Hey everyone! The drive to Minneapolis really was not too bad. It’s about a 7 hour drive from Chicago to Minneapolis. Ryan and I woke up at 8:30 am and loaded up the car. We then had breakfast and said goodbye to Nancy. She told us that we should go visit the Bahai Temple on our way out of Chicago. So we did just that. The Bahai Temple is a place of worship for any kind of religion and it’s a beautiful dome Temple right on Lake Michigan several miles north of downtown Chicago. So we stopped and took pictures and then headed on our way through Wisconsin to Minnesota. There isn’t much to see in Wisconsin except lots of cows and some bluffs every once in a while. I am pretty sure that not only is Wisconsin the Cheese capital of the US, it is also the capital of indoor water parks. I am pretty sure that Ryan and I saw like 10 on the way here. Also, just to give everyone an idea of the scenery in Wisconsin, it’s like driving through Lancaster County but for 5 hours. Honestly though, it was a pretty relaxing trip.
There really isn’t too much more to say about the day, it was pretty uneventful. Ryan and I are officially on the west side of the Mississippi River. We passed over that just before we hit St. Paul, MN. Ryan and I are staying at a hotel about 4 miles away from the Mall of America. We are planning on going there tomorrow, riding the roller coasters, getting a haircut, buying some bad souvenirs and having dinner. An old high school friend of mine Lindsey is flying into Minneapolis tomorrow night to visit family (last minute) so hopefully we can meet up with her for dinner or something. Tonight, Ryan and I ate at Chilis cuz it was close to the hotel and we felt like something simple. Hopefully we can try a local place tomorrow for breakfast or lunch. There are two places in my Diners Drive In’s and Dives book. Well hope all is well back in good ole Philadelphia, PA. Goodnight!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Day 8 - Chicago Part 3
Hey everyone! Today was our third and final day in Chicago and it was by far the best day. Ryan and I woke up at 8:30am, had breakfast at John and Nancy’s, and headed downtown for our Segway tour. Nancy told us that doing a Segway tour is one of the coolest things you can do anywhere, so we had to try it out for ourselves. Ryan and I had to take the blue line downtown to Millennium Park for the start of our tour. There we were fitted for helmets and signed a waiver (I guess in case we got hurt). Our two tour guides Jarret and Helen showed us how to turn the Segway’s on and how to keep your balance on them. All of the older people in the group were freaking out about having to ride them and stuff. Ryan and I were naturals, me more so than him because of all the skiing that I do. Really riding a Segway is actually a lot like skiing, you just have to keep your balance and shift your weight in the direction that you want to go in.
So riding the Segways down Lakeshore drive and to Buckingham Fountain, by the Field Museum, and to 12th street beach was one of the coolest things we have done on this trip. It’s really funny, when you ride on a Segway you either get people who are angry that you are passing them at 12 mph or they all are like, “dude that thing is sweet lets go ride one”. Ryan was the first person in the group to wipe out on the Segway. He got his tires all tangled up in the sand on one of the paths and fell off. It was very funny to say the least. Wish I had gotten a picture of it or even a video (check out the uploaded video of Ryan riding on the Segway). At the end of the tour we were able to do some off roading on the Segways which was pretty fun. Another guy in the group thought he was hot shit and went really fast through this grassy patch and literally flew off his Segway. He was trying to be cool about it all but you could tell he was in pain. Apparently you can do Segways tours in other cities like San Francisco, Miami, Washington DC and New York. I think Ryan and I might try doing it again in San Francisco if the price is right. Speaking of that, we were able to get a student discount again and did the 3 hour Segway tour for 40 bucks per person. If anyone is in Chicago this is a must do, along with the Sears tower, City Bus Tour, and Lock Tour!!
So after our very eventful Segway tour Ryan and I headed over to the Taste of Chicago again to grab lunch. We figured it would be less crowded on a Monday afternoon than on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Ryan and I had some authentic Italian sausage sandwiches, Somea (fried shell with potatoes, peas, carrots and spices in a tangy sweet sauce), and fried cheese ravioli. All were very tasty and I could have literally spent all day there just trying all the foods. Even with the crowds the Taste of Chicago is a must do if you are there in the end of June.
From the Taste of Chicago Ryan and I headed over to the Sears tower, again hoping to go to the top before we left Chicago. Luckily we were able to and the view from the top was spectacular. Since it was a pretty clear day we could see straight to the other side of Lake Michigan. Check out all of the pictures we took of the view. They are all labeled based on the direction we were looking in. While there Ryan and I bought some cool Chicago tee shirts. I also asked one of the employees how often the Sears Tower closes due to wind and the women said maybe 3-4 times a year. Basically, Ryan and I hit the jackpot the day before. So a quick nugget of information about the Sears Tower, construction started in 1970, it was completed in 1973 and it is currently the largest building the eastern hemisphere (5th largest in the world). The view from the top was way COOL!
After Ryan and I were done at the Sears Tower (soon to be known as the Willis Tower), we headed back to Nancy and John’s place in bucktown for dinner. From there we headed uptown to have dinner at Pizzeria Uno. When we got there it was way crowded, so we went down the street and ate outside at Pizzeria Due. Pizzeria Duo is owned by the same family so it was pretty much the same thing. Ryan and I both got deep dish pizza (4 Cheese and Pepperoni). It was quite frankly the best deep dish I ever had. The crust was thick and tasty and everything basically melted in my mouth. Now, while at dinner we started talking to this table next to us. It was a family of four from southern Missouri and they had no idea what to do in Chicago. They didn’t even know where Millennium Park was or that the concierge at the hotel could help you locate things. They were like deer in headlights and even asked us if Duo Pizza would be better than Pizza Hut. We all said in a chorus “HELL YEAH!!”. After dinner we all headed back to the house. Ryan and I did some laundry and took advantage of being able to do that in a place that we knew wasn’t skeezy. Tomorrow we are headed to Minneapolis, MN to see the Mall of America. Hopefully the drive isn’t too boring!
So riding the Segways down Lakeshore drive and to Buckingham Fountain, by the Field Museum, and to 12th street beach was one of the coolest things we have done on this trip. It’s really funny, when you ride on a Segway you either get people who are angry that you are passing them at 12 mph or they all are like, “dude that thing is sweet lets go ride one”. Ryan was the first person in the group to wipe out on the Segway. He got his tires all tangled up in the sand on one of the paths and fell off. It was very funny to say the least. Wish I had gotten a picture of it or even a video (check out the uploaded video of Ryan riding on the Segway). At the end of the tour we were able to do some off roading on the Segways which was pretty fun. Another guy in the group thought he was hot shit and went really fast through this grassy patch and literally flew off his Segway. He was trying to be cool about it all but you could tell he was in pain. Apparently you can do Segways tours in other cities like San Francisco, Miami, Washington DC and New York. I think Ryan and I might try doing it again in San Francisco if the price is right. Speaking of that, we were able to get a student discount again and did the 3 hour Segway tour for 40 bucks per person. If anyone is in Chicago this is a must do, along with the Sears tower, City Bus Tour, and Lock Tour!!
So after our very eventful Segway tour Ryan and I headed over to the Taste of Chicago again to grab lunch. We figured it would be less crowded on a Monday afternoon than on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Ryan and I had some authentic Italian sausage sandwiches, Somea (fried shell with potatoes, peas, carrots and spices in a tangy sweet sauce), and fried cheese ravioli. All were very tasty and I could have literally spent all day there just trying all the foods. Even with the crowds the Taste of Chicago is a must do if you are there in the end of June.
From the Taste of Chicago Ryan and I headed over to the Sears tower, again hoping to go to the top before we left Chicago. Luckily we were able to and the view from the top was spectacular. Since it was a pretty clear day we could see straight to the other side of Lake Michigan. Check out all of the pictures we took of the view. They are all labeled based on the direction we were looking in. While there Ryan and I bought some cool Chicago tee shirts. I also asked one of the employees how often the Sears Tower closes due to wind and the women said maybe 3-4 times a year. Basically, Ryan and I hit the jackpot the day before. So a quick nugget of information about the Sears Tower, construction started in 1970, it was completed in 1973 and it is currently the largest building the eastern hemisphere (5th largest in the world). The view from the top was way COOL!
After Ryan and I were done at the Sears Tower (soon to be known as the Willis Tower), we headed back to Nancy and John’s place in bucktown for dinner. From there we headed uptown to have dinner at Pizzeria Uno. When we got there it was way crowded, so we went down the street and ate outside at Pizzeria Due. Pizzeria Duo is owned by the same family so it was pretty much the same thing. Ryan and I both got deep dish pizza (4 Cheese and Pepperoni). It was quite frankly the best deep dish I ever had. The crust was thick and tasty and everything basically melted in my mouth. Now, while at dinner we started talking to this table next to us. It was a family of four from southern Missouri and they had no idea what to do in Chicago. They didn’t even know where Millennium Park was or that the concierge at the hotel could help you locate things. They were like deer in headlights and even asked us if Duo Pizza would be better than Pizza Hut. We all said in a chorus “HELL YEAH!!”. After dinner we all headed back to the house. Ryan and I did some laundry and took advantage of being able to do that in a place that we knew wasn’t skeezy. Tomorrow we are headed to Minneapolis, MN to see the Mall of America. Hopefully the drive isn’t too boring!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Day 7 - Chicago Part 2
Hey all!!! Well today was sort of a wash out. Ryan and I both woke up really late cuz we have been on the go ever since we left on Monday. We decided to take the car over to the local pepboys and get a much needed oil change. We then headed over to the local Target while the car was worked on. At Target I bought some beer which is a novelty because we cant do that in PA. On top of that we got a 10% discount on it because Ryan works at Target. It was pretty sweet!!
After the car was finished we came back to Nancy's house and decided to head into town to go to the top of the Sears Tower. Before we did that however, we stopped off for lunch at a local placed called Northside Cafe. Ryan and I sat outside people watching and had a pretty good lunch. At lunch tho, it was so windy that some of the patio umbrellas came crashing down. There was such a big gust of wind that a full class of water went flying all over this poor girl. I felt bad.
So after lunch we jumped on the subway and went to the Sears Tower. Upon getting there we were informed that it was too windy and the Skydeck was closed. Ryan and I were really distraught and just decided to go back to Nancy's and relax on their patio. But not gonna lie, there is never a dull thing that happens on this trip. On the way home from the Sears Tower, Ryan and I found a laptop just sitting on the side of the road. We decided to pick it up and take it home. Upon further analysis the laptop worked and belonged to this guy Erich who lives in Chicago. We are currently trying to get a hold of the guy via email to return his computer to him.
So pretty much for the rest of the day we just chilled on Nancy's patio and enjoyed the beautiful sunny 83 degree with 30% humidity weather. At around 6pm we had some delicious hamburgers with baked beans and corn on the cob. Even thought we didn't do anything too exciting today, it was still a lot of fun to just relax and do nothing in the windy city. Check back tomorrow to find out about our segway tour and hopefully the view from the Sears Tower. Peace!!
After the car was finished we came back to Nancy's house and decided to head into town to go to the top of the Sears Tower. Before we did that however, we stopped off for lunch at a local placed called Northside Cafe. Ryan and I sat outside people watching and had a pretty good lunch. At lunch tho, it was so windy that some of the patio umbrellas came crashing down. There was such a big gust of wind that a full class of water went flying all over this poor girl. I felt bad.
So after lunch we jumped on the subway and went to the Sears Tower. Upon getting there we were informed that it was too windy and the Skydeck was closed. Ryan and I were really distraught and just decided to go back to Nancy's and relax on their patio. But not gonna lie, there is never a dull thing that happens on this trip. On the way home from the Sears Tower, Ryan and I found a laptop just sitting on the side of the road. We decided to pick it up and take it home. Upon further analysis the laptop worked and belonged to this guy Erich who lives in Chicago. We are currently trying to get a hold of the guy via email to return his computer to him.
