May 30, 2019-Great Lakes Day 12

(click here for today's pictures)


Hotel sleeping continues to suit the Dennies very well. Graham opted to sleep on the floor two nights in a row. He found a spot between the wall and the couch that fit the couch cushions just perfectly. Those cushions and his sleeping worked perfectly enough that he said that he wished had had a spot like that at home.

It was also Graham who lost his second tooth on the trip this morning while he was eating a bagel. He then declared that he was never going to eat a bagel again. I tried to explain that it wasn’t the bagel, but the loose tooth. It didn’t seem to matter, and I think that he has sworn off bagels forevermore.

The weather was again drizzly and cold this morning as we arrived at the Henry Ford. We started off touring the museum-it is massive, it is full of awesome things-but it was crowded and we were just there less than a year ago.

We did hit the highlights-first all of the kids helped build a Model T. They were all able to add some piece or screw in a nut and bolt. Right next to it is the assembly line where you can help make little Model T cars. Whitman walked over to it and saw that it was closed. He then promptly crumpled on the floor in disappointment.

I encouraged him to ask the workers in the Model T area and the told him that the workers would be there soon. Indeed they were and we were soon listening on instructions on how to work our own assembly line.

Now for this, Whitman so wanted to turn the crank at the end of the line. Whitman thought that this was job number 8 so he waited patiently as the others raised their hands for all of the other jobs (one through seven.) When the man asked who wanted to do job number 8, Whitman’s hand shot up and the man picked him. His arms flew up in the air in excitement!

Whitman then walked over to the crank and the man asked him if he wanted to do that job. Whitman said yes so the man said that he needed someone to do job number 8. Poor Whitman thought that his job had been taken a way from him and walked back to the seats almost in tears. It took a good minute for us to explain that he was indeed getting to do the crank. Being 6 is tough!

He was thrilled with his job and all of the kids were thrilled that they were able to make all 12 cars before the timer went off. From there, Anderson and Graham walked us to the math-y area. They had all kinds of math-y things to see and look at. This was one of the favorite stop last year and they delighted in it again this year.

We found our way to the new Star Trek exhibit. The kids enjoyed briefly walking through it even though we don’t know anything about Star Trek at all. There was one thing where they could pretend to be in a scene from Star Trek. That was fun, and they enjoyed doing that.

They had forecasted for rain all day long, but by 11 the rain had again cleared just as it had yesterday. So we used that opportunity to head out of the museum and towards the village. First we did have to stop to make paper airplanes in that exhibit. Then the kids always enjoy a little kids play car garage area.

And our last Henry Ford stop was one of the wax molds. You put 3 bucks in this machine, and then right in front of you it makes a wax mold. This time the mold that we made was of a train. They are pretty cool and I believe that I have about 4 others ones that already grace our Christmas tree.

Once outside, we were surprised at the difference in the temperature. It had considerably warmed up. We hightailed it to the back of the village so we could hear Huck Finn speak. He about some Tom Sawyer stories. ALl of the stories that he mentioned were ones that Anderson and I had read about this school year.

After Huck Finn left, Laura Ingalls came up and started talking to our group. Just like the Wright brothers, but every place Laura mentioned in her little skit, we have been. That’s just pretty cool. We had a few minutes to spare so we rode a horse and buggy across park and over the wooden bridge. We were also able to return to right where we started.

Of course, we would have liked to have rode the Model Ts again, but because of the many field trippers the line was just way too long. We did opt to listen to Henry Ford talk. He rode up in a Model T which was pretty cool.

It then started sprinkling-we had about 30 minutes before we really did want to be on the road. I would have liked to have made a tin candlestick, but you have to save something for next time. Though I bet it will be a little bit before we make it back up to this area.

We went to the restroom and then headed back towards home. Actually, the first goal as Blue Ash Chili in Blue Ash, Ohio for supper. The Heltz thought that sounded yummy as well, so they met us there.

We did stop for crackers on the way out of town. We were out of crackers and how could we live without crackers for our squirt cheese and sausage. Then it was on towards Ohio. My how it rained for a good 30 minutes. It was the kind of rain where you can barely see the road or make out the lines on the road. After the rain calmed down, the wind picked up.

We made it through the weather and stopped at a restroom for a potty break. The Heltz passed us then, but we quickly blew on by them. They have to go slower but we have a few more stops than they do.  

We actually had three stops before we made it to Blue Ash Chili in Blue Ash, Ohio. The first was the one for crackers, then once at a rest stop and finally at another gas stop which put us behind the Heltz. We still arrived a few minutes before they did.

It was not a probably at all to find seating at our restaurant. Michael and Whitman sat at a little booth right by the adults. The other kids were all at another table right nearby as well. Whitman was so excited about his hot dog with lots of cheese. All of the kids, except Reagan, had hot dogs or chili dogs with all of that cheese. Reagan had the 3 way (spaghetti, sauce, and cheese) while I had to four way (like the 3 way but with beans). Robby had chili dogs along with bottle caps (fried jalapeno slices).

After eating all of our food and especially all of that cheese, we headed on our way towards tonight’s stop. We toyed with pressing on and heading home, but Robby decided that there is no hurry so why not see a few more things tomorrow.

Once we were back in the car, we turned on the book. After having two large cups of water during supper, I was the one who had to go to the bathroom first. Unfortunately, we hadn’t gone very far at all. When we did stop, Campbell asked me, “Did you not go to the bathroom at the restaurant?” Hmm, wonder where she had heard that. Of course I did go to the bathroom at the hotel, but I was also trying to drink enough water that the jalapenos and chili wouldn’t upset my stomach.

From our supper stop, we just had 2 hours to go and my bathroom stop, which the girls did all join me, was our only stop.The kids were delighted to see that right besides tonight’s hotel is a huge theme park of some sorts. The best I can tell on my phone is that it is the Kentucky State Fair. I am not too sure, but it doesn’t matter too much anyway since that isn’t on tomorrow’s itinerary.

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