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 On The 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. The buildings are from different parts of the country and the world and from different time periods, but it is all so orderly that it seems to fit together. I had a wonderful day at Greenfield Village despite the heat and could only imagine what it’s like when it’s all decked out for Christmas. To see all the photos from my day in Greenfield Village, be sure to check out this post here.
After a full day at the Village, I decided I needed some small-town feels so I headed south to Wyandot for the night. Wyandot is on the river, so it was significantly cooler than Dearborn was. I enjoyed the Farmers’ Market there, bought a pie, and then wandered down to the waterfront. There was a small, local barbecue festival going on with a live band and carnival rides for the kids. It was great to hear some live music and I really had a good time there, but I was pretty tired so I called it an early night.
I was surprised by the fact that in two days at The Henry Ford, I knew very little about Ford Motor Company, so on Friday I set out to fix that with a visit to the Piquette Avenue Plant museum in Detroit. Ford used the Piquette Plant from 1904-1910 and it was where they built the Models B, C, F, K, N, R, S and finally the Model T. The Model T didn’t go to assembly-line production until they moved to a bigger plant at Highland Park, so they were put together one at a time at Piquette. They also had a different logo, with wings, which is a tell-tale sign they were built there. After Ford moved out, Studebaker moved in and the plant has had several occupants since. When it was slated for demolition, a group stepped in to preserve the building and began a museum there. Not officially affiliated with Ford Motor Company, they have still gotten some pretty cool cars donated from the Mother Ship. The museum has an incredible collection, including all the letters mentioned above (the Model K was my favorite) and a number of other cars, both Ford and others. It was a fascinating tour and I would definitely recommend it.
From there, I headed out to New Palace Bakery in Hamtranck to try some of their famous Pączki (pronounced “punch-keys”), which is basically a filled Polish donut and was something on my list of things to try in Michigan. I loved the fact that it wasn’t packed with sugar and it was definitely tasty. With a little sugar-kick to the pants, I moved on to the Motown Museum, Hitsville USA, on West Grand Boulevard. I grew up listening to Motown with both my parents, so this was high on my list of things I wanted to see. It was a guided tour of Berry Gordy’s business offices, apartment and, of course, Studio A. I’ve been to most of the major studios on this side of the country, and this was one of my favorites. I especially loved the original candy machine that was there and the fact that slot #9 always had to have Baby Ruth in it, because that was 11 year-old Stevie Wonder’s favorite. The only way he knew which slot it was in was from was by touch so they kept it in the same place. The whole place was just wonderful.
Leaving Motown, I drove over to check out The Heidelberg Project, an outdoor art exhibit which didn’t do much for me. It was really just a bunch of clocks and piles of old junk in a run-down neighborhood. I was surprised it was recommended so highly because I just didn’t get it. Maybe I was just hot and in need of refreshment. I headed downtown and had a beer at The Beach, a cool sand-filled park in the heart of downtown with live music, and then another with some live music at Tin Roof. Tin Roof is one of the few chains that I really love because it provides a venue for local music (usually) 7 nights a week. I can’t remember the name of the band that was playing, but the lead singer was my age and they played a lot of songs from my college days and I really enjoyed myself there. I wasn’t out late though, and headed up to Warren to spend the night.
Saturday I spent the whole morning at Detroit’s Eastern Market, an amazing open-air market only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There were whole buildings of flowers and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, meat and cheese, baked goods and prepared foods. I enjoyed some delicious pierogis myself. The market was packed with people doing their weekly shopping and the whole place was buzzing. I had a great morning wandering around and taking photos and you can see the photos I took in this post here.
In the afternoon I headed out for a cruise on the Detroit River with Diamond Jack’s Riverboat Tours. For only $18, this was a great tour and it was nice to cruise up and down the river and see Detroit from the water. We also saw Windsor on the Canadian side and a wonderful lighthouse as well. I was pretty tired afterwards and decided to call it an early night, but it was another great day in the Motor City.
When I woke up Sunday, it was already hot. I ran some errands around the area I was in and then decided the time had come for me to get out of town. I really enjoyed Detroit and will definitely be back, but the heat was oppressive, especially with my battery issues keeping my fans on low. I packed up and headed east on 23 Mile Road all the way to New Baltimore. From there, I made my way around the beautiful, blue Lake St. Clair to Fair Haven where I spotted a tropical looking bar out on the marina called The Island Grill Clubhouse. I hit the brakes and headed out to this little treasure for a cold beer and a break from the road. I’ve spent a decent chunk of my life in the islands and anywhere that can bring me back for a few minutes is very much appreciated. I loved the atmosphere, the music and just relaxing and watching the boats come and go. It was idyllic.
From Fair Haven I followed the St. Clair River along wonderful Route 29 through Algonac, Roberts Landing and Marine City. The day was cool and clear and the road followed the river, which was a wonderful shade of blue, past old Victorian homes and along charming Main Streets. I had my windows down and some great tunes on the radio and it was about as good as it gets out here. I was very happy with my decision to head for the water that day. In the town of St. Clair I got out for a walk along the river and met a couple of super friendly bikers who told me some of their favorite restaurants in the state and gave me some great travel tips. Then I followed the sound of live music to a little outdoor patio at the War Water Brewery. Who was I to just pass on by? I stopped for a quick beer and enjoyed the music for a little while before continuing on to Port Huron. And here I’ve been since.
