (and stop to play at the playground too). I think my favorite was Edison's workshop and the chair he left behind.
Once we finished seeing the buildings we wanted to, we wandered over to the museum. It was HUGE! I don't think any of us could have imagined how big it was on the inside. There were tons of cars, trains, campers, planes, etc. They had an exhibit that displayed certain objects from the decades. It was weird to see things I grew up with (e.g., walkman, CDs, home computers, etc.) on display in a museum. Yikes! It made me feel old. Mr. Ford had also acquired the limo Pres. Kennedy was assassinated in, the bus Rosa Parks rode that started the bus boycott in Mobile, the chair Pres. Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot, and a cot that belonged to General George Washington. The history we were surrounded by was astounding! I'm sure we could have spent more time there, but as is with our road trips, it was time to move on.
We headed about 4 hours north to Mackinaw City, stopping in Frankenmuth (another cute Bavarian village) for dinner on the way. It was raining pretty hard when we were there (and it was late) so we didn't stick around to see much other than the Bavarian Inn in which we ate.
I'm pretty sure the next day (Friday, June 7th) was Jonas's favorite day of the trip. We spent the morning (and into the early afternoon) exploring the replicated fort at Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Point Lighthouse, and Old Mill Creek. Jonas loved the fort! He found an old cap gun in the visitor's center where we purchased tickets as well as a bullet bag. He hadn't asked for anything on the trip and I knew how much he would enjoy it, so I bought them for him. He spent the next hour plus running around the fort fighting off the enemy. The fort was actually really cool. They had recreated the old walls with wall-walks all around. He ran from lookout to lookout. Occasionally, he'd come down from the wall to join us as we explored the different structure in the fort. They had done a really good job at recreating what a 1700's fort would have been like. There were also ample artifacts that had been uncovered there. Moreover, there was an active dig site in the fort too!
From the fort, we walked over to the Old Lighthouse. Mackinaw City is poised on a small strait that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. This lighthouse helped sailors navigate the narrow waterway. We didn't stay long before we headed to Old Mill Creek. This was (as the name suggests) an old mill that was built during the time they were constructing the fort. We saw demonstrations of how they would cut the logs prior to building the saw mill. The saw mill was quite impressive! The force of the water was incredible. It's amazing to me how ingenious these early settlers (and even Henry Ford) were to create so many things that provided a springboard for our modern day inventions.
Finally, we started to move on, but not before we grabbed a little Mackinaw fudge (and drove by the USCGC Mackinaw - an icebreaker ship used during WWII to help get supplies out to the troops, especially during winter. We didn't feel the need to actually tour the ship, but we did stop to see it). The drive to Green Bay was picturesque! We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge into the upper peninsula of Michigan. We followed the lakeshore as we drove north, west, then eventually south. Lake Michigan was so huge that it often resembled the ocean. We rolled into Green Bay, Wisconsin around dinner time. I didn't realize how small this city is. I guess I assumed because it was the home to the Packers that it would have been a bigger metropolis. We made our way to the Broadway district where we ate at the White Dog. Jeff and I like to find local places to try...and we weren't disappointed. We indulged in some seafood bisque with fried cheese curds...when in Wisconsin! We then walked down to the Fox River where we strolled along the riverbank before heading to the hotel.
Saturday (June 10th) we toured Lambeau Field, home to the famous Green Bay Packers. I like football. I think we all do, but we haven't really attached ourselves to a team. Jeff feels most attached to the Denver Broncos because he grew up in Colorado. Jonas currently likes the Chiefs because they've won the last two Super Bowls, but I think I might like the Packers after hearing about their history and traditions. They are one of the original NFL teams and have won more championships than any other team. More than that, they seem to really connect with the community that has rallied behind them since 1919. One of the traditions that I love is all about bikes. It started decades ago (as early as 1960) when kids would line the route from the stadium to the training facility to try to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. One day, as legend has it, a few players were running late to practice. To beat then coach Vince Lombardi to the practice field, they borrowed a few kids bikes who happened to be there. Others claim the tradition started after the tenure of Lombardi; regardless of when or how or why, the tradition stuck and kids today will line Dream Drive in hopes that a player will choose their bike. There is one picture in the stadium of a large defensive lineman holding a small tricycle in his right hand while holding a little girls hand in his left as she clutches a prized stuffed toy. All in all the stadium experience was pretty cool, especially when we actually got to go down to the field. That was probably Jonas's favorite part. After the stadium tour, we wandered through the Hall of Fame and the gift shop before we grabbed a butter burger from Kroll's (a stadium staple).
