Henry Ford and beyond

Stayed at Dearborn last night which is on outskirts of Detroit. This was with the intention of visiting the Henry Ford Museum today which I did.

Was at the museum as it opened at 9.30am and I can tell you this place is worth every penny of the entrance fee. Old Henry collected just about everything and anything and it now stored into a HUGE building which is even larger that aircraft hangers. It is a beautiful building and is looked after to the n'th degree. Included are hundreds of cars tracing the history of the car in the states, about 30 railroad engines, pro bally 20 aircraft, some free standing and some suspended from the roof. The place is (as the yanks would say) AWESOME.

Henry Ford also collected buildings with a historic interest and had them shipped to Dearborn and re-built in a village setting. These buildings include old farmsteads, slave houses and Thomas Edisons home and workshops. All the staff dress in period costume and work the fields by hand. You can travel around the village by horse drawn wagon, model T ford cars or steam railway (and I'm talking full size railroad here, not narrow guage). Think Cregneish and multiply the size by about 50. There are upwards of 100 building in this place. It would be similar to the Black Country Museum in the West Midlands or the Beamish Museum near Newcastle BUT BIGGER. Added to the weather is better, high 70's today.

Anyhow after spending 6 hours at the museum' I got back onto a very hot bike and sweated my way up the interstate to the Basspro huntin' and fishin' shop to buy my tent and sleeping bag.

This is another shop you would not believe, it is massive with a lake inside with ducks on the water and trout and pike in the water. The gun dept is something else. Hundreds and hundreds of handguns and rifles. Was talking to the staff and he was letting me handle anything I wanted. Could you imagine this on our side of the pond!!!!

Managed to get a 3 man tent, sleeping bag and sleep mat and pillow for $140.00 or about 80 pounds so that was not too bad eh.

Have just got to learn how to put it all up now which should be fun.

Am about to go out of telephone contact now as coverage runs out at the Michigan?Canadian border and does not come back into range till Spokane which is close to Seattle so cannot phone for about 9 days, what will I do??????