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Historic Camping Gear

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    • Historic Camping Gear

      Since we can't take a major vacation during the pandemic, we have been doing some smaller day trips to local places we never seem to get to. Today we went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI. They had this complete camping kit from the late 1700's. One chest had a whole kitchen with stove, pots, pans, tea kettle, and wine glasses. The other chest had this incredibly clever cot that folds up in the chest with pillow (I want one of these!). What makes it even more remarkable is it belonged to George Washington!

    • Even though this a camping gear forum, I will post some other pics from the museum.
      They have a complete set of seats presidents were sitting in when they were assassinated.
      Lincoln Kennedy

      They had a special Marvel Comic exhibit, including some costumes used in the Movies.


      And of course lots of cars, especially Fords. Perhaps the most interesting was this '62 Mustang prototype concept car and the original Mustang (and when they say original, they mean serial #0000001)


      And not just Fords. Here we have the bus in which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.
      The museum bought it from a farmer who had been using it as a chicken coop for a few decades. They cleaned it up.
      Also, two of the greatest cars from the 30's. A Duesenberg (back) and Bugatti (front).

    • Henry Ford Museum is one place that is on my bucket list. My wife wants to find a place to stay on Lake Michigan next summer, so maybe I can sneak off for a day trip. :thumbup:

      I have presented on Fordlandlia more than a dozen times.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      Henry Ford Museum is one place that is on my bucket list. My wife wants to find a place to stay on Lake Michigan next summer, so maybe I can sneak off for a day trip. :thumbup:

      I have presented on Fordlandlia more than a dozen times.
      Be advised that Lake MI to Dearborn is a long day trip (it was 2.5 hr drive one way for us - further from the lake. Lake Huron is closer, but I've never toured Huron on the MI side. If you are there for the museum, you may want to check out Greenfield Village too. If you are just a intetested in cars, you could check out the Gilmore Car Museum near Kalamazoo (much closer to Lake MI). It is pretty awesome, especially for pre WWII cars. However my favorite part of Lake MI is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Area (not close to any of these). We go up there every Oct for a color season weekend.

    • odd man out wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Henry Ford Museum is one place that is on my bucket list. My wife wants to find a place to stay on Lake Michigan next summer, so maybe I can sneak off for a day trip. :thumbup:

      I have presented on Fordlandlia more than a dozen times.
      Be advised that Lake MI to Dearborn is a long day trip (it was 2.5 hr drive one way for us - further from the lake. Lake Huron is closer, but I've never toured Huron on the MI side. If you are there for the museum, you may want to check out Greenfield Village too. If you are just a intetested in cars, you could check out the Gilmore Car Museum near Kalamazoo (much closer to Lake MI). It is pretty awesome, especially for pre WWII cars. However my favorite part of Lake MI is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Area (not close to any of these). We go up there every Oct for a color season weekend.
      Not really much interest in cars, more interest in all the historical things Ford collected.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Car Camping Through the Years: From the Henry Ford Museum

      Gilkie Tent Trailer, about 1927

      1947 Airstream Trailwind


      1959 Volkswagon Westfalia (next to a 1930's era roadside cabin.)
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • odd man out wrote:

      Cool. Wish I could afford an Airstream
      I lived in a 1950's vintage Airstream for a summer that I rented from a lady in Old Lyme, CT. It was beautiful. There was a small stream behind it that connected a lake to the ocean. I would come home from work, fire up the hibachi, and have a trout on the hook just as the coals were beginning to glow. That was a great summer.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier