Roger's Alaska Adventure: June 30, 2010

Left Monroe, MI this morning around 8:00 and rode north on I-75 and US24 to Dearborn, MI and the Henry Ford Museum. If you haven't been, this is one of those bucket-list must-sees. Got to go on the tour of the Truck (F-150) Assembly plant at River Rouge and that was Really interesting. There was also a very informative film on the history of the River Rouge plant, dating from 1917. This plant was originally 100% vertically integrated from the manufacture of the steel used to make the Model T to the manufacture of all the parts to the final assembly. It was also one of the birthplaces of the American labor movement (remember them?)

Next went to the Henry Ford Museum and this is really a place you could spend days wandering around in. Cars, farm equipment, trucks, railroad locomotives, airplanes...you name it. Very lavishly presented. The last stop was Ford's Greenfield Village. This is where Henry himself "rescued" parts of Americana, restored them, and transplanted them for the public to enjoy. Sort of like a big version of Colonial Williamsburg. Ran out of time, but again, a place where you could spend days seeing everything there was to see.

Left Dearborn around 2:00 and rode west on US12 through southern Michigan farm country. Rolling terrain and very scenic. Picked up I-69 South at Coldwater, MI and rode down to Auburn, MI to see the Auburn-Cord-Dusenberg Museum tomorrow.

Miles: 181 today, 510 total.

Entrance to the Assembly Plant Tour