Hello Fellow Wayward Travelers!!!!
Today was a driving day, BUT it was to drive me to two car museums that I has discovered!!! The museums were only about an hour apart, so I figured that I could get to both in one day. Did I ever miss-plan that one!!! The first museum was bigger than I thought and they had a special event going on that convince me to stay all day at it and just take my time!!! More on that later!!!
Today was a driving day, BUT it was to drive me to two car museums that I has discovered!!! The museums were only about an hour apart, so I figured that I could get to both in one day. Did I ever miss-plan that one!!! The first museum was bigger than I thought and they had a special event going on that convince me to stay all day at it and just take my time!!! More on that later!!!
I left the RV Park in Petersburg,
Michigan, plugged in my GPS, and headed for the first museum called the Gilmore Car Museum. I had also
planned on going to the RE Olds Transportation Museum, but I will be saving
that for tomorrow. I ended up getting to the first museum at 11:30 AM and I
figured I would spend two hours there and move on. That doesn’t work when they
have a dozen building of cars to see along with their special event. The
special event was German made cars, so I saw a lot of Mercedes, BMWs, VWs,
Audis, and others I can’t think of!!! From
here I drove to my RV Park which is near Grand Rapids, Michigan. For those who
don’t know it, My Father-in-Law’s family is from here, so I may just do a
little research on them if I have time. Anyway, I am staying at the
Allendale/West Grand Rapids KOA RV Park in Allendale, Michigan. After today I
decided to stay here until Tuesday. One reason is to see some nearby museums
and another is because I have to get the oil changed in my truck. Yep, I just
put another 5,000 miles on the little Ford Pickup!!! I have driven that pickup
10,000 miles on this trip and I am still about 2,500 miles from home!!! This
truck is the best!!! It has no problem pulling my trailer at 70 MPH down the
freeway (more if it needs to) and the only problem I have is a crack in my
exhaust manifold (that would have occurred whether I was on this trip or
not!!)!!!
Tomorrow, I plan on seeing the
President Gerald Ford Museum and the RE Olds Transportation Museum. On Monday,
I will see the Michigan Air Museum and get the oil changed in my truck. On
Tuesday, I will head north for Mackinaw, Michigan and US Highway 2!!!
Now, back to the car museum!! It was
mainly early 1900 cars; that is 1900 to 1960. I have been showing you a lot of
cars on this trip, so again I will show you the ones I think are unusual in my
opinion!!! Let’s start with what may be one of the oldest cars made --- In fact
it is said to be the first automobile made!!! Karl Benz built it in the fall of
1885, received a patent on it in January 1886 and demonstrated it to the public
on July 3rd, 1886. The first American made cars didn’t come out
until 1893!!! I don’t know if this is the original or a reproduction, but here
are a few photos of it ---
Of course the museum had to have a
few Corvettes, and here they are ---
1958 Corvette Concept Car ---
1965 Stingray ---
1976 Corvette Concept Car ---
1955 Roadster ---
Now Ford couldn’t let Chevrolet get
away with the market, so out came the 1957 Ford Thunderbird ---
And just to really corner the market
on raw power in a sports car --- the 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra!!! (It looks fast
just sitting there!!!) ---
In a previous BLOG Post, I talked
about a car that never really went into production but that the public did
drive and like, but it did have problems; bad gas mileage, very hot exhaust, to
name a few. Now there were 50 made and ten destroyed with only about five left
after that and guess what? This is the second one I have seen in two months!!!
It is the 1963 Chrysler Turbine!!! Here are a few photos of it ---
Those were my favorites, but here
are some real head turners!!!
A 1916 Franklin ---
A 1921 Roamer Speedster ---
A 1963 Studebaker Avanti (this car
almost kept Studebaker alive!!) ---
A 1935 Auburn Boat Tail Speedster
(so cool!!!) ---
A 1935 Duesenberg (a very classy car
for the movie star crowd!!) ---
Here’s a strange one that some of
you may remember from TV as Steve Erkcel’s car – The 1958 BMW Isetta 600 ---
Here’s a 1938 Mercedes 540K Sport Tourer
that has quite the story behind it! During WW-II the owner and car were in Germany
and thought it would be damaged so he put it in his basement and bricked up the
door and filled in the driveway with a flower garden. After the war, he was occupied
by the Soviets, so he left it there. It was hidden for 60 years and restored in
2005. Great story and a beautiful car ---
My sister and her husband like Mercedes
and each have one. They always buy used and get very nice cars! Well, here’s one
that I thing one of them should buy – it’s a 1929 Mercedes Roadster and the seller
is only asking $25,000, but I am sure she will deal!!!??? I know my sister would
look really good in this car!!!!
Just to show you that I don’t just take
photos of cars – here are a few of the road that I was driving away on from the museum
---
So, anyway, I made it to my RV Park
and have settled in for the night and I have put together a plan for the next
few days. It looks like I am done for the night!!!
Well, with that, I will go for
now, but I will see you all again tomorrow.
Again, to quote that great comedian,
Red Skelton, "Good Night and May God Bless!"
Happy Trails ---- Jon
Happy Trails ---- Jon
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