So pretty much for the rest of the day we just chilled on Nancy's patio and enjoyed the beautiful sunny 83 degree with 30% humidity weather. At around 6pm we had some delicious hamburgers with baked beans and corn on the cob. Even thought we didn't do anything too exciting today, it was still a lot of fun to just relax and do nothing in the windy city. Check back tomorrow to find out about our segway tour and hopefully the view from the Sears Tower. Peace!!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day 6 - Chicago Part 1
Hey everyone!! So we made it safely to Chicago late last night at like 11:30 pm central time. This was my first experience ever with driving through a different timezone. Very cool to gain an hour while driving. In Chicago we are staying with a family friend and they are just the nicest people ever. We pretty much have a bachelor pad in the basement that we are hanging out in for the next few days.
So this morning I woke up and went to the gym with Nancy and John. Ran about 2.5 miles on the treadmill and did some free weights. I let Ryan sleep in today cuz he was pretty tired from yesterdays activities. So when we got back from the gym we showered and got ready for our trip into Chicago. Nancy and John told us to try a local placed called Potbellies. It is a local sub shop that originated in Chicago. Ryan got the ham sub and I got an Italian. Boy were the sandwiches good. They tasted kinda like Quiznos but better. We also got 1 black and white milk shake which was out of this world. We were fighting over it so we decided to get a second. Yum!!!!!
From there Ryan and I bought a 3 day transit pass and headed downtown. Our 1st stop was the Chicago Lock and Architecture tour. We got a little detoured on our way there and missed the 2:15 tour by like 3 minutes. So I stood in the express computer line to try and get tickets for the next tour. Unfortunately, the 3pm cruise was sold out so Ryan and I decided to take the 4:30. However, the strangest thing happened when I got the tickets from the express line. The tickets came out of the machine without me even having to put in any money or slide my credit card through. Upon further investigation, the tickets said the purchase was made from an Amex card. And I don't have an Amex card. Turns out the guy before me slide his credit card through but never bought any tickets. When I went to get mine it thought I was the other guy and charged the tickets to his account. Long story short, we ended up with a free boat cruise and I felt really bad for this guy. It was an honest mistake and I didn't know what the hell was going on. Ryan and I tried to find the guy but couldn't...what can you do?
To kill some time while we were waiting for the lock tour we decided to walk up Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile) and check out the Apple store. Boy was the place crowded!! There had to have been over 100 people in this two leveled store. Crazy! Once we were done in the store we made our way back to the dock and set sail on our lock tour. It was a pretty cool experience to get on the boat, go through the locks, and see the boat rise upward (only 1.5 feet from the Chicago River to lake Michigan, but we could still feel it). We got some really sweet pictures of the Chicago skyline from lake Michigan. I would recommend this tour to anyone who visits Chicago because not only do you go out onto the lake but you also get a full history less on all of the cool buildings in Chicago. Word on the street is that a new building is being built that will be the tallest building in the eastern hemisphere. Also, another little nugget of information: in Chicago Lincolns park has a statue of Grant and in Grant Park there is a statue of Lincoln. When the parks were built the statues were taken to the wrong place and it cost too much money to move them so they just left them. Weird eh...?
So after the boat tour Ryan and I went down to the Taste of Chicago and had a fried Italian steak. It was quite tasty to be really honest. Didn't know what to expect, but it tasted like an awesome chicken parm sandwich. From there we sat in Grant Park (the one I talked about above) and watched the free Counting Crows concert. We couldn't see the stage cuz it was so crowded, but it was just nice to sit and listen to some good music.
Once the concert was over we headed back to our bachelor pad. The walk from the subway to the place we are staying really made me want to move to Chicago. We walked up a street called 'Dameon', which is apparently a very hip part of the city. I would have to agree because there seems to be a happenin bar or club on every corner. We really should have gotten Ryan a fake ID. :) Well its getting late and Ryan and I have a packed day tomorrow. We are headed to the Sears tower and then back to the Taste of Chicago to see the Wallflowers tomorrow night. Check back in for more about those things. Have a good one!
So this morning I woke up and went to the gym with Nancy and John. Ran about 2.5 miles on the treadmill and did some free weights. I let Ryan sleep in today cuz he was pretty tired from yesterdays activities. So when we got back from the gym we showered and got ready for our trip into Chicago. Nancy and John told us to try a local placed called Potbellies. It is a local sub shop that originated in Chicago. Ryan got the ham sub and I got an Italian. Boy were the sandwiches good. They tasted kinda like Quiznos but better. We also got 1 black and white milk shake which was out of this world. We were fighting over it so we decided to get a second. Yum!!!!!
