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Aug. 8th, 2010 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogOh well; not going to get any decent sunset colors in the fountain square. I'm going to go look after dark; Jim and Lara say it lights up.
So, from Ludington I drove south to Grand Rapids. It was late and I passed on the field of sculpted fish heads and Robert Wadlow's shoe, but I really wanted to see the monument to water flouridation. I almost wish I hadn't; it's next to impossible to park anywhere in downtown Grand Rapids. It's full of swanky hotels, museums, and restaurants. I suspect this has something to do with the fact that Amway is headquartered there. I was made very aware of this by the plaques explaining the history and the museum named after one of the founders.
I managed to park across the river from the monument (which was along the riverwalk in front of one of said hotels). I got some pictures; it's a bunch of blue, wavy, steel ribbons. I was not so excited by them. Somehow, from the page on Roadside America page, I'd gotten the impression that the monument was some classical Greek style pillars in a circle. From Roadside America: "A six-pillar, white marble monument commemorates Grand Rapids as..." Speaking from first-hand experience, the monument is neither pillars, nor white, nor marble, nor are there six of anything. In fact, rather than something neo-classical and vintage looking, it was kind of (to my untrained eye) eighties looking and dull. But you know, nothing against it personally; I'm sure it's a perfectly fine monument and it tries really hard. I got some pictures anyway.
From swanky downtown Grand Rapids, I drove another hour and a half to Lansing where I finally arrived about half past eleven to a dinner of awesome pizza from Happy's, a local place that I suspect does a brisk business with the law student crowd. The three of us chatted for a while as we half watched The Big Lebowski, then I got to sleep. The next day, while Jim and Lara were off at class, I spent three and a half hours wandering and photographing downtown Lansing. There are some pretty neat buildings here, including a really nifty Art Deco skyscraper built in 1931 that would look quite at home in downtown Chicago.
We met up again after class and they took to an awesome pet store and showed me the gay/lesbian bars in old town. I'd totally go to a place called The Unicorn! *grins* And the Chrome Cat; that's a pretty great name too (that one's a lesbian bar).
Anyway, I'm getting tired, but there isn't much more to say. We all went back to the apartment and watched Kick Ass. Surprisingly good movie. And since then, the three of us, and then Lara and I, have just sat and talked for hours and hours. I really need to go to bed soon because I need to get out of here by 8 when the parking meters take effect, but I'm just having way too good a time with people I never see. Well, it'll all work out in the end.
So, from Ludington I drove south to Grand Rapids. It was late and I passed on the field of sculpted fish heads and Robert Wadlow's shoe, but I really wanted to see the monument to water flouridation. I almost wish I hadn't; it's next to impossible to park anywhere in downtown Grand Rapids. It's full of swanky hotels, museums, and restaurants. I suspect this has something to do with the fact that Amway is headquartered there. I was made very aware of this by the plaques explaining the history and the museum named after one of the founders.
I managed to park across the river from the monument (which was along the riverwalk in front of one of said hotels). I got some pictures; it's a bunch of blue, wavy, steel ribbons. I was not so excited by them. Somehow, from the page on Roadside America page, I'd gotten the impression that the monument was some classical Greek style pillars in a circle. From Roadside America: "A six-pillar, white marble monument commemorates Grand Rapids as..." Speaking from first-hand experience, the monument is neither pillars, nor white, nor marble, nor are there six of anything. In fact, rather than something neo-classical and vintage looking, it was kind of (to my untrained eye) eighties looking and dull. But you know, nothing against it personally; I'm sure it's a perfectly fine monument and it tries really hard. I got some pictures anyway.
From swanky downtown Grand Rapids, I drove another hour and a half to Lansing where I finally arrived about half past eleven to a dinner of awesome pizza from Happy's, a local place that I suspect does a brisk business with the law student crowd. The three of us chatted for a while as we half watched The Big Lebowski, then I got to sleep. The next day, while Jim and Lara were off at class, I spent three and a half hours wandering and photographing downtown Lansing. There are some pretty neat buildings here, including a really nifty Art Deco skyscraper built in 1931 that would look quite at home in downtown Chicago.
We met up again after class and they took to an awesome pet store and showed me the gay/lesbian bars in old town. I'd totally go to a place called The Unicorn! *grins* And the Chrome Cat; that's a pretty great name too (that one's a lesbian bar).
Anyway, I'm getting tired, but there isn't much more to say. We all went back to the apartment and watched Kick Ass. Surprisingly good movie. And since then, the three of us, and then Lara and I, have just sat and talked for hours and hours. I really need to go to bed soon because I need to get out of here by 8 when the parking meters take effect, but I'm just having way too good a time with people I never see. Well, it'll all work out in the end.
