#4 : the henry ford

visiting the henry ford was really fun! so much to do... so little time!

we actually went 2 days and still was not able to see everything!

so the henry ford property has tons of stuff to do... the factory's where the vehicles are made (of course...), museum, imax theater, and greenfield village.

the first day we went to tour the ford rouge factory. we were able to tour the building where they make the ford F 150. unfortunately they weren't in production due to lower sales, but it was still pretty cool!

there was 5 parts to the tour:

the assembly plant walking tour: this was neat... lots of little videos around the walkway to explain what parts were being put on at each station. too bad we weren't able to see it in action!

historic footage and movie: this was a little film that had lots of detroit and ford history. very informative!

multi-sensory theater experience: very cool! there were huge screens all the way around the room and all of the seats covered the entire room. the seats also swiveled all the way around so you could look at any screen you wanted. they showed the entire process in making a car/truck. very cool effects!

worlds largest living roof: the roof of the truck plant has been turned into a 10.4-acre garden! it allows cleaner storm water, cooler surroundings, creates a habitat for birds, butterflies and insects and has a longer roof life.

legacy gallery: five historic vehicles made at the rouge including the 20,000,000th ford.

all in all, i really enjoyed this! it was very informative and fun!

that afternoon we went to the imax theater and saw speedracer. it was very cool to watch in the imax theater! the movie itself was just ok for me... good story... crazy effects... great theater though!

the next day we went to greenfield village! that was very neat! we were only able to do half of it! read more about what greenfield village is and how it came to be...

"Greenfield Village was founded on October 21, 1929 as an educational and historic landmark, maintaining the buildings and stories of America’s past for future generations. Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning.

There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America."

we ate lunch at the eagle tavern. it was originally built in 1831 as a stagecoach stop for weary travelers. everything is authentic to the time period, including the food. nothing on the menu is made with things that weren't around in that time frame. interesting...

i really enjoyed learning about thomas edison, and the wright brothers plane adventures, but i have to say that my favorite part of the day was riding in the model t with my dad! it was so fun! our cute little driver was so nice and you could tell he sure loved his job!

i know this is a long post, but it is only part of the adventures that my dad and i had at ford! it was an amazing couple of days! if you are ever in the area, i suggest you go to the henry ford! you won't regret it!