Saturday, they had a huge auto swap meet, car show, car corral, and crafts event on the fairgrounds were we are staying.  Real convenient to just walk a few yards from the rig to the vendors.  There was a bunch of stuff to look through.  I ended up getting a few auto radio knobs for drawer pulls in our auto/American Graffiti themed guest bathroom, and a Michigan 1956 unrestored license plate.  There were two original signs that I really wanted - an unrestored "Woodward" and an unrestored "8 Mile" street signs, but the guy wanted $400 for the pair and the "8 Mile" sign had been in a fire so the corner was burned and scorched.  I also found a new project for Rick (please see the picture of it below).

Sunday, we drove back into Detroit to see Hitsville, USA - the Motown Museum.  We were really impressed with the docent guided tour of the museum that lasts for more than an hour.  The tour starts off with a video with stories and insights from many of the artists and people who worked for Motown, as well as sound bites of the many hit songs that were produced in Studio A in what was the garage of the house where Berry Gordy the man behind Motown Records and lived.   From the small theater we went up to the second floor to a room with many pictures and stories of Berry's family and his life (in his early 20's, he was a professional boxer that boxed on fight cards along with Joe Louis), and many of his recording artists.  The museum included "The" black fedora hat and sequined white glove that Michael Jackson wore. We then walked through the a couple of the rooms where Berry lived, and then went down to the administrative offices of the recording studio where Martha Reeves and Diana Ross worked before they got their starts as recording artists.  We then went in to Studio A where it all took place.  The studio is mostly the way it was before it was closed.  Berry started Tamla Records with an $800 loan from his family.  Within seven years, Tamla and Motown Records (which merged into Motown Record Corporation in 1960) purchased a total of eight neighboring properties along West Grand Boulevard that served as their corporate headquarters until the headquarters was moved to Los Angeles in 1972.   If you are in the area, we strongly suggest you take the time to take the tour.  Recommend making on-line reservations to book a tour time as the tours are limited by head count.  We got there just before they opened at 10 and had to wait for the 10:30 tour as the first tour was full.

From there, we drove into the heart of Detroit to the American Coney Island.  The last time we were in the area, we went to the Lafayette Coney Island next door.  We said if and when we returned we would try the American.  It is really hard to decide which Coney Island dog is better - both were great, but the larger, open and brighter atmosphere of the American possibly gives them a little bit of an advantage?

Monday, we needed to make a short run to Camping World to replace a light that got a little smoky and spit fire yesterday so we stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast first.  This is the now famous (or is that infamous?) Cracker Barrel that Larry Kasper was first introduced to the Cracker Barrel chain.  Since that day back in 2010, their sales have dramatically increased - LOL!