Thursday, June 1, 2023
Some days you simply luck out with timing. There was no breakfast at the motel, but there was coffee. I filled my travel mug and stopped by the front desk to report the ridiculously slow drain in the shower.
After leaving the lobby, I walked outside the building to the far entrance where I was parked. Good choice. Outside the middle entrance is a concrete wall about four feet high. Someone had left a partially empty bag of Cheeze-its on the wall, and a squirrel was enjoying some breakfast.
When he realized I was watching, he took the cracker and scurried to the edge of the roof. He watched me the entire time he was eating it. You could almost feel the wheels turning. Was I a big enough threat, or was the snack worth the risk.
He did scurry down and finish the bag, but I got some serious side eye along the way.
Back in Atlanta, my old company is shutting things down in the CNN Center and moving back to where it all began, the old Techwood Campus. On the ground level, outside the building's security entrance stands a giant red CNN logo.
This afternoon, a large group of network alumni gathered there for one last photo and a reception afterwards. I would have loved to be a part of it. It would have been great to see everyone again. Instead, I drove into Michigan.
I-75 took me north. Hwy 23/223 took me across the state line. Fireworks are illegal in Ohio, but not in Michigan. As you'd expect, there are fireworks stores just across the state line. Uncle Sam's Fireworks is just off Exit 1 in Ottawa Lake. They claim the thirty-eight foot statue of Uncle Sam out front is the world's biggest. It was moved here in the mid-70s from Toledo. It had been standing in front of a restaurant called Uncle Sams. With the gate closed, I couldn't get any closer than this. From here it almost looked like he wasn't wearing pants.
A few miles north, Hwy 223 cut west and headed towards the town of Adrian. I have a friend from high school named Andrea. Thanks to the Rocky movies, the nickname Adrian stuck. This is the fifth town named Adrian I've driven through. She gets a picture every time.
Since the motel didn't do breakfast, I was looking. There are a few places in town. When I saw the name Alpha Koney Island, the choice was clear. There was something on the menu called a Breakfast Panini. I asked about it. Lindsay my waitress said "it's big." When I asked how big, she paused and described it as the "size of two Big Macs." Yeah, a little much for me.
My first stop was Monument Park. There are numerous plaques commemorating local resident who have lost their lives at war. The column used for the memorial is all that remains of the Bank of Pennsylvania. The bank was opened in 1793. but closed in 1857. This column was one of six in front of the bank.
Adrian in bloom...
The first operating railroad in Michigan ran between Adrian and Toledo. It started running in 1836 and the cars were pulled by horse. Between 1900 and 1912, there were two plants building automobiles in town. The Lion Motor Car factory went up in flames in 1912 and never recovered. You can read about the company in this article by Street Muscle Magazine. The Church Manufacturing Company was troubled by a lack of investors and bad management decisions. You can see a photo of their car in an article by Lensconnect.com here:
The railroads are long gone from Adrian. A few years ago the city turned one of the old trestles and depot into a city park.
There are also eight miles of connecting trails from the park...
I left Adrian late in the morning and headed eventually towards Lansing. But first, I had to make a side trip...
Hell in bloom...
After leaving Hell, it was time to drive to the city of Lansing, Michigan's capital. There are a few colorful stories as to the origin of the name. The truth is, an early settler named Joseph North named it after Lansing, New York where he came from.
There were twenty people living in Lansing Township when it became the state capital. Previously the capital had been Detroit. In 1847, the state constitution forced a relocation. Detroit was simply too exposed. It had fallen to the British during the War of 1812 and British Canada was still a major concern.
The state government was looking for something more centrally located. Unable to reach a consensus among the larger cities, they quietly chose Lansing instead. The historical marker in front of the capital building described Lansing as "densely wooded" and "sparsely populated."
The capital grounds in bloom...
By this point it was fast approaching 3P. After the drive, I was thinking about hitting a brewery. Lansing has multiple. I chose the one on the western side of town, closer to the motel, a place called Eagle Monk Brewery.
Seen out front...
In some breweries, you pay a one time fee for your own personalized mug. That in turn gets you discounts for life, as long as you don't break the mug.
I did ask the bartender if he had heard about "beer poking." His response, "Yeah, that's Ohio." He laughed and admitted he did own a beer caramelizer. He just hasn't felt any urge to try it. So yes, it is apparently a thing. You can even buy one on Amazon.
I wound up spending two hours at the brewery discussing my upcoming trip with some of the regulars. They gave me a few ideas for further down the road. When I left, I had one more stop to go.
Ten minutes west is the town of Grand Ledge. With a name like, I was intrigued. It was easy to find Fitzgerald Park. It sits along the Grand River. Follow the trail down and there is in fact a rocky ledge.
My home for the night was a Quality Inn. It seemed pretty generic from the outside.
Inside, I was quite surprised. On the sign in paper it asked about pets. I've developed a cat allergy over the years and have had issues with pet rooms. So, I asked. She checked and gave me another room. Yeah, my cat allergy got me an upgrade to a suite. Score!
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