Still in Michigan - Still looking at Museums

Hello Fellow Wayward Travelers!!!!

Today was a driving and museum day! I had to drive to get to the museums! The first museum I went to was the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the second was the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum. That took me all day and when I got back to the trailer I had to do laundry. So, I had a busy day. Tomorrow, I will take the truck in to the Ford Service Department and get the oil changed and get the truck looked over. Then I will be going to Michigan’s Own Military & Space Museum. That will be another fun packed day!!!

I left the RV Park in Allendale, Michigan, plugged in my GPS, and headed for the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When I got there, it seemed like they were preparing for a big party!!! It turns out that today would have been President Ford’s 100^th birthday!!! They were preparing for that celebration!!! And, today, the museum was FREE!!! So in I went!!! Now, some of you may not know this, but Lynn’s Uncle Leon Joslin grew up with President Ford, went to school with him, and played sports with him. In one of my previous BLOG Posts I said that it was Lynn’s Father, but no, it was Lynn’s Uncle!! Anyway, I was looking for some mention of the name “Leon Joslin” among the history in this museum. And guess what? I did find a few things!!! I will point them out as we go along!!!

First off, I have never been to a Presidential Museum and did not know what to expect. I was very pleased with what I saw. It showed the history of Gerald R. Ford from his birth, through his growing up, and a lot on how he became President and what was going on at those times during his life.

The outside of the building is very nice and has a statue of President Ford ---

 

When you enter the exhibit, you are shown what was happening in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Here are a few photos of that room ---

 

From there, the exhibit goes into the Watergate Break in, Vice President Spiro Agnew Resigning, and President Nixon choosing Gerald Ford to be the new Vice President. Then it went on to tell about President Nixon’s Resignation and Gerald R. Ford becoming the President.

From here, the exhibits went into President Ford’s birth and growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It had a short bit on his playing football in his South High School and showed a foot ball schedule and score card with the names of the players on it and here was the name “Joslin”!!! Here are some photos of that card ---

 

The exhibits continued on with President Ford’s career and his campaign to get re-elected. Then there were exhibits showing the Oval Office as Ford had it and his Cabinet room. Here are photos of each one ---

 

Then, there was a more detailed exhibit of Gerald Ford Growing up. Here is where I found more things with Leon Joslin in it. The first thing I came to was South High School’s football team. There was a photo of the team and there was Leon Joslin. As you look at the photo, he is in the top left row, second man in, standing next to the coach ---

 Then, they had a year book from Gerald Ford’s senior year and there Ford was in the section on Track and alongside him was Leon Joslin!!! Here is that photo ---

 

That was the end of the exhibits, so I went to the gift shop to see if I could find any souvenirs (I usually get a lapel pin from all the museums I visit). I did find my lapel pin, but I also found a book on Ford’s younger days. The book is called “Young Jerry Ford” by Hendrik Booraem V. It has a photo where Leon is there with Ford as part of a football “training” session. Here is a photo of that photo ---

 

Then I walked across a bridge by the museum and snapped a few photos of the river. I wonder, are these the “Grand Rapids” the town is named after??? You be the judge!!!

 

Then I jumped back in the truck and drove to the next museum which was in Lansing, Michigan. It is a museum dedicated to R.E. Olds – the man who started the Oldsmobile Car Company. The museum showed a little history about R.E. Olds and his family. Then it displayed some of the different cars built by his company. Here are photos of a few of them!

 A non-working replica of the RE Olds first Steam Carriage built between 1883-1887 ---

 

A replica of the 1897 Olds Gasoline Powered Carriage ---

 

An 1899 Oldsmobile Electric ---

 

A 1905 Oldsmobile Touring Runabout ---

 

Then R.E. Olds left Oldsmobile and started the company REO (named after him???). Here is one of his first cars, The 1906 REO Model B Runabout ---

 

Here is a 1928 REO Speedwagon (catchy name!!!) ---

 Then to the more “modern” times, a 1937 Oldsmobile Club Coupe ---

 

A 1942 Oldsmobile Club Sedan ---

 

A 1954 Olds 88 Sedan ---

 

A 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser ---

 

A 1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Coupe (I owned a 1964 Olds Dynamic 88, but is wasn’t a Holiday Coupe and it was a lot nicer body style!!) ---

 

A special 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass that was customized to become the “Darth Vadar” Coupe ---

 

Of course, there was the 442!!! Here is a 1966 Olds 442, Hurst Olds ---

 

And one from 1969 ---

 

Olds also had an all electric car in 1996 (The GM EV1 Electric Vehicle), but it didn’t sell well and only 1,100 were built. It actually is quite comparable to the modern Chevy Volt!!!

 

From there I left to go back to the RV Park. As I drove out of the city I caught this photo of what I think is a capitol building ---

 

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!!!

So, 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