MICHIGAN TRAVEL TIPS
FROM
THE HOLOGLOBE PRESS
(The 32th Edition)by
Victor Edward Swanson,
Publisherwww.hologlobepress.com
RULES OF USE
The reports and stories contained on this Web page have been put together with information taken from "The Victor Swanson Fabulous Files of Places to See in Michigan and Wisconsin" and with information obtained from operators and staffers of tourist attractions and from press releases, Web sites, and other sources. The reports and stories are provided as a public service by Victor Swanson and The Hologlobe Press. Almost all persons and entities, such as staffers of radio stations, may freely use the materials; neither AAA Michigan nor any employee of AAA Michigan may use, distribute, download, transmit, copy, or duplicate any of the material presented on this page in any way or through any means.
- - - Travel Thoughts for Everyone - - -
For a number of years, I have had ideas in mind for several new types of museums or like places that could be established somewhere in Michigan for visitors to see, giving people more reasons to see and stay in Michigan or the United States of America, and one of the ideas is for what could be called "The Tool Museum," a type of place that currently exists nowhere in the country or the world--as far as I know. Think about what a "tool museum" could have. It could display all types of tools--from what you might call general-purpose or everyday tools, such as a simple claw hammer, to speciality tools, such as those used by jet-engine repair people. More specifically, I will say that the museum could have an area or room devoted to general-purpose or everyday tools, an area devoted to tools used in the medical field, an area devoted to tools used by draftsmen, an area devoted to tools used by people involved in sewing, an area devoted to tools used by auto-body repairers, such as dollies, an area devoted to tools used by radio and television service technicians, such as digital probes, an area devoted to tools used by surveyors, an area devoted to tools used by people involved in the jewelry trade, and an area of tools used by someone who makes tools that make parts for all types of things, such as tools used by my bother Clay to repair broaching machines, and, of course, the museum could have displays containing tools used by carpenters, tools used by people who install flooring and carpeting, tools used by people who install electrical wiring in buildings, et cetera. And I make clear here that each tool should be identified and be associated with a description about how the tool is used, and, for instance, photographs could be displayed with certain tools to show how the tools are used.
What would be the reasons for having a tool museum?
I have many reasons why a tool museum would be useful. For one, such a museum would expose children--boys and girls--to real tools, or such a museum would expand children's knowledge of the world around them, and such a museum would show children what they might never see otherwise. In addition, a person might gain knowledge from what is seen at the museum and use that knowledge to adapt an already existing tool for another purpose or to solve a problem.
Since the day on which I can announce the opening of a tool museum is in the future, I have to make other announcements through this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, and, indeed, I do have announcements to make, which also make changes to or update my fabulous files of places to see in Michigan.
The first announcement that I have to make deals with a theatre or theater in Michigan. In 1998, a theater for live productions, such as plays, was opened up at a place called "Mackinaw Crossings" at Mackinaw City (of the Lower Peninsula); Mackinaw Crossings had been opened up in the previous year as, in essence, a small shopping mall, having several dozen stores. Starting in 1998, the theater for live productions began to be operated, and it would be known by such names as or was referred to by such names as the "Center Stage Theater," "Mackinaw Center Stage Theater," and "Mackinaw Theater," and, during the first four years or so of existence, some of the productions presented were "Stagestruck" (for the first season), "Hollywood, the Silver Screen's Greatest Hits...Live on Stage" (for the 1999 season), and "L'Harmonie--The Miracle of Music" (for the 2002 season), and during the 2006 summer season, the theater hosted such shows as a show that was a tribute to The Beatles and a show that was a tribute to Elvis. The last Elvis-tribute show took place on October 22, 2006, and, on that day, the theater was closed down, meaning the theater, which was known for being open from May through October, was closed forever. Here, I announce that "Mackinaw Theater" or "The Mack" is gone and has been removed from my files of open theaters in Michigan.
What is good for everyone is opening events outnumber closing events in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips.
The Cranbrook Institute of Science, the history of which goes back to 1904, is located in Bloomfield Hills (of Oakland County in the Lower Peninsula), and since I published the previous edition of Michigan Travel Tips, I have obtained new information about the Cranbrook Institute of Science. In September 2006, a new gallery was opened up at this museum, and the gallery is known as the "Flint Anthropology Gallery." On October 8, 2006, a new exhibit was introduced at the new gallery, and the new exhibit focuses on Native Americans or American Indians, and it contains about one-hundred items or objects, and the Web site for the Cranbrook Institute of Science explains: "Video clips and a soundtrack narrative tell the story of native peoples of the Great Lakes region and illustrates the impact new influences had on their way of life." The Cranbrook Institute of Science is open, as a rule, from nine to five each day (there are some exceptions and there are some additional hours), and the address is 39221 Woodward Avenue. Now, besides being able to see such regular features of the Cranbrook Institute of Science as minerals and an observatory, you can see what is in the new Flint Anthropology Gallery (or the new "Flint Gallery").
