<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" > <channel> <title>Betty Ford – THROUGH THE EYES OF JEFFERSON</title> <atom:link href="https://eyesofjefferson.com/tag/betty-ford/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com</link> <description>Presidential site adventures as told by a bobble head</description> <lastBuildDate>Sun, 03 Nov 2024 15:33:47 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">167670250</site> <item> <title>299: I SPENT THE DAY WITH FORD AFTER MISSING THE NIGHT WITH TRUMP</title> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/299-i-spent-the-day-with-ford-after-missing-the-night-with-trump/</link> <comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/299-i-spent-the-day-with-ford-after-missing-the-night-with-trump/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 26 Jul 2024 02:42:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ali Bastianelli]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Betty Ford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bill Clinton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Chowder and Marching Club]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ford Paint & Varnish Co.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald Ford grave]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald R. Ford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gorilla Super Glue]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Grand Rapids Rise]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Herman Everhardus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jack Nicklaus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Oval Office]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Richard Nixon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category> <category><![CDATA[University of Michigan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[USS Monterey]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Van Andel Arena]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=42211</guid> <description><![CDATA[When my last trip ended on May 3, 2024, I spent the next 78 days standing on a shelf with the rest of my Presidential bobble head friends. Although I was mentally prepared for the twelve-day adventure to Kansas City…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When my last trip ended on May 3, 2024, I spent the next 78 days standing on a shelf with the rest of my Presidential bobble head friends. Although I was mentally prepared for the twelve-day adventure to Kansas City that was slated to begin on July 25th, I was stunned when Tom stowed me away in his camera case five days early. As my photographer pulled out of the driveway with Vicki in the co-pilot’s seat at 9:30am on Saturday July 20, 2024, that’s the moment I learned the three of us were headed for Grand Rapids, Michigan. In my resin mind, I figured we were headed to the Donald Trump rally, which was scheduled to start at 3pm in the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena. But it turned out I was wrong. Tom and Vic had been invited to a wedding ceremony that was set to begin at 4:30pm at the Leona Road wedding venue, which was an old, renovated schoolhouse situated northwest of downtown Grand Rapids. The ceremony, held on the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 astronaut’s first Moon Walk, would unite Adam Tobey and Claire DeJonge in holy matrimony. Although it was one small step for Adam, it was one giant leap for Adam and Claire as a couple.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My companions and I rolled into Grand Rapids at roughly 12:10pm following an uneventful ride across the state of Michigan. When Tom and Vicki had finished their lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings, we headed to the Fairfield Inn where my two friends unpacked their belongings and then changed their clothes for the wedding. My photographer placed me next to the television set where I knew I’d spend the rest of the day and night. And that was only because I wasn’t included on the wedding invitation – which wasn’t a big deal to me. What was a disappointment, however, was the fact I was within six miles of a former President of the United States, and instead of Tom taking me to the Van Andel Arena to see Trump in person, I was alone and stuck playing grab-ass with a few cockroaches.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My photographer and his wife left the hotel for the Leona Road wedding venue at 3:25pm. It had been five years since I last saw Tom sport a nice dress shirt and necktie, and that was when he and Bob Moldenhauer took me inside the West Wing of the White House for a VIP tour in 2019. That moment inside the White House was when I first realized my COBS infested camera guy shines up like a new penny. And on this night in Grand Rapids, I thought he looked pretty spiffy in his pink shirt, black pants, and blue-tinted eyeglasses.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42219" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ALI-BASTIANELLI.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">At the wedding reception, my photographer posed with Ali Bastianelli, a six-year professional volleyball player who had just signed to play with the Grand Rapids Rise this coming season.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My two companions returned to the room at 10:15pm, and it seemed as though both Tom and Vicki had a bounce in their step. I stood next to the television set and listened as my photographer and his wife rehashed the wedding ceremony and reception. I heard snippets of the conversation that included “An amazing person”, “I’m glad we met”, “Someone I look up to”, and “Possessed an incredible personality”. At first, I wondered whether or not former President Donald Trump had dropped in at the reception for an impromptu campaign stop, but Tom’s verbiage didn’t accurately describe the 45th President.