Cutest and I love to travel. (Well, Cutest reminds me she loves to fly, boat, or train. Cars not so much.) So in mid-summer, not having been on the road for more than three hours or in the air since March, we (that’s royal; it was me) hatched a road trip.
Tuesday morning through dense fog at the proverbial crack of dawn (7:30 a.m.), we sped off to Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University and 48,500 students, only 465 miles down the road. Cutest’s granddaughter is in her sophomore year there, so why not stop, say hello and take her to dinner. Actually, this was the impetus for the entire trip.
In Bloomington our pit stop was the Showers Inn, a 100-year-old plus home, now a B & B, just blocks off campus. Light oak and dark walnut made up the interior trim. Out back a manicured courtyard with a bubbling fountain begged visitors to come and smell the still-blooming roses. A highly over-stuffed, but real, cat contemplated each visitor briefly before returning to its nap.
At sunrise (?), darling granddaughter joined us for the inn’s chef-prepared breakfast. Sitting at the claw-footed breakfast table with golden sun rays filtering through the lace curtains, it was difficult to leave. But on we went after being treated to a tour of the campus.
Next stop, Dearborn, Michigan, just west of Detroit. Here the amazing Henry Ford Museum has set on green acreage since 1933. Within the monstrous custom-built structure sits the results of Ford’s command to seek, find and bring here, complete steam locomotives, replicas and actual history making airplanes, manufacturing equipment used in the early 1900s, the Kennedy assassination limo, and much, much more.
Outside, spread out over ten acres are shops, art glass museums, the Wright Brothers bicycle/airplane building, Henry Ford’s childhood home, and on and on. Cutest was stunned, figuring we were just going to a car museum, tops on her list of course. She was surprised and amazed.
To recharge from a hard day at the museum, (I know, somebody has to do it) Cutest and I found liquid refreshments and low-calorie food at, what else, a restaurant named Ford, on the strip in Dearborne. With a Model A hanging over the bar, gas pump handles as door handles and hose clamps as napkin rings, what better place to continue the Ford theme. We sampled Detroit barbecue, and it was a surprisingly good runner up to KC’s best. Also really loved Detroit style pizza (it's all in the square crust).
That night we slept well, dreaming of what was to come the next day, Niagara Falls. For that part of our time on the road and water, you will need to return to our blog in just a few days. Hopefully. Don’t miss it.
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