The next chapter

Well, yes, it was time to move on this morning; to leave Kalamazoo and take the next step in our journey.  But our first destination was going to continue the story we started in January.

Here we were in Grand Rapids, at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum.  Regular readers will know how interesting we find these places and the opportunity to find out more about what happened after the events of the Nixon era was too good to miss.

The Gerald Ford Museum is situated by the river in Grand Rapids and we found ourselves amongst a mere dozen or so visitors in there for most of our visit.  It’s always good to have the run of such a place!

I realised how little I knew about the man and his presidency.  How long had he served?  Where did he come from (well, Grand Rapids, it seems)  but beyond that…what was his background?

We were to find all the answers to our questions in the next couple of hours.

As usual, the first part of the exhibit concerned his childhood.  Looking at the Boy Scout record cards and school reports, I wondered how many of our mothers kept all of these things?  Mine certainly did and it seemed, Mrs Ford did too, though I doubt very much that she ever imagined where they would eventually be displayed.

The exhibits were well designed, if a little static.  Still, they told the story well and explained what I needed to know.

I did know a little about Betty Ford, though.

This display included a little interactivity and it was interesting to read of her story.

I wonder how many women have had similar thoughts at times?

Anyway, having set the scene, the elephant in the room was addressed.

Watergate.

We’d learned about this at the Nixon Library but it was useful to have a reminder of the details as background to the scenario President Ford inherited.

What was clear time and again was that Gerald Ford provided a safe pair of hands in a crisis.

But a couple of assassination attempts must have left him wondering why on earth he had accepted the challenge.  Here, the bulletproof lining to his raincoat was on show

complete with typewritten cleaning instructions!

Here was a replica of his Oval Office and alongside, the story of Betty’s breast cancer diagnosis was told.  Those days must have been far from easy for the whole family but her determination to be open about her health and to speak frankly about sex, drugs, abortion, equality and gun control provoked reactions from all corners.

Unsurprisingly, Betty Friedan expressed her wholehearted support for the First Lady, but a letter from Maria von Trapp was written in a rather different tone

I failed to take a photograph of the gracious reply!

Her best known legacy is surely the clinics which bear her name and an ongoing open conversation about breast cancer and drug/alcohol dependancy.  Her words “Being ladylike does not require silence” were there, high on the wall above her portrait.  How true.

Meanwhile, Betty’s husband failed to win the Presidency and continued in his role as an elder statesman until his death in 2006.  We watched the video of his funerals – three of them, near the Ford’s home in California, in Washington DC and then finally, in Grand Rapids MI.  There, standing beside their four grown children at all three, was Betty.  What an ordeal.

We’d chatted to the museum staff about Grand Rapids and thought that it would be worth walking over the bridge and exploring a little of the city.  But as we left the museum, the Gay Pride rally was assembling on the bridge and as we approached the crowd, preparing to “excuse me” through, the man on the stepladder began a lengthy prayer and we all stood in respect.  Eventually, we managed to make our way through, only to find a deserted townscape without a coffee shop in sight.  We “excuse me’d” all the way back again!

As we did, the crowd was beginning to disperse, party as a result of the arrival of four or five people wearing orange, offering free cheesy snacks.  Well, it doesn’t take long to discover where peoples’ loyalty lies, especially when the offer to “fill your rucksacks!  The sooner we can give all these away, the sooner we can go home”.  The gay pride rally scattered as people gathered a few snacks and began a bit of a procession.  We helped ourselves to a handful and returned to our car!

An hour or so driving through the Michigan countryside brought us to the outskirts of the state capital, Lansing.

Though really, we could have been anywhere in suburban America.

We were completing this day of politics and government with a visit to the State Capitol.

The entrance was a little unprepossessing.  I wondered if we’d got it wrong but a security guard confirmed that this was indeed the Capitol and we should continue down the corridor.

Eventually, we reached the “right” part and found the visitors’ desk, where Renee welcomed us to her tour.

Standing under the dome, we gazed up to the central blue “sky” with gold and platinum stars up there.

Each as “big as a dinner plate” said Renee.  We believed her.

The light fittings were elaborate, originally designed for gas power and the low level lighting we’d noted already was a deliberate choice to recreate the original feel of the building.

We had a glimpse inside the Governor’s grand ceremonial office,

taking special note of the door hinges.

It being a weekend, the house was not sitting,

and the Senate was quiet too.

The wall decoration in the former Supreme Court was pointed out, since it was original and created using horse hair it seems.

Though no horses were harmed in the creation, we were assured.