The Flint Anthropology Gallery of the Cranbrook Institute of Science should not be confused or mistaken for the Flint Institute of Arts. The Flint Institute of Arts is a museum of art at Flint, which is a city in Genesee County, which is a county that touches a part of the northern border of Oakland County. The Flint Institute of Arts has something new--on September 30, 2006, the Flint Institute of Arts had what was called a "Grand Reopening." Really, what was opened was the new "Charles Stewart Mott Gallery Wing," which is made up of several galleries, two of which are the Alice D. and Donald E. Johnson Gallery and the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Gallery. New galleries feature, for instance, American and European items and objects from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through January 7, 2006, the Flint Institute of Arts has an exhibit entitled "Excavating Egypt: Great Discoveries From the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London," and another exhibit that you might see there is "America At Work: Labor Scenes from the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts," which is a collection of about two-dozen paintings and which will be open to the public through January 21, 2007. The Flint Institute of Arts is located at 1120 East Kearsley Street.
In essence, the Detroit Historical Museum, which has been in the current building since 1951, is new. It was in March 2006 that the Detroit Historical Society took operational control of the museum from the City of Detroit, and the Society soon closed the museum for a major renovation, which was a four-month period that ended on September 29, 2006. Today, some of the major exhibits at this museum are the "Glancy Trains"exhibit, which is a model railroading exhibit, and "New to the Collection," which is an exhibit that focuses on new items obtained for the museum and which is changed from time to time. One of the temporary exhibits is "Fabulous 5: Detroit's Musical Legends," which focuses on such performers as Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, and Stevie Wonder, and this exhibit will be open to the public through January 14, 2007. On the lower level of the museum is still the "Streets of Old Detroit," which is set up with three time periods of Detroit, and, there, for one, a person, such as a child, can get the feel of what it was like to be in Detroit in the early 1900s. The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 540 Woodward Avenue, which is in a part of the City of Detroit that is referred to as the "Cultural Center," which is where such entities as Wayne State University, the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, and the New Detroit Science Center are located. Generally speaking, the Detroit Historical Museum is open during the daytime from Wednesday through Sunday, and, of course, it is not open on major holidays.
Not only were several museums of the Detroit area given major renovations recently but also one new museum was opened, and that museum was the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (or MOCAD). This museum, which is only a few blocks from the main branch of the Detroit Public Library was opened on October 28, 2006. The general mission statement for this museum is: "...to present art at the forefront of contemporary culture." The current main show at this museum is "Meditations In An Emergency," which will be open to the public through April 29, 2007, and it has works from a number of artists, some of whom are Mark Bradford, Barry McGee, Roxy Paine, and Paul Pfeiffer. Besides having works of art, the museum has such events as "readings" by authors from time to time. The address for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is 4454 Woodward Avenue, and the museum is open from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Sunday and from noon to 8:00 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday.
For this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, I will report that a new indoor water park will soon be opened at Dundee, Monroe County (of the Lower Peninsula), though it may already be opened up by the time you read this. I have discovered "RiverRun," the name for the indoor water park, is going to be opened up in January (2007), but I do not have the exact date. In the next edition of Michigan Travel Tips, I should be able to report that RiverRun is open. I can report now that RiverRun will be located at 100 Whitetail Drive--next to a store known as Cabela's. Incidentally, the full name for this new indoor water park, which will be or is operated by a company called Splash Universe, is RiverRun--Indoor Water Park Resort.
Finally, I must report that I cannot yet say that the "Michigan Space and Science Center," which I have talked about in the past is open. I have noted in the past that the "Michigan Space and Science Center," which for a number of years was a museum in the Jackson area (of Jackson County in the Lower Peninsula), will someday be a new museum located in the Kalamazoo area (of Kalamazoo County in the Lower Peninsula). Recently, I did learn that the Apollo 9 capsule, which was one of the exhibits at the Michigan Space and Science Center as the museum was in the Jackson area (specifically as a part of Jackson Community College), is an exhibit at the San Diego Aerospace Museum, which is at San Diego, California; the Apollo 9 capsule was taken to the San Diego Aerospace Museum in mid-2004. When the new Michigan Space and Science Center is opened, it will not have the Apollo 9 capsule.