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It turned out Tom and Vic didn’t rub elbows with Trump, but instead met Ali Bastianelli, a 6′ 3″ middle blocker for her new team, the Grand Rapids Rise of the Pro Volleyball Federation. Ironically, my photographer worked at Cargill Salt with Ali’s mother, Joan, for a long time. For six months in 2021, my camera guy mentored Joan Bastianelli, who transitioned into Tom’s safety role following his retirement.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Exhausted after partying like it was 1959, my cameraman extinguished the lights in the room at 11:15pm. I stood alone in the darkness and thought about Donald J. Trump speaking to his MAGA followers just six miles from our hotel. To me, the event wasn’t just another political rally, similar to the one the three of us had attended in Washington, Michigan on April 28, 2018. Instead, I viewed it as a historic moment – the rally was the first one held after the failed assassination attempt on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania where Trump was shot and wounded in the right ear.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>*****************************************************</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The following morning, Sunday July 21, 2024, my photographer woke up at seven o’clock without an alarm because he needed to “log out”; and unfortunately, he wasn’t using his computer, either. For the next two hours, I watched Tom and Vicki as they prepared to take on the day – a day that my photographer had promised would be filled with Presidential sites. Well, maybe not filled; but Tom did have three sites he planned on taking me to see. The first was the Ford Paint & Varnish Company building once owned by Gerald Ford’s stepfather; the second was the Van Andel Arena where the Trump rally was held the previous night; and my photographer planned on ending our day in Grand Rapids at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum where I would once again pose on the 38th President’s gravesite. Since the museum didn’t open its doors until noon, Vicki suggested the three of us head to the Georgetown Little League complex, which was about 15 miles away in Jenison, to watch her brother’s granddaughter play in a softball tournament.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Luckily for me, and since it was located along the route to Jenison, Tom navigated us to our first Presidential site of the morning – which was the building that once housed the Ford Paint & Varnish Company owned by Gerald Ford, Sr. The elder Ford, along with a partner, bought the Grand Rapids Wood Finishing Company from his employer in 1929. Within a few weeks of the purchase, the country slid into the Great Depression – but with Ford’s reputation and ingenuity, the company stayed afloat and prospered with the recovery.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After Vicki parked our Jeep in one of the driveway entrances along Elizabeth Street, Tom carried me up to the building that was once part of the Ford Paint & Varnish Company. As I posed for several photos near the exterior of the building, now known as B&E Seal Coat Products, Inc., I thought about the young 16-year-old future President as he toiled alongside his brothers and other laborers. Young Jerry worked hard for his father – he pushed heavy tubs of paint over the rough floor, and he also mixed ingredients for production. But according to Ford’s younger brother Tom, Jerry had a reputation of being the sloppiest guy there.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42222" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing at the front door of the former Ford Paint & Varnish Company. Today, the building is home to B&E Seal Coat Products, Inc.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42223" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-2.jpg?w=1137&ssl=1 1137w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-2.jpg?resize=768%2C511&ssl=1 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This historical image of the Ford Paint Company was taken on August 15, 1974 – just six days after Gerald R. Ford became President following Nixon’s resignation.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42224" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-6.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in front of the door, I wondered if young Jerry Ford had used this entrance when he worked for his stepfather.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42225" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PAINT-SHOP-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">What Tom and I didn’t realize while I posed in front of the building at the corner of Elizabeth and Myrtle Streets was the company owned by Ford’s stepfather occupied the entire block. It turned out there was another building, located down the street behind me, which was also part of the Ford Paint & Varnish Company.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="465" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?resize=800%2C465&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42227" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?resize=300%2C174&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C595&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?resize=768%2C446&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C893&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-PAINT-COMPANY-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This historical image shows the Ford Paint & Varnish Company building at the corner of Elizabeth and Crosby Streets. It looks like I’m going back to Grand Rapids at some point in the near future.