The bus left the hotel at 8 a.m.! Unfortunately for me (not a morning person) these carousel trips tend to include early starts and long days riding the bus. We were headed to Flint and the Genesee Co. Park, Crossroads Village. Although we didn't have time to explore the various historical buildings moved onto the site, we did ride the historic Parker carousel and the historic Parker ferris wheel. They both are speedy rides -- the carousel goes 10 mph and the ferris wheel whips around at 12 mph. Because the carousel celebrated its 100th birthday this year (celebrations have gone on all summer), we were greeted with a birthday cake and an impressive cupcake display.
The carousel was fun, but a little difficult to ride -- even for an "expert" like me. The animals are quite high up so getting on can be a challenge; the motion (more forward and back than up and down) causes one to slide back and forth; the speed makes holding on tightly an imperative. These problems did not, of course, prevent my riding multiple times!
There was a delightful horse & cart ride for small children which we could look at but not ride.
The park also has a facsimile paddleboat ride on a lake created by damming the river system. We took our box lunches and ate them on board while floating around -- quite pleasant.
At 1:30 we left Crossroads Village to drive further east to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit. In addition to many historic buildings and replicas that Henry Ford had brought together in a mish-mash of periods and styles, there is a historic wooden carousel, a 1913 Herschell-Spillman, which is quite lovely. We were made very welcome and enjoyed riding as well as walking around the grounds a bit.
and enjoyed the variety of transportation shown.
But, of course, the best part was the carousel.
Riding on a frog -- a symbol of a Spillman Carousel.
Upon leaving Greenfield Village, a little late of course, we drove partway back to St. Joseph, eating dinner at Cornwell's Turkeyville and arriving at the hotel about 10:30 p.m. -- a long but fun day.
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