It turns out that the tire shop is in the same area as a shopping mall, so we dropped by Petco, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohls, Bath and Body Works....you get the picture. All that shopping made us hungry, so we stopped at Ruby Tuesday for a salad bar trip.
Now we had the rest of the afternoon to kill in Battle Creek, the home of the Kellogg and Post cereal empires. I offered up a trip to the Gilmore Auto Museum, said to be the country's largest collection. So, we went downtown to try to find the Visitor's Center, and locate some history about the cereal business instead....The address we had for the VC turned out to be the Battle Creek Police Department (no visiting there). We did find an address for the Battle Creek History Museum, but it seemed to be under construction, so we did not venture in. Turns out that factory tours were stopped some thirty years ago, and various attempts to highlight the cereal industry have not been altogether successful. the summer home of W.K. Kellogg in the area of Hickory Corners (just a few miles south of Battle Creek) and is open to the public. Kellogg manor is now used to host weddings, dinners, conferences, and the like. We again were not able to locate the venue, and time was getting away from us, so we decided to take the long way home and spend some quality time with Sasha.
We headed north out of Battle Creek, and drifted a bit east into the little town of Bellevue, where just outside of town are the remains of the Dyer Kiln in a cute county park. This kiln was used to cook limestone to be used in the making of cement, the ingredient in concrete that makes it all get hard.
So....no cereal in Battle Creek, The Home of Cereal.....
We did find out that Kellogg's was founded in 1906 by W.K. Kellogg as an outgrowth of his work with his brother John Kellogg at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The Sanitarium was sponsored by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which follows strict dietary guidelines. W. K. was searching for a food that was inexpensive and nutritious and fit in with the Adventist protocol. Kellogg's Toasted Corn Flakes were hugely successful and now the company has offices and factories in 18 countries and is marketed in 180 countries. From 1930 until after the Second World War, Kellogg factories operated on a 30 hour workweek so that additional shifts could be employed. This offered more people work during the hard times of the Depression and War Years. Kellogg's is the world's second-largest snack food company after PepsiCo, owning Pringles, Famous Amos, Keebler and others.
Since we didn't have much luck in Battle Creek on Monday, we decided to head back to Lansing today, Tuesday. On our way we stopped in the community of Charlotte (pronounced SHAR-lot) to visit the plant where our motorhome chassis was manufactured. Uh-oh....no tours. Can't see anything behind the fences and trees. Bummer.
In Lansing our goal was the Michigan State Capital building, located, of all things, on Michigan Avenue.
Construction began in 1872 and the structure was completely renovated in the 1990's. Original cost? 1.5 million dollars! About $50 million in today's dollars. A real bargain, I'd say! One of the ways that was accomplished was the extensive use of native White Pine in lieu of marble or English Walnut. Imported craftsmen used multi-layer paint systems to make the wood appear to be stone or exotic woods. Painted plaster detailing on the walls and ceilings further enhanced the gracious decor.
This original gas/electric light fixture is made of iron and painted to look like bronze. It incorporates symbols from the state's coat of arms: the elk on the left and the moose on the right represent Michigan; the word "Tuebor" under the animals means "I will defend", a reference to Michigan's position along the US border.
Outside the Governor's ceremonial office, one of the few remaining original gas lamps (now converted to electricity) has been refurbished.
The ceiling in the Governor's office is the only remaining original ceiling. It was cleaned during restoration, but not repainted. The "dusty" appearance of the paint is a result of the burning of gas in the original light fixture.
The furnishings in the Governor's office are mostly original to the office, including the magnificent sideboard featuring hand-carved details that was carved by the same craftsman that did the table and chairs.
From the third floor, the rotunda has a completely different look. You may not be able to see them, but the "eye" of the rotunda contains a group of stars. Each star is roughly the size of a dinner plate, which gives the viewer a sense of the height of the dome. Like the US Capitol, the Michigan State Capitol has two domes, made of iron.
Looking down on the glass tile floor is a bit eerie. The tiles are set so that some people see a depression in the floor (not there), or a slight dome in the floor (not there), or waves in the floor (not there either!)
The original Supreme Court Chamber is magnificent, befitting the station of the justices. The bookcases behind the justices is the only furniture in the capitol made of English Walnut, and the ceiling and columns are elegant.
The tops of the columns are unique works of art. The original artist did not keep notes, and the architect gave the craftsmen a free-hand with their work, so we don't know what they represent. Some see Cheshire Cats. Some see gargoyles. Some see modified Egyptian motifs. Take your pick.
The House of Representatives Chamber was closed today for minor updating, but we were able to view the Senate Chamber with it's 38 chairs representing 38 districts in the state, each with about 250,000 citizens. Next to each Senators' padded chair is a small desk with a wooden chair facing the Senator. This is for their assistants!
The ceiling of the chamber is composed of panes of glass embossed with the seals of each state. Reproductions of original gas lights hang from the ceiling.
Each fixture is lowered to the floor once a year and cleaned. There are over 1,700 pieces of crystal in each fixture, and 6 to 8 hours is required to clean each one!
Of course, being from the West Coast, we had to snap a photo of the California State Seal. As we looked up, the tour guide asked if there were any visitors in the group from out of state. To our surprise, there was another family from California, and indeed, from a town only about 30 miles from our home!
All in all a very attractive structure. Now used primarily for ceremonial occasions, it brings back a hint of the days when government was more formal and structured, and was more responsive to the citizens it served.
As with many cities, Lansing has an "Old Town" that badly needed a make-over. Lansing is in the process of converting many of its old buildings into restaurants and music venues. We chose to have lunch in the Creole Burger restaurant, which is housed in a narrow old building with eclectic decor and an unusual menu.
The menu sports a unique take on the usual burgers....but the hook in the joint is the "Trust Us". This is listed on the menu as a creation of the chef that changes each day, and the server will not disclose the ingredients or the entree until it is served. The only inquiry is about allergies and strong dislikes. Donna decided to go with the surprise, while I opted for the more traditional Creole sandwich.
Donna's burger came with a stuffing of smoked mushrooms, chipotle pepper cheese sauce, and a fried green tomato layered on top! All on a home-made bun.
The Creole Burger was a perfectly cooked patty, with pepper jack cheese and oysters on top. Delicious! We both brough home a half of a burger for lunch (or dinner) another day. The sandwiches were huge!
Ok, now we've done Marshall, Battle Creek, and Lansing....what's next?
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