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Back in the Jeep after we were finished at the Ford Paint & Varnish Company site, Vicki drove the three of us out to Jennison where we arrived in time for the 10am softball game. To top it off, at least for my photographer’s wife, Molly McGovern was celebrating her ninth birthday; while at the same time, she helped her team win the game. Even though Tom left me in the vehicle, mainly because he didn’t want my dashing good looks to be a distraction to the young girls, Vicki had parked close enough to the field where I was able to watch bits and pieces of the game.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the ball game was over and my companions had said their goodbyes, we were on the road and headed back into downtown Grand Rapids. During the entire 11-mile ride to our intended destination, which was the Van Andel Arena, I thought about what the scene might have been like in and around that venue the previous night. Not only did 12,000 MAGA Trump supporters cram every nook and cranny of the Van Andel on July 20th, but there were reports of thousands of others who couldn’t get inside.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Traffic was light in downtown Grand Rapids on that early Sunday afternoon. Without much trouble, Vicki found a parking spot on Ottawa Avenue, which was along the west side of the huge, multi-purpose arena. With me in hand, my photographer carried me to the front of the Van Andel where I posed for a few photos. When Tom placed me on the bronze statue dedicated to the life of Jay Van Andel, it was as though I could hear former President Donald Trump as he addressed the crowd inside.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When Trump triumphantly strolled onto the Van Andel stage at roughly 6pm on Saturday night, it was one week nearly to the minute when gun shots rang out in Butler, Pennsylvania and wounded the former President. Just five days later, on Thursday July 18th, Trump accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee shortly after he announced J.D. Vance as his Vice-Presidential running mate. The rally inside the Van Andel Arena, which featured both Trump and Vance speaking, was his first campaign rally since those two historic events unfurled the previous week.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Trump began his speech as the capacity crowd shouted “USA, USA, USA”, over and over again. “This is like a Michigan football game over here. This is pretty good. I’m thrilled to be back in the great state of Michigan with thousands and thousands, and I mean lots of thousands up here – this is a hell of an arena.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I looked up at the massive structure in front of me and I agreed with Trump, it looked like a hell of an arena. I was eager to get inside the building with the hopes of catching a glimpse of the stage where Trump spoke, but Tom’s attempts to open the doors proved to be fruitless. Instead, I was stuck on the outside, looking in – even though I wanted to make America great again by sharing my Presidential stories with anyone who might listen.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42232" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Tom placed me on the statue dedicated to the life of Jay Van Andel, there was no one else in the area except the two of us. But suddenly, it seemed as though the thunderous applause from the previous night was still emitting from the building behind me. The Trump rally had ended roughly 15 hours before our arrival, yet it seemed as though the 45th President was closer than ever.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1118" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-STATUE-FINAL-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1118&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42240" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-STATUE-FINAL-1.jpg?w=840&ssl=1 840w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-STATUE-FINAL-1.jpg?resize=215%2C300&ssl=1 215w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-STATUE-FINAL-1.jpg?resize=733%2C1024&ssl=1 733w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-STATUE-FINAL-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1073&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">So close, in fact, that by me standing on the statue in front of the Van Andel Arena, it made it very easy to get caught up in the frenzy and hoopla known as Donald J. Trump.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="517" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?resize=800%2C517&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42235" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?resize=300%2C194&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C662&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?resize=768%2C497&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C993&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Since its opening on October 8, 1996, some of the biggest musical acts in our nation’s history have performed at the Van Andel Arena. Some of those acts included Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga, The Who, Taylor Swift, and of course, KISS. As a matter of fact, my photographer and his wife attended a KISS ‘End of the Road World Tour” show at the Van Andel on March 9, 2019.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="511" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?resize=800%2C511&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42236" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?resize=300%2C192&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C654&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?resize=768%2C491&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C981&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the past few years, I’ve stood on the sites where both Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were shot by potential assassins. That’s why it was historically important for me to visit the Van Andel Arena where Donald Trump delivered a campaign speech just one week after surviving an assassination attempt himself.