Standing for a final look around the portraits of former Governors, one caught my eye.  It appears it’s the same one as catches the eye of most visitors and is of John Swainson, a young Governor who considered his life and work to be unfinished when he left office, choosing to have his portrait reflect that.  Interesting!

We were finished with the Capitol though and had just one last thing on our list for today; The Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame.  We’d copied the location from our guidebook, checked it this morning and then again this afternoon as my Hero set the satnav.  But when we got there…

It looked pretty empty.  Derelict, even.  We hummed and hawed a little before decided to leave it.  Only on a further search when we were back at the hotel did we read that it had relocated last month.  Huh.

The interesting sign of the day was to be found in the centre of Lansing this afternoon:

I can think of several places where that sign could be very useful!

Cars or planes?

When planning our road trips, we do a bit of research to identify places of interest and prepare long lists and google maps of things we’d like to do or see.  Today, there was a clear choice – was it to be the AirZoo or the Gilmore Car Museum?  Both were on the list but we had time for just one or the other.  Which was it to be?

We are headed for Detroit along our route and surely, we will be immersing ourselves in the motor industry along the way.  So perhaps the Airzoo would be a good choice?  But our guide book suggested the main focus was on the military and highlighted exhibits aimed at families with small children. 

We plumped for the cars.

The museum is set in a large area of parkland, with exhibits housed in several large barns.  Equipped with a map and advice from the docent on the welcome desk, we headed out to see what’s what.

First impressions were good and the first hall of shiny old cars whet our appetites for what was to come.

This was way more than a collection of dusty old cars!

Saving a visit to the diner until later, our first stop was a barn filled with Hudson vehicles – a new name to me.

Here was a collection of lovingly restored cars from the days when motoring was part of a glamorous lifestyle for those who could afford it.  Here too was my favourite vehicle, it turned out; quietly sitting in the middle of the display, nothing special in any way…

until I took a closer look.

It’s a 1937 Railton, fitted out by Rippon Brothers in Huddersfield especially for Colonel Rippon himself and the style and finish is breathtaking.

Inside – sorry for the reflections – the rear seats have the advantage of drop-down compartments, with silver cases for cigars, cigarettes and matches, plus four glasses and a couple of hip flasks on “his” side.

On “her” side, is a similar compartment, but with space for aspirin (!), a hairbrush, cologne, smelling salts, chocolate and a notebook.  In between, there’s a shared space with a silver box for sandwiches, a couple of pencils and their mobile phones….   I was immediately thinking that in my road trip compartment, I’d have my sketchbook, scissors, crayons, a pot of water….!

In front, there was a small shelf for the map and other compartments for who knows what?  Gloves?

And the luggage?  All tailor made from matching leather, to fit snugly into the boot.

How gorgeous is that?  Nearby, there was a short film about the couple who restored this unique car – we watched it a couple of times, gasping at the detail.  Spot the first aid kit!

Well, it was hard to follow that.  We amused ourselves by testing a few car horns in the Shell Service Station before making our way into the next barn.

Now, pedal cars were just not going to cut it, were they?  We needed something a little more than that!

Like a pink Cadillac maybe?

This car was enormous!  Even so, there wasn’t a vast amount of room inside.  Just how many acres of space is there in that boot though?

Wow.

Here, each car manufacturer had their models arranged in a building devoted to their brand.  Having ooohed and aaahed around the Cadillacs, browsed around the Pierce Arrow display, we found ourselves in front of an old Ford showroom.

But we’re heading for Detroit, I thought.  I really didn’t want to pre-empt the Henry Ford stuff there.

But this was just a showroom of Model A Fords, without any particular focus or description.  We wandered through, stopping only by one particular exhibit.

“Make this dependable tractor from your old Model A Ford”.

It seems easy terms were available to buy the kit, if you felt the need to do such a thing.  Mind you, the first step was “remove the body from the chassis of your Model A”.

Not a job for cissies then.

By now, we were a little car-blind.  Yes, there was another great Chevvy or a remarkably beautiful Mustang, but they were so static.  I was wanting to climb inside one, to interact in some way or even, to watch as someone else did.  Heck, I’d even settle for opening the bonnet to admire the engine!

(what?)

Just as we’d decided that we’d seen all the cars we wanted to see today, Mary spotted a familiar shape – an Auburn, just like those we’d seen in that beautiful Art Deco showroom a few years back.  Shame about the colour, but hey, it’s still a beautiful car.

We’d really enjoyed our visit to this excellent museum, but after a few hours, we’d realised that we are not quite the petrolheads that much of the museum is aimed at.

Give me a little compartment with a bottle of aspirin and a silver chocolate case every time!

This evening, we headed for Bells, where the evening was just warming up and we were able to snag the last table upstairs.  The food was great and the portions generous.