From there, we moved on to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Even though (on a different road trip) I had driven through Minnesota, I hadn't really stopped to see anything so this was my first time experiencing an aspect of Minnesota. We headed toward mill district to see the Stone Arch Bridge, which is the second oldest bridge to span the Mississippi River and the longest continuously used bridge since 1883. It originally started as a train bridge but has been since converted into a pedestrian bridge. Did you know that Minneapolis was known as the mill capitol of the nation? The first commercial flour mill opening in 1854, and by 1863, fifteen mills produced 1.25 million barrels of flour a year. By 1916, Minneapolis produced over 18 million barrels of flour a year (which is oddly more flammable than gun powder. There is an old mill that has been converted into a museum. The museum has this signature "ruin" look because the city decided not to demolish the remaining exterior walls after a fire.) We walked on the bridge, let Jonas get out a little energy in a nearby park, and drove through the downtown area as we made our way to the Mall of America. This is the largest mall in the nation with roughly 5,600,00 square feet! And who knew that there was a mini amusement park in there?! (I'm sure tons of people know, but I didn't.) We grabbed some tickets and let Jonas ride a few rides before we explored some stores. Mostly, it's just a typical mall, but we did enjoy the M&Ms store.
We called it a day after exploring the mall. The next day was Sunday (June 9th). Most of our road trips include at least one Sunday where most things are closed or have limited operating hours so it tends to be a more relaxed day. We woke up and went to church before making our way to Minnehaha Falls. We hiked down to the falls and along the creek until it met up with the mighty Mississippi River. Did you know the Mississippi River originates in Minnesota? It actually started not too far from where we were at. It was kind of fun to think that I've seen the river at its origin and its end.
Once we finished hiking, we headed towards North Dakota...my last state to visit (Jeff only lacks Hawaii now...guess we'll just have to go!). We made our way to Jamestown where we stopped for the night. Like I mentioned before, there wasn't much open (and honestly not much in North Dakota anyway) so we headed to the hotel for a little rest and relaxation. The next morning, Jonas and I did a little walking tour of downtown Jamestown to see places that helped shape the famous western writer, Louis L'Amour, while Jeff stayed at the hotel to catch up on a few work items. Jonas had no clue who Louis L'Amour was, and, to be honest, I don't think I've actually read any of his books, but I knew about him because my dad did. We saw the library he loved to spend time in, the school he went to, the site of his home (which is now a electrical station), and the church he attended. Back at the library, we peeked inside to see a display in his honor. They were also having a little sale on old books. I snagged an old children's Christmas book...just because I thought it was cool to have a book from the library that built a famous writer.
Jonas and I then ran back to the hotel to pick up Jeff. From there, we went to a little Frontier Village. The village was comprised of several little buildings that helped to depict what life would have been like for early prairie settlers. At one end of the village, there was a giant statue of a buffalo. The village was ok, but nothing to get too excited about so we didn't spend much time there before we headed to Bismarck.
In Bismarck, we stopped at Fort Abraham Lincoln. This was the site of a fort that housed both an infantry and calvary unit. It is also the last residence of General George A. Custer. He was the commanding officer of the calvary unit tasked to protect the railroad that was being built in the area. He and his unit were dispatched to Little Big Horn to quell an uprising among the native people. He and his men were slaughtered there. Nowadays the fort has some reconstructed buildings on the property using the original foundations, including the home Custer would have lived in. There were a few pieces in the home that actually belonged to him and his wife. We also saw a replica of the barracks the calvary would have lived in as well as replicas of old Native American homes typical in that area. Our favorite part to explore was the infantry post. Other than a few foundation stones there's not much there, but it overlooks the beautiful valley from reconstructed blockhouses they would have used to keep watch for enemies. North Dakota didn't have much by way of mountains, but the green, luscious prairie gave it a beauty all its own.
From Bismarck, we kept moving into Deadwood, South Dakota. We had really been lucky with weather during our trip. It rained a little on us while we were in Detroit and when we were touring Lambeau Field, but other than that, the temperatures were mild and the sun was shinning...except on this drive. We could see the dark, angry clouds rolling in like ocean waves. It was a little intimidating. It rained hard for about 20 minutes of our drive. I gripped the steering wheel as we inched our way through the torrent. We were never really in any danger, but it was not ideal driving conditions. Still, it was kind of cool to experience that kind of storm from the safety of our vehicle. We rolled into Deadwood around dinner time. Deadwood was made famous because of the assassination of Wild Bill Hickok and the presence of other well-known heroes and miscreants from that era. We grabbed something to eat then headed to the historic downtown. It felt like we had stepped onto the set of an Old West movie. This is a little city I could visit again! It seems like we could have spent more time exploring the activities this town had to offer, but as is the case with our road trips, we were limited in the time we had. Thankfully, while we were browsing through the stores, we happened upon the reenactment of the capture of Jack McCall, who shot Wild Bill. The short gun fight played out in the middle of the street then we got to follow the crowd to a reenactment of the trial that ensued. We quickly purchased tickets to see the production. It was quite entertaining...and historically accurate. I was glad we got to have the experience.
