While I packed, John, Matt and Rich fixed the fan in the bathroom which had stopped working Sunday. Then we walked to see the Guardian building in downtown Detroit, considered by many to be the finest example of art deco architecture in the nation. We then grabbed a cab to the Detroit Institute of Art, the fifth largest art museum in the nation with a collection valued at over $2B. There are works from Greco-Roman times through contemporary. We spent most of our time in the European art from Pre-Renaissance through the turn of the century (1900) - works from Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Picasso were all on display. We recognized some paitnings from the game Masterpiece and Rich pointed out some hidden allegorical faces in some paintings and symbolism in others. We took in the contemporary collection as well which I wasn’t fond of except for one Franz Marc and one Picasso, but Rich and Matt appreciated it.
John picks up the blog: Following lunch at the DIA cafe we said our goodbyes and Timi headed to the airport while Matt, Rich and I headed for the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. “The Rouge” was established in 1917 to build the Model A. The Rouge in its early days was completely vertically integrated - the plant took in iron ore, lumber and sand and made its own steel, glass and other needed materials to manufacturer and complete car onsite. While the glass and steel mills have been subleased Ford currently assembles the Ford F-150 pickup on the grounds, employing 1,000 workers to crank out one truck every 60 seconds. For the workers on the line who work 10 hour shifts, that means repeating your task 600 times a day. As we peered down onto the assembly line from the catwalks above encircling the 678,000 sf assembly floor, we were reminded why we went to college.
After the tour it was back to the boat to enjoy another late afternoon on the aft deck catching up on email enjoy several cocktails and reflect on the fact tomorrow we will leave Michigan after having visiting 16 different cites and towns there since purchasing the boat. Around 8:30, we headed back down the Riverwalk to Joe Muer Seafood for dinner before retiring for the evening.
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