The beer wasn’t half bad either!

And now we are three

Mary’s delayed flight meant she didn’t arrive till around 9.30pm last night, so plans for a reunion Giordano’s pizza were shelved in favour of breakfast at Tempo instead.

Larger than life, especially for you, Lesley, it was worth waiting for, believe me.

An hour or so later, noting 27224 miles on the clock of our Dodge Grand Caravan, we set off on our road trip proper, heading south out of the city towards Gary, Indiana.  The scenery ranged from a light industrial landscape to steel works after steel works.  Arcelor Mittal appeared to occupy most of the land here in northern Indiana and most of it wasn’t a pretty sight.

At times like this, I look for signs which give some idea of where we are.  On this railway bridge was a big clue.

We were driving along the I20, the very same road we’d driven a couple of years ago, but in the opposite direction.  I well remembered the blog post I wrote at the time, to Chicago via the washing machine because driving on a stretch of the Interstate near Gary was a pretty scary experience.  I was pleased the weather was a little kinder to us today.

As well as driving the car, my Hero always keeps an eye out for his favourite railway landmarks (or perhaps I should refer to them as railroads here?)  Sure enough, he spotted this sign in time for me to snap a picture as we passed by.

For as well as being the steel works centre of North America, this area is a major transport hub too, with railway – sorry, railroad – yards left right and centre.

There were strange vehicles parked in the car park too.

Gary, Indiana hadn’t improved much since were were last here.  Though many of the buildings in the city were of solid construction, they were all but derelict and the whole outlook appeared very bleak.  I didn’t manage to snap the huge mural of the Jacksons, sadly, but pulling up at traffic lights alongside Porky’s Pit gave us time to assess the potential and decide that thankfully, we weren’t hungry right now.

Another bonus for the train fan around here, with a Pullman car on the end of the Amtrak train heading for Chicago.

And shortly afterwards, we were entering the state of Michigan, our destination.  We’d been here before, in that very same blog post in fact, but this time, we’re going to be exploring the “mitten state” more thoroughly over the next couple of weeks.

Soon, we were driving through “Harbor Country” and as if to confirm that, a vehicle towing a huge boat crossed over right in front of us.  Rather than heading for the lakeside, however, we were continuing in an easterly direction right now and spotting a sign for Froehlich’s bakery, closely followed by one for Three Oaks, we realised that we were still retracing our steps from that earlier trip.

Yes.  Of course we drove into Three Oaks and headed for Froehlichs once again.  It was just as good as we remembered!

There were tempting goodies on the shelves, though it wasn’t really the time to be buying such things.

So, we just looked and admired – though actually, I’m none too sure about pickled asparagus!

There was one essential piece of information about Michigan we hadn’t quite grasped yet though, but as my Hero noticed a clock in the store and gave it a bit of thought, it became clear.  Michigan is in a different time zone to Indiana and Illinois.  It was an hour later than we thought!

Taking a last look around this cute little town, we jumped back in the car and began the last part of today’s journey.

It was a more rural route now and within an hour or so we reached the first stop on our route.  Someone began to sing…

A B C D E F G H….I got a girl….

Did you guess?  No, I didn’t know the words either, but m-i-l Bettine does, every one of them!

So here we are for a couple of nights.

We took a quick look around downtown before dinner tonight and found the city to be rather interesting.

Surprisingly quiet though.

Anyway, we enjoyed dinner at Food Dance, sitting under the enormous corn plants.

Had we been staying at the Columbia hotel, paying $1.50, we might have considered a pot of our favourite Jeni’s ice cream, all the way from Columbus Ohio.

But at $11.99 (plus tax) we decided that perhaps for once, we’d resist temptation.  (Note to self: Google Michigan Ice Cream makers)

One thing we are not short of here – breweries!

Liverpool

with a few thousand friends!

thankfully, not all on the same coach as me!

I came well prepared and my hero’s socks grew a few inches along the way.

The fun of being in Liverpool is that there is such a strong sense of place that I never forget where I am, even if some of it – Penny Lane, above – doesn’t look quite how I think it should!

But reminders are never far away anyway.

I was staying down by the waterfront, meeting friends for dinner at London Carriage Works, which was a great choice!

My travelling companion Ellen and I were ready to go the next morning, with all papers in order.

My goodness, though, it was windy!  Somehow, though, we stayed dry and didn’t blow away on the short walk over to the arena.

We had great seats and Jerusalem was as moving as it always is, when thousands of women sing.  You’ve just got to be there to share the experience – there is nothing quite like it.

The day was filled with interesting speakers, including Josephine Fairley, of Green and Blacks chocolate, above.

