Soundtrack for Trip #11: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky

Did you know that Cleveland, Ohio is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Or did you know that Motown is slang for the Motor City also known as Detroit? Kentucky is home to bluegrass music, and Gary, Indiana was the birthplace of the Jackson 5. There are so many musical connections and it was fun and creative putting this eclectic mix together trying to find songs to tie in to not only to the musical history, … [Read more...]

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory (Louisville)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

Wow, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory was beyond fantastic and best of all it's a real factory turning out an all-American product. Did you know that most big league ball players have their own bats made to their specifications? We found that out and so much more.  We spent some time in the exhibit area while waiting for our tour to start, reading about interesting facts about the Louisville slugger bats … [Read more...]

The Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

The Henry Ford Museum is an enormous museum which covers the history of transportation and car culture. Inside we traced the evolution of the automobile and saw some of Henry Ford’s earliest attempts at the motorcar.  It was crazy to look at these amazing contraptions and realize these were the visionary inventions that led to the cars we drive today. Looking at the "Quadricycle" the kids and I discussed what … [Read more...]

The Wright Cycle Company Complex (Dayton)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

If you are like me, the only place you would  associate with the Wright Brothers is Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. I had no idea, until I did my research, that the Wright brothers were from Dayton, Ohio, and that they actually started in the bicycle business, and through experimentation, developed their ideas and prototypes for the first airplane. At the Wright Cycle Company Complex we took a tour of the Wright … [Read more...]

Toledo Museum of Art-Glass Pavillion (Toledo)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

Toledo is famous for glass production and The Toledo Museum of Art-Glass Pavillion showcases some of the most beautiful glass artifacts and sculptures from ancient times to the present.   Everyone really enjoyed the opulent displays.  The cut crystal was amazing, but everyone's favorites were the awesome modern art glass sculptures.  I just love art glass, it's such an interesting artistic medium.  It's so fluid … [Read more...]

Inland Seas Maritime Museum (Vermillion)

Inland Seas Maritime Museum (Vermillion)

The Inland Seas Maritime Museum in the adorable little town of Vermillion on the banks of Lake Erie was an unexpected gem. We had a great time here learning all about the shipping industry on the great lakes and maritime history in the area. Some of the more memorable things to do here were tying knots and creating signals with flags spelling out our names. We learned all about the equipment that's kept on board, how … [Read more...]

The View From The Road: Detroit, Down but Not Out and Worth a Visit

Detroit

2nd in a series It’s no secret that Detroit has been hit by some hard times as of late, even so far as debating whether to sell off the city’s prized pieces of artwork at the Museum in order to avert bankruptcy. Huge layoffs and plant closures coupled with a sagging economy have left many in the Motor City barely hanging on. As we drove through the city on our annual road trip, we came face to face with … [Read more...]

Itinerary #11: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

I think folks assume Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky are just full of bland, blue collar working-class towns, and might not necessarily plan a road trip here, but let me tell you, they are very exciting places to visit chock full of really fun and interesting things to explore and do. Yvonne, Jacob and Abigail were along for the ride once again and could not wait to explore as we hit the road. Our theme for … [Read more...]