Paris – I love it now, I loved seeing the 1900 Version

I visited Paris in 1900 via the Second Life Virtual World.  I went up to Notre Dame. The doors were just as large and the statues of the Apostles were just as I remember. I didn’t go inside.  I went inside one of the galleries. It had pictures from the time period on the walls. That was fascinating.  I flew above the Galleries Lafayette to make sure that the Tiffany dome was there. It was.

I took a leisurely stroll around the city. I saw the Moulin Rogue Windmill and the Eiffel Tower. I walked underneath the Tower, just as I have in real life.

I saw man women walking around with their long fancy dresses and umbrellas. A few gentlemen wore top hats and very long dress coats. I saw a few photographers. Perhaps they were taking pictures to be made into post cards.

I didn’t see if I could drive any of the cars. I did see a streetcar go down the street. I made sure I didn’t walk down the tracks since I didn’t know the schedule.

It was nice to walk the streets with very few people around.

The buildings pretty much look as they do today – at least from the outside. That’s the magic of Paris. If I visit Paris in 1900 again, I would like to see if I could go down the stairs to get on the Metro.  I would visit one of the beautiful gardens. There’s so much to do and see in Paris, now and then.

The city is realistic.  The scale is a bit too close. But that’s fine. I wouldn’t to walk all the way from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower.

One of the nicest things on my visit was the music. It was very soothing and of course French.

Welcome to Detroit

OK let’s go see some of my favorite sites in Detroit. First of all there are a few statues and monuments that represent Detroit. If you’re short on cash, the good news is: they’re free to see anytime. Did you happen to pass that giant tire on your way from the airport? It was created as a Ferris wheel for the 1964 World’s Fair. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, almost 2 million people and even Jacqueline Kennedy and her children rode on it. It’s been near I-94 for 50 years. There’s also The Spirit of Detroit Statue at the City County Building, now called the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building, in downtown Detroit. Marshall Frederick created the statue, symbolizing the human spirit, God, and family. This statute is well dressed. It often dons the jerseys of The Detroit Red Wings, The Detroit Tigers, The Detroit Lions, and The Detroit Pistons, the major league hockey, baseball, football, and basketball teams in the area. Our last statue on the tour is along The Detroit River. It memorializes Detroit’s role in The Underground Railroad. The sculptor is Ed Dwight. There’s a companion statue across the Detroit River in Canada. That’s right. There’s a foreign country located directly across the river.

I’m getting hungry now; let’s eat at my favorite Coney Island restaurant, American Coney Island. The Detroit style Coney hot dog is unique with its snappy hot dogs, special sauce, onions, and yellow mustard. There is another Coney Island Restaurant right next door, Lafayette. The restaurants are rivals for the bragging rights of the best dog. American Coney Island has been featured on national television programs numerous times.  I believe there are hundreds of Coney Island restaurants in the Detroit area.

Since we’re not too far away, let’s visit Belle Isle, the 987-acre park right in The Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. I’ve visited this park several times as a child and adult. One of my brother’s was married on the island. I’ve also gone to work picnics there. It’s a special place for relaxing. There’s a zoo, aquarium, driving range, giant slide, and picnic areas. The Detroit Grand Prix has been held there. Belle Isle is currently a State of Michigan Park.

The last time I was in Paris I visited the Musée d'Orsay. As I was admiring an exhibit, two guys next to me were talking about The Detroit Institute of Arts.  That’s a real gem in the city of Detroit.  Growing up, I used to visit it often on Saturdays.  Local folks know it simply as the DIA.

While we’re downtown, I’d like to visit the main branch of The Detroit Pubic Library. When I was a kid, I would often take the bus downtown to visit. Reading is a passion of mine. I’ve also used the Burton Historical Collection within the library for genealogical research.

I’ve somewhat of a history buff. Our next stop is the Detroit Historical Museum. I spent wonderful hours there as a child. My absolute favorite exhibit was the ‘Streets of Detroit.” It showcased historical shops and lives in Detroit. From here we will go to Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum. My favorite areas at Greenfield Village are The Firestone farm and The Wright Brother’s house. My favorite exhibits at The Henry Ford are Lincolns’ chair, the JFK limo, and The Spirit of St. Louis.

That’s the end of my tour. I hope you had a good time seeing a great part of Detroit. Since I haven’t been to visit my favorite places in quite some time, I think I will make it a priority this summer. It’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to visit these fabulous locations.