From there Ryan and I bought a 3 day transit pass and headed downtown. Our 1st stop was the Chicago Lock and Architecture tour. We got a little detoured on our way there and missed the 2:15 tour by like 3 minutes. So I stood in the express computer line to try and get tickets for the next tour. Unfortunately, the 3pm cruise was sold out so Ryan and I decided to take the 4:30. However, the strangest thing happened when I got the tickets from the express line. The tickets came out of the machine without me even having to put in any money or slide my credit card through. Upon further investigation, the tickets said the purchase was made from an Amex card. And I don't have an Amex card. Turns out the guy before me slide his credit card through but never bought any tickets. When I went to get mine it thought I was the other guy and charged the tickets to his account. Long story short, we ended up with a free boat cruise and I felt really bad for this guy. It was an honest mistake and I didn't know what the hell was going on. Ryan and I tried to find the guy but couldn't...what can you do?
To kill some time while we were waiting for the lock tour we decided to walk up Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile) and check out the Apple store. Boy was the place crowded!! There had to have been over 100 people in this two leveled store. Crazy! Once we were done in the store we made our way back to the dock and set sail on our lock tour. It was a pretty cool experience to get on the boat, go through the locks, and see the boat rise upward (only 1.5 feet from the Chicago River to lake Michigan, but we could still feel it). We got some really sweet pictures of the Chicago skyline from lake Michigan. I would recommend this tour to anyone who visits Chicago because not only do you go out onto the lake but you also get a full history less on all of the cool buildings in Chicago. Word on the street is that a new building is being built that will be the tallest building in the eastern hemisphere. Also, another little nugget of information: in Chicago Lincolns park has a statue of Grant and in Grant Park there is a statue of Lincoln. When the parks were built the statues were taken to the wrong place and it cost too much money to move them so they just left them. Weird eh...?
So after the boat tour Ryan and I went down to the Taste of Chicago and had a fried Italian steak. It was quite tasty to be really honest. Didn't know what to expect, but it tasted like an awesome chicken parm sandwich. From there we sat in Grant Park (the one I talked about above) and watched the free Counting Crows concert. We couldn't see the stage cuz it was so crowded, but it was just nice to sit and listen to some good music.
Once the concert was over we headed back to our bachelor pad. The walk from the subway to the place we are staying really made me want to move to Chicago. We walked up a street called 'Dameon', which is apparently a very hip part of the city. I would have to agree because there seems to be a happenin bar or club on every corner. We really should have gotten Ryan a fake ID. :) Well its getting late and Ryan and I have a packed day tomorrow. We are headed to the Sears tower and then back to the Taste of Chicago to see the Wallflowers tomorrow night. Check back in for more about those things. Have a good one!
Day 5 - Sandusky (Cedar Point)
Today Ryan and I met with our good friends the Henderson’s (Ashley, Katie, and David) and we spent the entire day at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. We started the day off on the right foot when we overslept our alarm waking up to Ashley knocking on our door. Luckily, since we are boys Ryan and I threw all of our stuff in the suitcase and were good to go in 10 minutes. We really wanted to get to the park by 9am and take advantage of the extra hour that we were given because we stayed at a resort affiliated with Cedar Point. So, we piled everything into the car and set out for the park. Ryan for some odd reason thought that we had to go right to get the park. In reality we just needed to make a left and go 1.5 mile up the road. Not sure why he thought we had to go right, because we ate at Famous Dave’s the night before which is inside the park. Oh and a side note about Famous Dave’s, service sucks, ribs are horrible, and I’d rather go to Smoky Bones anyway.
Anyhow, let’s get back to what we did at Cedar Point. Roller Coasters, roller coasters, and more roller coasters. Ryan and I, along with the Henderson’s managed to go on every single roller coaster at Cedar Point. We did 13 coasters in all and these include Blue Streak (wooden), Raptor (steel), Iron Dragon (steel), Mantis (steel), Millennium Force (steel), Maverick (steel), Mean Streak (wooden), Gemini (wooden), Top Thrill Dragster (steel), Corkscrew (steel), Magnum (steel), Disaster Transport (steel), and Wicked Twister (steel). Some of the other rides that we did were the lazy train (needed a little break from the coasters), space spiral, and the Ferris wheel. Honestly, the scariest part of the day was when all of us were at the top of the Ferris wheel and it was shaking from the wind and passengers at the bottom getting on. Weird, that the Ferris wheel would be the scariest thing we did all day, but it’s no lie.
