Back in the Hand...Michigan

9/13/25

We drove along the southern shore of Lake Erie and entered Michigan, where we both lived until the 1990s

I couldn't find a campground near my Mom and Art's so we set up in their driveway in Clinton Township!!

My Mom and Art cooked us a great meal and the guys enjoyed a Scotch

9/14/25

With my Mom

Pat and I went to Ford Field (in Detroit) to watch the Lions beat the Chicago Bears (52 to 21)

9/15/25 - We had a party with friends and family at the RV/ in Mom & Art's garage.

Left to Right: Evelyn Sorgenfrei (C's niece), John Loose (C's 2nd cousin), Robin VanGoethem (Art's daughter), Art, Todd Dries (Art's nephew), Pat Dries (Art's sister-in-law), Rob VanGoethem (Art's son-in-law)

Left to Right: Rose Loose (C's 2nd cousin), Birgit Sorgenfrei (C's sister), my Mom, Rebecca (Mom's friend)

9/16/25 - The day my Dad passed away.  If you missed it, my last post (before this one) was a tribute to my Dad.

My Mom, Art, Pat and I had a toast to him and Sandy with his favorite drink, Scotch. My Mom and Art had become good friends to my Dad and Sandy.

9/17/25 - Sights in Detroit:

We enjoyed our tour of the Motown Museum

We stood in the studio where the Jackson 5, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and many others recorded

We also visited Michigan Central which was the train station where my Dad arrived in 1959.

Michigan Central Station opened in 1913 as the world's tallest train station, symbolizing Detroit's industrial power and a gateway for immigrants and workers. After declining with the automotive industry, the station was abandoned in 1988 and became a symbol of urban decay. The picture on left is how it always looked when I saw it. Ford Motor Company purchased the building in 2018 to revitalize it into a tech and cultural hub, and after a $970 million restoration, it reopened as the new Michigan Central in 2024.

The next morning, after another great breakfast, we bid Mom and Art goodbye and started a relatively short trip to the Dayton, Ohio, area.