 
Lizaanne
Member
Username: Lizaanne
Post Number: 51
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 11:43 pm: |    |
Auto plants?
Vernors?
Wonder Bread?
What are your favorite tour memories of Detroit?
~Liza |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 5371
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 11:53 pm: | |
Historical Museum.
I loved going there around the holidays and seeing the old streets of Detroit. Stepping on the old cobblestone streets and seeing the faux storefronts was somehow magical to me. I also remember buying candy down there as well. |
Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks
Post Number: 570
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 12:31 am: | |
What Smogboy said. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 5376
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 3:01 am: | |
Not for me but for my grandfather, he loved it when we took a tour of the Ford Rouge Plant many many years ago. These were the original tours where they took us deep into the plant, as opposed to the semi-sterile Henry Ford exhibit that's offered now. My grandfather marvelled at the sight of the red hot metal being poured, the size of the crucible, the stench of burning things, the smashing, banging noises, and the enormity of it all.
I was a wee little lad then and just remembered how brilliantly red hot the molten metal was, how smooth it poured and the dirty metal stairs we had to climb in order to see it all. For my grandfather who had never seen anything of this size and scale, it left a lasting impression on him up until his last days. |
Jrvass
Member
Username: Jrvass
Post Number: 101
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 4:44 am: | |
Spitting on the red-hot steel from the above catwalk while in cub-scouts! |
The_rock
Member
Username: The_rock
Post Number: 1776
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 6:44 am: | |
Watching them build Hudson automobiles with their famous "step-down" bodies at the NE corner of Connor and E. Jefferson. |
Jjw
Member
Username: Jjw
Post Number: 330
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 6:50 am: | |
Strohs plant--free pitcher of beer after the tour and pop for the kiddies |
Blueidone
Member
Username: Blueidone
Post Number: 86
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 9:50 am: | |
Ford Rouge Plant! Vernor's plant was great too. And I can't remember where it was, but sometime in my youth I went on a tour of an old mine...quartz or something...not the salt mines. They stored tons and tons of food down there. My failing memory tells me it was on the east coast of Michigan somewhere between AuGres and Oscoda. Anybody remember this place? |
Dtctygrl
Member
Username: Dtctygrl
Post Number: 11
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 12:35 pm: | |
Detroit Historical Museum was wonderful as stated by Smogboy. I loved the cobblestone streets and store fronts. I always bought rock candy and a postcard at the gift shop. I also enjoyed going to Greenfield Village and Belle Isle with my classmates. My Mom would usually chaperone the Belle Isle trip which included the zoo, the aquarium, and the conservatory. A brown bag lunch at the playground and time to play on the swings was always a part of the outing. |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 5382
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 3:46 pm: | |
Oooo...Belle Isle! Now that was always a school sponsored trip in elementary school for me. I remembered spending what I considered a small fortune back then riding the big slide (wasn't it a nickel a run or something like that?). It was a total blast going down that track and I would race up that thing as soon as I got to the bottom. It was magical.
But then just recently I drove by the big slide there and it didn't seem as big as I imagined it to be when I was a kid. Darn the disillusionment of being an adult! |
Gary
Member
Username: Gary
Post Number: 228
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 4:36 pm: | |
As a kid, I remember field trips to the Historical Museum, Ford Auditorium for DSO performances, Greenfield Village, the Children's Museum (great planetarium as I recall), the DIA. My favorite was probably the field trip we took to our neighborhood fire station. |
Lizaanne
Member
Username: Lizaanne
Post Number: 54
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 12:07 pm: | |
I seem to remember a tour of the Squirt plant - they gave us all little salt and pepper shakers shaped like Squirt bottles. I thought that was the coolest!!!
And always the personal visits to the Hostess and Wonder plants where my Grampa worked. Those were the best of all.
~Liza |
Arc312
Member
Username: Arc312
Post Number: 42
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 4:52 pm: | |
riding the people mover at the age of four back and forth with my father for the hell of it in the late 80's. After riding the monorail in DisneyWorld, the people mover was the coolest thing for me. I would love to see it run up Woodward. |
Msamslex
Member
Username: Msamslex
Post Number: 2
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 5:22 pm: | |
Hello,
New to the forum.
One favorite tour was the Wonder bread plant. They used to take us when I was in elementary school. We had to bring a bag lunch and one half of the group would go on the tour while the other half ate. Then switched. We were given free cupcakes or Twinkies or some kind of Hostess treat for desert and I think some milk. At the end of the tour we were given a freshly baked
slice of Wonder bread. It was warm but the I always thought the bread was gummy (Sorry).
I guess because it was still hot from the oven. We were also given some type of comic book about Hostess or Wonder bread but I don't remember what the story was about. Also we went on the city bus, known as the DSR then (now DOT). No cheese buses to take us around then!! |
Swiburn
Member
Username: Swiburn
Post Number: 157
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 10:42 am: | |
In the early l960s, I went downtown to see the Art Institute's (free) Edward Hopper retrospective. Then I walked up to Boston Blvd and caught the bus back to the suburbs.