So the coasters at Cedar Point were pretty freakin’ sweet. My favorite is probably a toss-up between Millennium Force and Magnum but that is because I am pretty partial to the steel coasters that go really high and really fast. However, riding Top Thrill Dragster was quite the experience. This coaster only lasts like 45 seconds but they shoot you up to a speed of like 90mph and you corkscrew to the top and then corkscrew back down to the bottom. For those of you who have been to Six Flags in NJ, it is exactly like Kingda Ka. I was also a big fan of the roller coaster Corkscrew and Maverick mainly because I had never done coasters like them and they deceptively scary. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of Cedar Point because I was afraid to bring my camera and lose it. If you are even remotely a roller coaster fan I would definitely make a special trip out to Sandusky, OH to go to Cedar Point.
After all of the excitement of the day the Henderson’s, Ryan and I all had dinner at the TGI Fridays on the beach. It was a very nice finish to quite a long, but very fun and exciting day. Again, at TGI Friday’s we had bad service, but at least the food was good. Honestly, we have had horrible service and non-friendly servers for the entire trip. Ok, so now Ryan and I are making the drive to Chicago which is about a 5 hour drive from Sandusky. We are going to be there visiting a family friend for the next 3 days. Check back later for fun from the Sears Tower, Lock Tour, and information about the Taste of Chicago. Till then, aurevoir.
Anyhow, let’s get back to what we did at Cedar Point. Roller Coasters, roller coasters, and more roller coasters. Ryan and I, along with the Henderson’s managed to go on every single roller coaster at Cedar Point. We did 13 coasters in all and these include Blue Streak (wooden), Raptor (steel), Iron Dragon (steel), Mantis (steel), Millennium Force (steel), Maverick (steel), Mean Streak (wooden), Gemini (wooden), Top Thrill Dragster (steel), Corkscrew (steel), Magnum (steel), Disaster Transport (steel), and Wicked Twister (steel). Some of the other rides that we did were the lazy train (needed a little break from the coasters), space spiral, and the Ferris wheel. Honestly, the scariest part of the day was when all of us were at the top of the Ferris wheel and it was shaking from the wind and passengers at the bottom getting on. Weird, that the Ferris wheel would be the scariest thing we did all day, but it’s no lie.
So the coasters at Cedar Point were pretty freakin’ sweet. My favorite is probably a toss-up between Millennium Force and Magnum but that is because I am pretty partial to the steel coasters that go really high and really fast. However, riding Top Thrill Dragster was quite the experience. This coaster only lasts like 45 seconds but they shoot you up to a speed of like 90mph and you corkscrew to the top and then corkscrew back down to the bottom. For those of you who have been to Six Flags in NJ, it is exactly like Kingda Ka. I was also a big fan of the roller coaster Corkscrew and Maverick mainly because I had never done coasters like them and they deceptively scary. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of Cedar Point because I was afraid to bring my camera and lose it. If you are even remotely a roller coaster fan I would definitely make a special trip out to Sandusky, OH to go to Cedar Point.