When I arrived in Port Huron, I stopped and picked up some food and then headed down to the beautiful Fort Gratiot Lighthouse (Michigan’s oldest) on the shores of Lake Huron to eat it. The sun was just getting ready to set and I took a few quick shots of the lighthouse and put my feet in the lake before taking a seat at one of the picnic tables to enjoy my meal. It was a beautiful evening and a great place for my dinner. After sunset, I took a short stroll around downtown and then headed out to Walmart for the night.
Since I left home it’s just been so hot that my van has been a cluttered mess because I really only wanted to be in it to sleep (and not really even then). With cooler weather I was able to put everything in its proper place and really get things how I want them to be in there. It was great.
Monday was more of the same. Temperatures hovered in the mid-60s under clear skies and I spent the day fixing what I could fix and coming up with a plan for what I couldn’t. I got my bathroom door secured, my propane tank filled and my new batteries ordered. I got an additive I hoped would sort out my transmission leak (it didn’t), and then did some planning for my trip up the coast and around the thumb. I spent most of the day doing little things around my van, but it felt really good to do. When I was done, I headed out for a wander around downtown Port Huron before calling it a day.
Yesterday was then free to explore Port Huron, and I was surprised at how much there was to see and do here. I started the day at the interesting little history museum in an old Carnegie library on Wall Street. There was some great info on shipwrecks and navigation on the lake and river which I really enjoyed and a handful of pretty cool artifacts like a jacket worn by the great Lakota Chief, Sitting Bull. The main floor had a lot of clothes on display which really didn’t do much for me. It was a reasonable museum, but probably not really worth the $10 admission fee. When I had seen the museum, I spent an hour or so wandering around the neighborhood and down to the port and back taking photos, which I’ll get to you this week. There are some really cool old buildings around and I enjoyed the walk. From there I headed back to the Fort Gratiot Light to get the lighthouse stamp in my passport and take a few more photos. Then I parked under the Bluewater Bridge which connects Port Huron to Sarnia in Canada and went for a long walk along the water. Under the bridge was the old Grand Trunk Railroad station, now a Thomas Edison museum. Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, but moved to Port Huron as a kid and lived here for several years. He started a business selling candy and newspapers on the train between Port Huron and Detroit. He was so successful that he hired two other boys on other runs and began printing his own newspaper on the train. He used his money to buy chemicals and experiment in his basement lab. I didn’t go into the museum, but I enjoyed the story and his statue under the bridge. From there I wandered up to the old Lightship Huron, the last to ply the waters of Lake Huron, now a museum on the shore of the river.
As daylight was fading, I headed into a place I had to try while I was in town – Palms Krystal Bar and Restaurant which promised me “Chicken in the Rough”. I wasn’t sure what that was, but the place had old neon signs and a cool look to it. The inside was even better than the outside, with an old-school diner feel to it. It turned out that Chicken in the Rough was an old American franchise started in Oklahoma and at one time having over 300 locations, including one in South Africa and another in Hawaii. In 2021, only 3 are left. This was one and a second is across the river in Sarnia, Ontario (the third is in Oklahoma). I usually don’t eat fried chicken north of the Mason-Dixon line, but I made an exception there and was glad I did. The chicken was cooked to order and was crispy and flavorful and pretty darned good. After dinner, I headed over to another cool looking building which houses The Raven coffee shop and bar. It’s a wonderful and eclectic space with a heavy nod to Edgar Allen Poe. I only had time for a quick beer there, but it was a cool little spot.
It’s been a busy but wonderful week and I’m still having a good time out here. It’s easier for me to function in this cooler weather which I am absolutely loving. My mental health is good and I’m keeping the demons in my head squashed under my heal for now. I’m laughing early and often, keeping up with the gym every day and watching what I eat (Chicken in the Rough being the exception). My van still needs a couple of things done, but doesn’t it always? That’s what 25 year-old vehicles do, but it’s running well and holding together pretty good.
The week ahead should be a good one as well. I know I’ve said this before, but I’m absolutely going to get an episode of my podcast out this week, now that I’ve found some wonderful music from D.C. based singer/songwriter Ken Francis Wenzel to go along with it. I’ve also got some wonderful photos from Port Huron to publish as well. As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m headed out of Port Huron and up the coast of “The Thumb” region of Michigan. I’ll be staying tonight at Forester Campground, right on the shore of Lake Huron and hope to really enjoy some time on the coast, reading, writing and finishing up this podcast. Tomorrow I’ll continue up The Thumb and around and then Friday I’ll drop down into the Bay City/Frankenmuth/Saginaw region. I don’t know much about what to expect from that area, but I know it took Simon and Garfunkel four days to hitchhike from Saginaw so at least that’s something. A few quiet days along the coast will do me well though on the way there. Then I’m off through Flint and on to see my good friend Eric in Lansing. Lansing is actually where Shadow Catcher and I first met and I’m looking forward to returning to the site of where I first laid eyes on her and knew we were meant to be. I don’t know where I’ll be at this time next week, but I’ll let you know when I get there. Be sure you’re following my social media accounts to get the whole story, including video which is new and fun for me (Instagram: @miles2gobeforeisleep and Facebook: @miles2gobeforeisleeponline).
I hope you’re all doing well, wherever you are. Have a great week out there and enjoy this summer weather and the long days while they last (and for my Southern Hemisphere readers, enjoy a nice fire on a cold winter day for me). Take care and thanks for coming along for the ride.
-Mike