Susie Dent, the lexicographer and etymologist spoke in the afternoon, raising a few smiles with her amusing malaphors (it’s not rocket surgery) and eggcorns, producing a spectacular example of jargon that I’m sure is pretty commonplace in the kinds of places I work from time to time:

(she told us it described a go-karting activity)

But as always, the real stars were the members.  I was going to include the adjective “ordinary”, but really, there is no such thing as an ordinary WI member.  Every one of us brings her own set of unique skills and experience with her and rising to the challenge is all part of the fun.  I know from experience how much confidence it takes to speak to an audience of several thousand people and I always admire those who do.

As usual, there were two resolutions to discuss and both prompted some interesting contributions from the floor.  The first focused on working to alleviate loneliness and I enjoyed hearing both the proposer and seconder’s address, for they spoke with the familiar East Riding accent, pronouncing “lernliness” exactly as I’d say it myself!  They put forward their points well, the audience responded with supportive discussion and the resolution was carried. 

The afternoon resolution on Microfibres in our oceans proposed by a member from Buckinghamshire provoked a particularly enthusiastic responses though, mainly as a result of Natalie Welden’s passionate address about this subject of huge concern.  Not only was this something which was dear to many hearts, it was something on which every one of us could take action and for once, the WI was ahead of the game.  Here was a campaign everyone felt they could get behind 100% and when another “ordinary” WI member stepped up to make a comment, describing herself as an oceanographer, later revealing her international standing and wide experience, it was clear, we had the benefit of first class opinion.  No surprise then, that the resolution was carried with more than 90% support.  Watch out then, for mentions of “plastic soup” and microfibres in the coming weeks.

Extraordinary women making a difference!

As the meeting was drawing to a close and we began looking out that helpful phonetic translation of the Welsh National Anthem, ready to attempt to join in the traditional finale to our meetings, the Retros came on stage and the party began.  The Hippy Hippy Shake and All you need is Love hit the spot – what a great way to end a fantastic day in Liverpool and to warm the vocal chords up for the grand finale of Jerusalem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and last of all, the National Anthem.

The conversation on the coach home was rather different from yesterday.  After a day of such thought-provoking discussion we had plenty to think – and talk – about.  It’s such a privilege to spend a day in the company of so many inspiring women and I’m already looking forward to seeing them all again in Cardiff next year!

Around here

The rose petals are drying nicely and have kept their colour.  Of course, now I’m worrying about the possibility of fine clothes being stained by any dampness in the air and deep hued rose petals!  The airing cupboard has never been so sweetly scented.

In the meantime, I’m building up to our next road trip adventure with the usual journal prep.  I’ve been mooching about various websites, in search of paper for the pages but felt thwarted by an abundance of “cute” designs.  It’s not that I an anti-cute, but I was hoping for something with a little less personality than most and hopefully in a more sophisticated palette than primary colours.

I found the answer in my stash.

This morning, I’d decided to go with the “use what you have” concept and began to cut pages from a pile of paper leftover from other projects.  Deep into the pile, I was beginning to get picky.  Did I really want one pink page, a green patterned one, a black and white checked page followed by a turquoise blue stripe?  Not really.  But lo and behold, there, lurking at the bottom of the heap was a full set of 6 x 12 sheets left from a previous travel journal (this one)

Considering the itinerary of that road trip in the Pacific North West (a couple of cities, a bit of coast and some woodsy countryside) I could see why I’d chosen that design and colour palette.  This trip will be pretty similar – we are not headed for canyons or desert this time round, but to the state with the second longest coastline in the USA – 3288 miles.  We’re looking forward to exploring a couple of cities we’ve had on our list for a while and revisiting an all-time favourite, spending time with friends and, a first for us, experiencing lakeside life.

This year, we’re going to explore Michigan, driving a round trip from Chicago!

Having cut a good number of pages (which, together with some plain white sheets will be plenty), I needed to make the covers.  In my trawl through the paper pile, I came across a sheet of paper I’d created on some workshop or other which I thought would do nicely.

Ready to go.

But a girl’s got to do something whilst the paint dries, don’t you think?  A couple of my textiley friends have been pinning links to their pinterest pages that sent me looking for my Weavette.  I hadn’t opened that box in ages (or the other two, different sized looms!)

In less than fifteen minutes I was remembering just why I loved it from the minute I started.

Half an hour later, I just had to go and get on with things!  It’s so easy to get carried away with something like this.  It’s therapeutic in that mindless way, satisfying because it works so well and it’s so easy to achieve a great result from the off.

Surely, there must be a couple more projects I can get going in the meantime!?