After all of the excitement of the day the Henderson’s, Ryan and I all had dinner at the TGI Fridays on the beach. It was a very nice finish to quite a long, but very fun and exciting day. Again, at TGI Friday’s we had bad service, but at least the food was good. Honestly, we have had horrible service and non-friendly servers for the entire trip. Ok, so now Ryan and I are making the drive to Chicago which is about a 5 hour drive from Sandusky. We are going to be there visiting a family friend for the next 3 days. Check back later for fun from the Sears Tower, Lock Tour, and information about the Taste of Chicago. Till then, aurevoir.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Day 4 - Detroit and Ford Museum
For day 3 of the trip Ryan and I found ourselves in Detroit. Both Ryan and I decided to sleep in till 9am because we were pretty tired from touring and traveling the day before. Since we were in Michigan and we knew that Tim Horton’s was close by, we had to stop there for breakfast. For all of you who don’t know what a Tim Horton’s is it’s kinda like Dunkin Donuts but better. Ryan and I got 20 Tim Bits, which are like munchkins at DD, and they were awesome. From Tim Horton’s we made our way to the Henry Ford Museum. Once we arrived we purchased tickets for the Ford Rouge Plant Tour and Ford Museum. Ryan really wanted to do the factory tour so we opted to do that first. So we made our way to the Rouge Factory Tour and it was probably one of the coolest tours I have ever been on. You actually get to go into the plant and watch the workers assemble Ford F-150’s. It is really impressive to see all of the parts get put into place. As you walk along the tour they explain how each part is put together to make the truck. I think Ryan was in heaven being in this plant and watching the F-150’s get produced. I am pretty sure he is going to move here and interview for a job to move the cars from off the assembly line onto trucks to be shipped all across the world. After we walked along the factory tour (sorry no pictures cuz again, can’t take pictures of anything) we watched a 30 minute movie about the rise of the Ford and evolution of the Automobile. The video really made me feel proud to be an American and now I really understand where we get out American spirit from. In addition, I finally wrapped my head around how one man, Henry Ford, changed a city (Detroit), a nation (the USA), and even the world. Fords model-T and the whole idea of bringing the work to the worker revolutionized how things were mass produced. Ford also introduced the idea of vertical integration. This whole idea was that only raw materials would be brought to the plant and everything would be produced and assembled in one place. Also, found out that during WWII the Ford Rouge plant mass produced jeeps, guns, and airplanes for the troops. This ultimately led to us winning the war!!
Another cool thing about the Ford Rouge plant is that they have the largest green roof in the world (circa the 2004 Guinness book world records). There are many benefits of this green roof which include solar panels to heat water for the plant. There is also the moss that makes up the roof which lasts 65 years and does not need any maintenance. The moss helps to capture rain water for plant and watering use not to mention it keeps the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. WOW!!!
So after the Plant tour Ryan and I went to the actual Ford Museum where they have all sorts of exhibits from railroads, old cars, new cars, civil rights, generation-x, and rock and roll cars. Ryan and I took some pictures with cars from many different Rock and Roll artists including Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, and Otis Reading. Ryan and I also sat on the bus and in the seat that Rosa Parks had her infamous protest. We played with Lincoln Logs in the generation-x exhibit and found that the internet used to come in a box. Haha, see the photo album from today and you will understand. Finally, Ryan and I checked out the cool Alleghany Steam Engine that was in the train exhibit. At this point we were pretty hungry because it was like 2:30, so we went over to the Wiener café and had some hot dogs. We also took some photos with the Wiener mobile. I would definitely recommend going to the Ford Museum and the Rouge Plant tour to anyone. It’s pretty cool even if you’re not a huge car fanatic.
After the Ford Plant we decided to take a little Detour and visit Ashley’s old house in West Bloomfield (Northwest of Detroit and South of Pontiac). We took a few pictures just before a huge rain storm hit. Currently, we are headed back to Sandusky Ohio for some Roller Coaster excitement at Cedar Point tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for a rundown on all of the Coasters at Cedar Point!!!
Another cool thing about the Ford Rouge plant is that they have the largest green roof in the world (circa the 2004 Guinness book world records). There are many benefits of this green roof which include solar panels to heat water for the plant. There is also the moss that makes up the roof which lasts 65 years and does not need any maintenance. The moss helps to capture rain water for plant and watering use not to mention it keeps the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. WOW!!!
So after the Plant tour Ryan and I went to the actual Ford Museum where they have all sorts of exhibits from railroads, old cars, new cars, civil rights, generation-x, and rock and roll cars. Ryan and I took some pictures with cars from many different Rock and Roll artists including Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, and Otis Reading. Ryan and I also sat on the bus and in the seat that Rosa Parks had her infamous protest. We played with Lincoln Logs in the generation-x exhibit and found that the internet used to come in a box. Haha, see the photo album from today and you will understand. Finally, Ryan and I checked out the cool Alleghany Steam Engine that was in the train exhibit. At this point we were pretty hungry because it was like 2:30, so we went over to the Wiener café and had some hot dogs. We also took some photos with the Wiener mobile. I would definitely recommend going to the Ford Museum and the Rouge Plant tour to anyone. It’s pretty cool even if you’re not a huge car fanatic.
