Recounting Graduation

Flew to Detroit, drove to Flint, graduation was the next day. After graduation, went to a diner for a dessert, where we asked the waitress about what a "Coney Island" was. In Michigan, you'll see all these signs at food places advertising "Coney Island." What? Coney Island, is NY. Well, turns out Coney Island is a type of local food in Michigan. It's a hot dog with certain toppings like chilli, beans, and onions, maybe more. I didn't have the courage to eat one. And, interesting enough, a "Coney Island hot dog," varies in it's interpretation from city to city. In other words, Flint, Michigan, makes a different Coney Island than Detroit, MI, we were informed.

After two days in Flint, we moved motel. We went off to Detroit to spend time there. Actually, Dearborn.. Where Ford Motors is based. We had cancelled out the Downtown Detroit motel I had booked, that sat on the riverfront of the Detroit river, for a less costly Dearborn accommadation. Before checking into the motel, we actually crossed the bridge over the Detroit river, to enter Ontario, Canada. And, we spent a day in Windsor, ON. Had a Canadian breakfast, and walked around looking at various stands that were up for a festival called "Art in the Park." Saw an immaculate English Tudor home that was owned by the late Hiram Walker, founder of Walker Whiskey. We didn't tour the home, but you can. We just viewed it from the outside, and walked around it's garden. We listened curiously, to a band called "Virus." They had some talent for 15 year olds. Didn't enjoy the music, but I had respect for their talent.

We then toured a park along the Detroit river, from the Canadian side, called "Sculpture Park," which had some pretty coo abstract metal sculptures and the like. Some 18 or so sculptures that actually stretch across 3 or 4 sub-parks. Whenever I seen a food or drink, that I haven't seen before, I usually like to try it out, to get the full cultural experience, so in seeing a Soda machine, and a drink I haven't seen before, instead of the Nestea, I was thinking of getting, I got instead a Ginger ale, called "Vernor." Which is like no Ginger ale, I ever tasted. I'm not really the Ginger ale fan, other then when I'm sick with influenza, but I decided to try it out anyway, and it turns out, this Vernor stuff is ace. Being in Windsor, ON, was awesome, because you are actually standing south of the US... yehp, that's right. You're looking north at the city of Detroit. The only spot I know of, where you can say you were beneath America, when in Canada.

We toured the Ford Rouge Factory the next. It was a Sunday, so not much was going on, but we did see one line that they were running, which was the final testing line of F-150s. They screened a 360 degree movie about automobile production too that we saw.

I couldn't leave Michigan without experiencing Detroit, itself, especially when being right there! So, I said, let's get a move on, and squeeze in some Downtown Detroit time, before our flight. And, happily, we did. We looked at art in the Detroit Institute of the Arts, where we happened to catch the last day of a special exhibit. They had 6 galleries worth of art, filled with Whistler's work, and those artists that he influenced. And, it's first time in the US, since 50 years ago... I got to look at "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Painter's Mother." In lay terms: "Whistler's Mother."

We ate at a touristy place called "Hockeytown Cafe." ..a homage to RedWings, of course. We were across from the street from Tiger Statium, when there, and next door was the Fox Theatre where Dido was to play that night. I felt saddened that I had to fly out that night, thus missing her performance, and so, after eating, rushed out, to circle 'round the Fox, to see if by chance I could spot her, and exchange hellos. But, didn't see her, sadly.

But, other than that disappointment my trip to Michigan, including Pontchartrain d'Etroit (aka Detroit), was well lived out. I'm of course gladdened, that I graduated too!