Let us return to the idea of a tool museum, because I think it is a viable idea. The museum could have people who give demonstrations on how a particular tool is used and used properly. Staffers of the museum could go to schools to give demonstrations of how particlar tools are used and used properly.
I do know many of the staffers of the museum might be volunteers. In Michigan, though, it is commonplace for many museums to be staffed by volunteers, and that is especially true for the small museums, which are usually community-operated museums that focus on local history. Maybe, I would be one of the staffers of The Tool Museum, since I would be a good candidate to be on the staff of such a museum, given that I use all types of tools, such as those to repair houses and those to repair cars, and that I regularly look for tools along the roads each day and pickup and hold on to all the tools--somehow lost by people--that I find.
Your travel tips of Michigan in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips are:
The Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit, Wayne County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Genesee County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Mackinaw Theater, Mackinaw City, near the famous Mackinac Bridge, the Lower Peninsula. (Closed forever!)
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, Wayne County, the Lower Peninsula.
RiverRun--Indoor Water Park Resort, Dundee, Monroe County, the Lower Peninsula.
- - - Public Service Copy for Broadcasters (four pieces) - - -
Number One:
When the seasons change, people do different things--that
is, for instance, people might stop going to beaches and start
going to museums. Since this past spring, changes have taken
place at the Detroit Historical Museum. The museum was
recently opened up again after being closed for reworking and
renovation, which had taken about four months to complete.
Yes, the museum still has the Old Streets of Detroit feature and
the Glancy Train exhibit, as it had, but it has new exhibits,
especially in the section of the museum called "New to the
Collection." One new temporary exhibit, which will be at the
museum till January 14, 2007, is "Fabulous 5: Detroit's Musical
Legends," which focuses on such performers as Aretha Franklin,
Bob Seger, and Stevie Wonder. If you have not been to the
Detroit Historical Museum in a while, it is time to return and see
what is new, and enjoy your safe traveling in Michigan.
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Number Two:
A number of museums in Michigan have been given major
renovation or expansion work since the spring, and one of the
biggest renovations has taken place at the Flint Institute of Arts
at Flint, which should not be confused with the new the Flint
Anthropology Gallery of the Cranbrook Institute of Science,
which is in Bloomfield Hills. The Flint Institute of Arts now has
what is called the Charles Stewart Mott Gallery Wing, which is
made up of several new galleries, such as the Alice D. and Donald
E. Johnson Gallery. New galleries feature, for instance, American
and European items and objects from the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. Through January 7, 2006, the Flint Institute of Arts has
an exhibit entitled "Excavating Egypt: Great Discoveries From the
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College
London." Remember: The Flint Institute of Arts is located along
East Kearsley Street at Flint.
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Number Three:
If you keep track of the news regularly, you should know new
museums do not get opened up in Michigan every day, and even if
you keep track of the news regularly, you may not know a new art
museum was opened up in Detroit on October 28, 2006. The new
museum is called the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (or
MOCAD). This museum is located near such well-known museums
in Detroit as the New Detroit Science Center and the Detroit
Institute of Arts. The current main art show at the new Museum
of Contemporary Art Detroit is "Meditations In An Emergency,"
which will be open to the public through April 29, 2007. This art
show has works from a number of artists, some of whom are Mark
Bradford, Barry McGee, Roxy Paine, and Paul Pfeiffer. The address
for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is 4454 Woodward
Avenue and, as a rule, the museum is open during the daytime from
Wednesday through Sunday.
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Number Four:
At this time, I wish to pass along information compiled by The
Hologlobe Press, which publishes a free Internet-only publication
every month on the tenth that gives information about places to see
in Michigan. The publisher is Victor Swanson, and he says that
the Mackinaw Theater, which was a place for live theater at
Mackinaw City, no longer exists. Victor reports that a new indoor
water park is going to be opened up at Dundee sometime in January,
and that water park will be called "RiverRun--Indoor Water Park
Resort. Victor also reports that the Quincy Mine Hoist Museum,
which is at Hancock of the Upper Peninsula, will be open many
days this winter, so you can visit it in winter for the very first time.
And Victor notes that he cannot yet announce that the new
Michigan Space and Science Center of the Kalamazoo area is open
to visitors. And that is information from The Hologlobe Press, which
is located on the Internet at www.hologlobepress.com. Remember:
Enjoy your safe traveling in Michigan.
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- - - Contact Information - - -
The Hologlobe Press
Postal Box 20551
Ferndale, Michigan 48220-0551
The United States of Americacopyright c. 2006
File date: 10 December 2006
To see the next edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #33.
To see the previous edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #31.
To see the catalog page for Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel.
To go to the main page of The Hologlobe Press,
click on: www.hologlobepress.com.
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