The next morning, we started our day with a tour of the Broken Boot Mine. The presence of gold (or rather abundance of fool's gold) was what brought a lot of people to this area, including Mr. Hickok. It only seemed fitting to do a little mine tour. Our guide was informative as he described the working conditions of these early miners. After the tour, we visited the Mt. Moriah cemetery where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane (who was in love with Bill and wanted to be buried near him) were buried.
From there, we kept moving on towards Mt. Rushmore. It was the perfect day to see these presidential faces. We hiked the little loop that led to the base of the facade. I'm glad we did because it distanced us from the crowds of people that only lingered around the entrance. I think we all liked the experience, but we enjoyed Sylvan Lake more. Sylvan Lake was used as the site of the final scenes in National Treasure 2. It's located in Custer State Park along Needles Highway. We made our way to the lake and grabbed lunch at the visitors center there before walking around the lake. We made our way to a little "beach" and let Jonas swim awhile before moving on. The water was frigid but he still wanted to swim out to the rocks off the shore. Once he had his fill of the water, we hopped in the car and finished winding our way through Needles Highway. It's actually a really pretty stretch of road, but very narrow with 4 tiny tunnels along the way. These small tunnels were only wide enough to fit one car at a time. It was a fun drive. We even saw a buffalo right off the side of the road.
Our last night was spent in Casper, Wyoming. The next morning (Wednesday, June 12th) we got up before sunrise to make our way towards Martin's Cove. Jeff and Jonas needed to be back to Payson by early afternoon so they could pack up and head out...again. This time they would be making their way an additional 3 hours south, near Bryce Canyon, to meet up with the young men who were already camping since Monday. This meant that we needed to get an early enough start on our day so we could still fit in a trip to Martin's Cove. This sacred location was where a group of early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sought shelter from an early winter storm in 1856 as they made their way to Utah using handcarts. These early Saints suffered greatly, not only because of the weather, but because of the minimal provisions they had. There were many who died here...and many more who wished they had. The faith of this group is incalculable! When the prophet, Brigham Young, heard about their travails, he sent a rescue group with food and supplies to meet up with them. They met them in early November 1856 and helped guide them to the cove where they rested for 5 days before journeying on. It is said that many of those Saints cried in anguish as they moved on due to the trials they had already endured. They finally made it to the Salt Lake Valley on November 30, 1856. We arrived at the visitor's center just before sunrise and started the 5 mile hike around the cove. We had the whole trail to ourselves. It was pretty chilly when we got out of the car. We were only wearing shorts and t-shirts. Jonas and I folded our arms to try to generate warmth to our core as we started our walk. It wasn't a strenuous walk...and although it was chilly, we knew it would warm up once the sun rose. Still, Jonas wasn't too happy about the walk. It was early and it was chilly. We talked about our small discomfort compared to that of those who were there in 1856. As we turned the corner of the loop that took us into the cove, the wind changed. Suddenly, the temperature rose about 7-10 degrees. With shocked faces, we all turned to each other to see if the others had experienced the same sensation of warmth. It was immediate and undeniable. The shelter of the cove manifested itself to us as well as to those Saints so many years ago. We walked around the entire loop in reverence as we discussed the trials in our lives and the coves in which we can seek shelter. As we ended the loop, we found a small handcart near the trail. This handcart was equipped with a seat in which someone could sit rather than a flatbed type wagon box. Jonas hopped in the seat while Jeff and I pulled the cart a short distance to some statues commemorating the bravery of the Utah boys who came to the rescue of the Willie handcart company some miles away at the 6th crossing of the Sweetwater River that wound its way through this area. I have to admit that pulling the cart was a little tricky...and we were only pulling 90 pounds. On our way back, Jonas decided he wanted to experience the pull so I got in the cart. It was a little tougher with more weight and an incline to ascend. It was the perfect way to finalize our experience at the cove. We quickly made our way back to our car then drove about an hour west to stop at the site of the Sweetwater River crossing. Again, we contemplated the bravery and heroics of those Utah boys who came to the rescue and the heartbreak and despair of those in the handcart company. We encouraged Jonas to be a "Utah boy" and to always seek ways to come to the rescue of those in need. Out of all the stops on our trip, I think the cove and the river were my favorite.
Our trip had finally come to an end. Months of planning, a week of traveling, and a lifetime of memories.
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