We had  a nice time in the Ann Arbor, MI, area in spite of the humidity;)  A fun perk turned out to be the sandhill cranes some of which make this area of the country their summer home.  We were told by locals the birds can be a nuisance as they like nice cut green areas....like a backyard:)  We would see a few here and there in the fields, and pastures and back yards.  We found it great fun, of course:) 

The Sandhill Crane Vineyard is located very near where we were parked in the Hideaway Campground and we went there a couple of times to enjoy their wide selection of Michigan wines and one night for live music and dinner.

Yes we are even buying a few whites and this, our first bottle of rose, as some of them are more enjoyable in this humid climate:)

the crane does not seem to mind the horses at all as she walks by

Our daily walks/hikes took place on lush, green, humid, bug ridden paths or roads near where were were parked;)  It truly has been an exercise in perseverance to get exercise in this climate!  We do not have the mosquitos this year, thank goodness, but the flies are awful!!  The humidity is awful!!  Add the two together and it is tough getting out to walk/hike.  It does not matter how early we get up when the lowest temp is in the 70s and the humidity is also in the 70s!!

In spite of that, look how pretty our morning walks are with the morning mist:

note the mist ahead of Mike in the dip in the road

Henry Ford Museum, Factory Tour, Dearborn, MI

We are near Ann Arbor, MI, now for a week and yesterday we drove east to Dearborn to see the Henry Ford museum and take a factory tour to see the Ford F150s in production.  What a day!

 I cannot stress enough how wonderful the museum is!  I thought it would be about the history of the automobile and Fords contribution....and it is but there is so much more!  It holds a plethora of wonderful varied collections and unique historical acquisitions.  We spent most of the day there and did not really see it all meaning we had to rush through a few sections to "see" it all;) Here is a sampling of some but not all the collections:

the presidential car collection includes the car Pres. Kennedy was assassinated in

a beautiful American clock collection has it's own hall, yes that's me in the mirror on the left;)

a locomotive collection has one of the largest ever built on the right that hauled coal and on the left, with stagecoach cars, a much smaller one that carried people:)

a 1931 Bugatti type 41 Royale, only 6 built at $43,000 each!!

the Golden Rod broke some speed records

the first all American car to win the Le Mans

early RV's

Fords first, the Model A

this 1957 concept safety car included a backward facing seat for children and other safety features, some of which eventually were used

 an exact replica of the Wright Bros. plane

Lincoln's chair from the suite in the Ford theater in which he was assassinated

watch making machines

the anatomy of a Model T

having fun!!!!!!

an amazing furniture collection including......

Mark Twains folding table and Edgar Allen Poe's desk

the pope mobile, built for Pope Paul XI visit to the US in 1964

heaters of all kinds for the home

Again, this was just a sampling, there was so much more. A wonderful museum!

During the day, we took a break from the museum and a tour bus over to the factory to see F150 trucks being assembled.  We would also recommend this as a great tour.  Bring ear plugs;) It was great to see the amazing smoothness and organization of the assembly line not to mention seeing the "robot" machines do their thing!  Not allowed to take pics though:(

Football Hall of Fame, McKinley Library, etc., OH

Lots to do in the Medina area of Ohio!  We were busy and did a lot of driving!  We had to go back to the NP for another hike, had to go to the football hall of fame, had to go to the Amish village and the Pres. McKinley library popped up so we had to do that....whew!  Wait, we also had to do several wineries and breweries of course!

Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH

Mainly Packers and Steelers
fans in this family;)

It was fun to see what they used to wear compared to what they need to wear now!

I kinda look lost in these shoulder pads!

the hall of fame, a bust of your head goes in here when you are chosen

Mike Webster was a Steeler, if you have not seen the movie "Concussion"  check it out

the rings are crazy huge and
have gotten larger over the
years,
I doubt I could hold up
my hand with one on!

Packers got the first one;)

the 70s, the Steelers

Pres. McKinleys museum,
library and memorial

McKinleys memorial is the largest Presidential memorial

Ohio is huge on IPAs, Mike loved it!

 Some wildlife pics from Beaver Marsh in the Cuyahoga Valley NP, pretty trail!

green heron

So much algae!

this covered bridge was also in the NP

Several wineries, mostly whites, which
we are opening our minds on and trying
more of :) I do like some of them
in this humidity!!

In Amish country we had to be
very careful of horse and buggies
and bicycles on the roads

we sampled lots of cheese here....and bought some;)

An Amish RV???

largest cuckoo clock in the world!