Friends are like frosting on a cupcake {reflections on a trip out of town}

Where has the time gone?  What little blogging I ever did before has all but come to a stop with summer in full swing.  Absolutely no tv and plenty of time outside, the pool, the beach….  and now finally the weather has cooled off and we’re getting a break in the low 80’s!

Recently my husband Randy and I had the chance to do something we haven’t done in so long – I know exactly how long and that’s sad.  But we got on a plane, just the two of us, and had one of the best weekends ever in Michigan.  Our agenda?  To visit some wonderful life-long family friends and attend the wedding of one of Randy’s old Naval Academy room mates.

Madeline has invited us so many times to Dearborn over the years and I can’t believe we were finally able to visit her home.  My Grandmother and Madeline’s mother were best friends so many years ago.  And Madeline’s Dad was a grandfather to me – so you can imagine how special it was for me to actually get the chance to visit! They took us to one of their favorite neighborhood middle eastern restaurants and introduced us to some yummy new dishes.  After that, Randy and had Lebanese food for the next two days straight – once we got back, we had to head to the Lebanese Taverna straight from the airport. 🙂

Madeline has raved about Greenfield Village and I can see why.  As described in the brochure I picked up, “step through the Greenfield Village’s gate, and it’s like being whisked back in time”…. you know that is right up my alley!

The sprawling 81 acre park, opened in 1929,  is filled with Americana from the last 300 years. Now that’s a lot to pack in – in one day!   Needless to say, we didn’t see it all!   What are some of the sights you’ll see and places you can discover (many famous houses and structures have been moved here)?   You can learn about the famous American industrialist, Henry Ford.  See the workspaces where the incandescent light bulb was developed by Thomas Edison.   Step inside the Wright family home where the famous brothers designed their airplane.  See Robert Frost’s home as well as Noah Webster’s home where he completed the American Dictionary.  Not just homes, but structures from covered bridges to sawmills have been moved to this incredible “open-air museum”.

Plenty of antique cars to see….and ready for a ride.  Here we are in a Model T!

Sir John Bennett was a clock, watch, and jewelry maker from England. The figures seen here, Gog and Mogog, were giants that by English legend protected the British Isles.  Henry Ford had the 5-story structure trimmed down to a 2-story building.  The clock and parts of the structure are original, but the interior an remainder of the building were built on site.

Cotswold Cottage, from approximately 1620.  This limestone cottage was moved from Chedworth in southwestern England.   Isn’t this sweet – a couple of birds make the jutting stones their porches.

This pie safe – an aqua one at that! – caught my eye inside the train station…

We really had the best time with our friends, Madeline and Frank. Two incredibly thoughtful, insightful, and inspirational people.  I can only hope I’ll be able to enjoy a carousel ride when I’m 90 too. 🙂

All that stepping back in time made us want to discover more.  So the next day we hit the Henry Ford Museum.  We heard it was another must-see.  This was another massive (12-acres under one roof) museum, dedicated to American history.    Of course there were plenty of cars to see – such as this exhibit, “Driving America”, with old neon signs from McDonald’s and Holiday Inn, the actual 1946 Lamy’s diner (yes, you can eat inside it!), and a fleet of presidential limos.

A great visual illustrating how a Model T was constructed.

1959 Volkswagen Westfalia camper

VW vans have a special place in my heart – an orange and tan VW was our childhood van from the late 70’s to the 80’s.  Our van went from its first home in San Pedro, CA, to Guam, to Germany….and so many family trips throughout Europe…finally to back to the U.S. and its last home in Virginia.

Yes, it’s the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile!

 President John F. Kennedy’s limousine

My favorite exhibit was the heart-wrenching but fascinating Titanic Artifact Exhibit.  Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy, this exhibit features 300 actual pieces from the Titanic.  We had our pictures taken on the true-to-life replica Grand Staircase, and touched actual ice of a recreated iceberg.  All of these things helped put you in to the frame of mind of what it may have been like to be a passenger on the maiden voyage.  Especially the tickets.

Upon entering the exhibit, you are given a boarding pass with the name of an actual passenger on the Titanic.  You learn their age, where they were from, and additional  information about them.  You now feel a personal connection – and feel a bit anxious to learn their fate that is posted on the wall at the end of the exhibit.  I have been drawn to Titanic history for some time, even more so after this exhibit and quickly purchased, Titanic, First Accounts by Tim Malten.  I couldn’t put the book down.  If you would like to learn more about the passengers on the Titanic, Encyclopedia Titanic has individual biographies of the passengers that can be found here.

Then, above the clamor of people asking questions of each other, there came the terrible cry: “Lower the boats. Women and children first!” Someone was shouting those last four words over and over again: “Women and children first! Women and children first!” They struck utter terror into my heart, and now they will ring in my cars until I die. They meant my own safety; but they also meant the greatest loss I have ever suffered — the life of my husband.

-A quote from Charlotte Collyer in an excerpt from Voices from the Titanic: The Epic Story of the Tragedy from the People Who Were There

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On a much lighter note, now back to food.  A few things that really stand out about our trip were being united with good friends, the amazing walks through history, and the food.  We were in search of good hummus and baba ganoush when the restaurant, LaPita caught our eye.  We got so lucky – boy was it ever good.  If we lived in Dearborn, we would find a way to eat here every single week!   Just check out the menu and you’ll see – and imagine all of that served with doughy pita rounds, hot from the stone hearth.  And just around the corner we stumbled upon Iverson’s Bakery … and you know I just have to taste test a local bakery when I find one.   I walked out with my usual suspect, a brownie, but also tried one of these…..  a Bumpy.  Ever heard of those?  I haven’t…. must be a Michigan thing.

With all that eating, it’s no surprise that the dress I brought for the wedding wasn’t fitting so well anymore!  🙁  Here’s a quick cell phone shot of Randy and I before the wedding.  It was really great to be able to attend the wedding of Randy’s old friend.  What a beautiful wedding it was.

Congratulations, John and Aida!

Thank you for joining me on this scrapbook-style blog post.  If I don’t capture these memories here, the details just might be forgotten. Well, maybe not.  These memories will be cherished for a very long time.

– Cindy