1949 Volkswagen Type I Sedan, soon to be known as The Beetle
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Henry Ford Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
While in Detroit, I checked out the Henry Ford Museum. First off, let me tell you, this place is huge and the collection is extensive. I doubt anyone could see everything here in a single day. It is one impressive collection.
Henry Ford’s first car: The Quadricycle, built in 1896.
Ford’s 1932 V-8 engine takes center stage in front of a 1937 LaSalle Coupe
One of only six: a 1931 Bugatti Royale. “Longer than the Deus, twice the horse power of a Rolls, and more costly than the two of them put together.”
A 1931 Duesenberg Model ‘J’
Neon, McDonald’s and a 1956 Chevy Bel Air
Camping icon: A 1959 VW Westfalia. It looks like it should be parked down by a beach somewhere. Let’s take it out!
The Driving America exhibit, celebrates and at times questions, America’s love affair with the automobile. It truly delves into not only automobiles, but American culture throughout the decades as well and how our vehicles shaped that culture. A first rate exhibit, and a wonderfully diverse collection. It’s not just Fords on display, not by a long shot.
Amsoil Arena
Duluth, Minnesota
Waiting for the doors to open at Amsoil
I had been at the old DECC Arena years ago, but this was my first visit to Amsoil, which opened in 2010. Stadium Journey, an internet site, had called Amsoil, “the best arena for college hockey”, and Duluth had run with the headline. I think Amsoil is a great rink, and I’d love to have its like up in Fairbanks, but it does fall short of Mariucci and The Ralph, and possibly a few others, in my humble opinion.
Still, it’s a wonderful place to see a hockey game, and the Duluth faithful love their Bulldogs.
US-U18 during warmups at Amsoil
Saturday night was an exhibition game between UMD and USA’s under 18 team. When USA came out onto the ice, the first thing I thought was, “these guys are so small” when looking at them alongside the Bulldogs.
The youngsters didn’t play small however. Team USA took the lead on a beautiful wrister by Adam Fox. Fox would be in the thick of things all night long. US-U18 added a PPG by Clayton Keller, assisted by Fox for a 2-0 lead to end period one. The Bulldog fans were not happy.
The second period was more of the same as Kieffer Bellows scored on an assist from Keller and the shutout remained going into the third.
That’s when UMD’s top line woke up. Dominic Toninato scored two and assisted on a third goal to tie things up in a period that was completely dominated by the Bulldogs. The game went into OT, and Toninato hit the hat trick for the win.
Toninato had a four point night, and captain Andy Welinski had three assists for the Bulldogs. Attendance was 5520.
Duluth
After making my loop through the UP to Duluth, I had to stop by Canal Park for a visit to Grandma’s Saloon and a walk along the shore. The wind had already been working on the waves, and everything was coated with a slick glaze of ice. Still, it was a nice day to be alongside Superior.
I made it over to the city’s iconic aerial lift bridge. The lift bridge began life as an extremely rare transporter bridge in 1905. One of only two such bridges ever built in the United States, a transporter bridge carries a section of roadway across a span – like a gondola. In 1929, the bridge was converted to a vertical lift bridge, which is also uncommon.
The span is 390 feet, and can be raised to it’s full height of 135 feet in 60 seconds.
Yoop-ing in the New Year
Mackinac Bridge
In order to avoid Chicago, I decided to take the scenic route towards the Twin Cities and ventured up into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
It was a nice drive, and the UP is beautiful country. It was snowing lightly when I crossed the Mackinac Bridge. The “Mighty Mac” is a 26,372 foot long suspension bridge, completed in 1957, that connects the Upper and Lower sections of Michigan.
I stopped in St. Ignace and eventually wandered down to the Driftwood for a night of Mad Hatters and wondering what 2016 could possibly have in store.
It was a fun crowd, and offered a wonderful distraction.
There are days…
…when the idea of homesteading off of a tributary of the mighty Yukon River, where there is no internet, phone service, mail service or any other form of immediate contact, seems like pure heavenly bliss.
Today turned into one of those days. Don’t be surprised if my phone battery refuses to take a charge in the very near future. It happens.
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