Probably aren't too many sixth graders doing that today. |
Karenk
Member
Username: Karenk
Post Number: 43
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 1:54 pm: | |
In the '50s, Dodge Truck had an open house for employees. It was great fun seeing where my Dad worked and the things he built. He was a carpenter, as opposed to being on the assembly line. Bottom of my list would be the Twin Pines Dairy. I couldn't eat cottage cheese for 20 yrs. after watching them make it! |
Jman
Member
Username: Jman
Post Number: 66
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007 - 5:53 pm: | |
Karenk, this is a long shot. Did your Dad go by the name of Frenchie? |
Cybersanford
Member
Username: Cybersanford
Post Number: 7
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 1:05 pm: | |
I went to Great Lakes Steel when I was a kind. They normally did not do tours, but they did this for a company milestone anaversary. This was back in the mid 70s. Very cool seeing the molten red steele being poured, formed and rolled. I mean it was hot! Haaaaaa |
Fishtoes2000
Member
Username: Fishtoes2000
Post Number: 229
Registered: 06-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 1:16 pm: | |
It wasn't an official tour, but my grandpa worked for Hudson's and took us on a tour of the parade warehouse. I remember being a bit scared of those large clown heads. |
Gingellgirl
Member
Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 20
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 4:39 pm: | |
WWJ studios and the Detroit News building.
Who knew there was a tunnel under Lafayette connecting the two buildings?
Years later, I interned in the old WWJ building. That's history, baby!! |
Carolcb
Member
Username: Carolcb
Post Number: 1067
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 4:50 pm: | |
Probably the tour in 2nd grade of the Twin Pines Dairy. I still have the ruler they gave us.
I always enjoyed Greenfield Village and eating the rock candy on a stick!
Also, going to the Art Museum.... |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5378
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 5:13 pm: | |
jjaba still remembers when the tourguide at Wonder Bread, pulled out some nails from his pocket and told us, "we pull some of these out to control the iron content in the bread." Then we each got a small loaf of bread and read that there's iron in each loaf.
Several new posters on this thread. Welcome from jjaba.
jjaba's best tour was taking the Oakman Streetcar over to the Manchester Yards in Highland Park and then getting on the sleek PCC Woodward car downtown for his haircut at Hudsons in a horsie chair. If he was a good boy, he got a huge corned beef sandwich at Broadway Market with mother.
Then, Dad picked us up from work under the Kerns clock. That was a great tour and a great day for jjaba, circa 1948.
jjaba, Westside Bar Mitzvah Bukkor. |
Pgn421
Member
Username: Pgn421
Post Number: 86
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 9:08 pm: | |
Strohs Brewery! was my fav tour. |
Spitcoff
Member
Username: Spitcoff
Post Number: 107
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - 9:33 pm: | |
vernors 4 sure |
Tponetom
Member
Username: Tponetom
Post Number: 1
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 - 9:41 pm: | |
Being a Dinosaur of sorts and a dyed in the wool east-sider, my favorite tour (with my girl friend) was the cheapest and most glorious tour of them all. No charge and open 24/7. Up and down Burns, Iroquois, Seminole, from Mack to Jefferson. Indian Village! What dreams and excitement it promised. |
Belbell777
Member
Username: Belbell777
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 2:02 am: | |
Taking the tour of the International salt mine.Going on the elavator 1250 feet down. Learning that the tempature is 54 all year long,putting my hand up to my eyes and seeing nothing at all. Watching my dad and uncles work in the great big lighted rooms that they blasted the day before. |
Lilpup
Member
Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 2376
Registered: 06-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 2:27 am: | |
My dad's go anywhere to kill time Sunday morning drives (Mom was the organist & had to be at church early - we'd drop her off, then go tour). Usually it was down Woodward & Atwater, around Belle Isle, sometimes to SW Detroit and around the bridge & train station, alway swing by the great-uncle's house on the way back - we're talking 35 or so years ago. Going back to church the game was to see who could spot the steeple first. |
Imhere
Member
Username: Imhere
Post Number: 30
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 8:33 am: | |
I enjoyed the Historical Museum and Belle Isle, but the best field trip for me was in the 4th or 5th grade our class went to Fort Wayne. I can still remember the tour to this day. |
Dannaroo
Member
Username: Dannaroo
Post Number: 77
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 10:12 am: | |
I think one of the best field trips I ever went on was a tour of the Detroit Water Treatment Plant when I was in about the 6th grade. The thing that amazed me the most was the massive volume that the facility handles. Of course, I have never toured another water treatment plant so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was still impressive.
But, I'm a dork and I find things like water treatment plants very interesting. |
Dtctygrl
Member
Username: Dtctygrl
Post Number: 13
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - 10:19 am: | |
I had forgotten about going to Fort Wayne. Gee, I think we walked there from Beard Elementary School. Hmm.... |