- 15.7 miles
- 2 hours 24 minutes
- 6.5 mph average speed
- 8 mph winds
Today was a short and pleasant trip on the Detroit River and we enjoyed a nice lunch at the onsite restaurant at the marina with Misty and Darrel upon arrival.
The next day we toured the Ford House, the stunning 60-room, 30,000 square foot home on 87 acres which Edsel and Eleanor Ford built in 1928 and where they raised their four children. Edsel was the only son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford and became president of the company at the age of 25. The home is filled with beautiful art including paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Redon, Raphael, Chagall and Deigo Rivera as well as sculptors, Persian and Chinese ceramics and African and Asian artifacts. There are several original paintings left in the house but many were donated by Eleanor to the the Detroit Institute of Arts upon her death and replaced with reproductions in the house. Most of the interior woodwork such as fireplaces, staircases and wood paneling are from 16th, 17th and 18th century English manors.
The onsite museum features exhibits about the Ford family as well as three cars from the 1930’s:
Michael (Gratitude) and Heather met Misty, Darrel and us to tour the home. We later went for ice cream and then to Mike’s for drinks and a light dinner (since we’d already had desert!) Michael lives in St. Clair Shores and just crossed his wake (completed his Loop) a few days ago. We first met him in Annapolis but have run into him several more times since then. We will surely miss seeing him as we continue on our Loop!