After the Ford Plant we decided to take a little Detour and visit Ashley’s old house in West Bloomfield (Northwest of Detroit and South of Pontiac). We took a few pictures just before a huge rain storm hit. Currently, we are headed back to Sandusky Ohio for some Roller Coaster excitement at Cedar Point tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for a rundown on all of the Coasters at Cedar Point!!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Day 3 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Hey! Today Ryan and I got up and checked out of the wonderful Days Inn in Pittsburgh. Really it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't the nicest place either. So we headed on our way to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We arrived there around noon after about a 2 hour drive. We were happy to find out that they offered student discounts for the museum, but were very disappointed that we could not take any photos of any of the exhibits!! This was an absolute bummer because I was going to take photos of the Beatles exhibit for my friend Phoebe and pictures of the Bruce Springsteen exhibit for my dad.
Nonetheless, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a must stop on any cross country road trip. The place was really awesome!!! There are tons of exhibits showcasing albums, concert posters, costumes worn by the artists themselves, old guitars, and my favorite old pieces of paper with lyrics. All of the early rock and roll legends like the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Nate King Cole, The Temptations, Buddy Holly, and more can be found here. I was very impressed with the "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land" Bruce Springsteen exhibit. They had recordings from Springsteen's first ever studio audition, posters and recordings from Springsteen's 1st band (age 14) and everything in between all the way up to the Seager Sessions tour. I watched a video from Springsteen playing Rosalita at a venue in NJ from before I was even born. Also, I loved reading all of the lyrics from his songs that were written on pages from a notebook. Glory Days, 10th Avenue Freezeout, Rosalita, I'm Going Down were just a few that were featured. Dad, if your reading this, we purchased you a cool tee shirt and a booklet with all of the exhibits. Since we could not take photos we figured this would make up for it.
The last really cool exhibit at the RRHOF is the video that compiles all of the bands and artists inducted into the hall of fame. Its a 1 and a half hour video, but well worth the time. Ryan and I were singing along and enjoyed every minute of it. The video made me realize that my Ipod needs to be revamped and I need to download more of the HOF artists. I'm definitely gonna be doing that once we get some free time.
After the hall of fame we made the 3 plus hour drive to Detroit, MI. Tomorrow we are headed on a Ford Rouge Factor Tour and visiting the Ford Museum. Very tired now, so going to bed. Till tomorrow....
Nonetheless, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a must stop on any cross country road trip. The place was really awesome!!! There are tons of exhibits showcasing albums, concert posters, costumes worn by the artists themselves, old guitars, and my favorite old pieces of paper with lyrics. All of the early rock and roll legends like the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Nate King Cole, The Temptations, Buddy Holly, and more can be found here. I was very impressed with the "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land" Bruce Springsteen exhibit. They had recordings from Springsteen's first ever studio audition, posters and recordings from Springsteen's 1st band (age 14) and everything in between all the way up to the Seager Sessions tour. I watched a video from Springsteen playing Rosalita at a venue in NJ from before I was even born. Also, I loved reading all of the lyrics from his songs that were written on pages from a notebook. Glory Days, 10th Avenue Freezeout, Rosalita, I'm Going Down were just a few that were featured. Dad, if your reading this, we purchased you a cool tee shirt and a booklet with all of the exhibits. Since we could not take photos we figured this would make up for it.
The last really cool exhibit at the RRHOF is the video that compiles all of the bands and artists inducted into the hall of fame. Its a 1 and a half hour video, but well worth the time. Ryan and I were singing along and enjoyed every minute of it. The video made me realize that my Ipod needs to be revamped and I need to download more of the HOF artists. I'm definitely gonna be doing that once we get some free time.
After the hall of fame we made the 3 plus hour drive to Detroit, MI. Tomorrow we are headed on a Ford Rouge Factor Tour and visiting the Ford Museum. Very tired now, so going to bed. Till tomorrow....
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