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42237" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/VAN-ANDEL-5.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Overnight, clean-up crews did an amazing job of removing all of the debris and litter from the grounds around the Van Andel. However, the workers missed one piece of litter left behind by a MAGA attendee.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42238" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-IN-VAN-ANDEL.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">“Right now, we have really low IQ people in there; and the President in particular, he has about a 70 IQ and he’s going against 210 and it never works out.” Does anyone with reasonable intelligence really believe Trump’s IQ is 210? With his reduced vocabulary skills, if I was a betting bobble head, I’d guess Trump’s IQ would be scored around 80. After all, no one will ever accuse him of being sesquipedalian.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The two of us reunited with Vicki who had patiently waited for us to do our thing in front of the Van Andel Arena. Because she didn’t hang out with us in front of the arena, I thought for sure Tom’s wife would join us during our visit inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Musuem, but that wasn’t the case. When Vic pulled into the parking lot after making the one-mile drive from the arena, she told my photographer she planned on sitting down by the shore of the Grand River while Tom and I admired the artifacts inside the museum.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Although I had been to the site three times over the past ten years, it was during my first visit in 2014 when I was allowed to see the entire museum. Not impressed with the displays, Tom had given the Ford Museum a middle-of-the-road rating compared to all of the other Presidential museums he’s visited.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Once inside, Tom let me pose once again in the lobby of the museum where President Ford’s remains laid in repose on January 2, 2007 before the church service and burial the following day. When we finished, the two of us headed to the second level where I was taken on an amazing journey through time – from the birth of Leslie Lynch King, Jr. on July 14, 1913 to the death of Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. 93 years later on December 26, 2006. It didn’t take but a few minutes for my photographer and me to discover how much the museum had changed in the past decade – and all for the good. There were impressive displays set up for each aspect of Ford’s life, and each section included many artifacts donated by the President himself.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Then suddenly, just after Tom and I had admired Ford’s replica Oval Office, a reporter approached the two of us and said, “Have you heard the news? Joe Biden has just announced he’s dropping out of the Presidential race.” I was stunned and saddened at the same time. In my mind, the President’s mental capacity had declined to the point where he shouldn’t run for re-election. At the moment when I heard the historic news, I thought back to the time when I visited Biden’s birthplace and boyhood home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I stood where he played baseball and bought penny candy as a kid. I’ve also visited sites in Delaware, including where the President graduated from high school, and where his first wife, Neilia, and his 13-month-old daughter Naomi were laid to rest following their deaths on December 18, 1972. The fact of the matter was, I saw Joe Biden as a father and a grandfather who dedicated his entire life to serving our nation – and it was sad to see how his political life came to a screeching halt. I only wish the President would’ve recognized his own limitations and finished out his time in the White House under his own terms, rather than being treated like a pariah by his own party.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">For nearly one hour, Tom carried me through the museum where the two of us were blown away by what we saw. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, please sit back and enjoy the images my photographer had captured inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42246" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The last time my photographer took me inside for a tour of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum was on September 22, 2014 – and it was great to be back nearly ten years later.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42247" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-4.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The bronze seven-foot-tall statue of Gerald Ford was dedicated on July 11, 2011 – just three days before what would have been the President’s 98th birthday. Two days after the dedication ceremony, the casket containing the remains of Betty Ford, who passed away on July 8, 2011, was carried past the statue and into the museum where she laid in state until her burial on July 14th.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="582" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?resize=800%2C582&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42295" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?resize=300%2C218&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?resize=1024%2C745&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?resize=768%2C559&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?resize=1536%2C1117&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-FUNERAL.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Former First Lady Betty Ford’s casket was photographed as it arrived at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on July 13, 2011. Mrs. Ford was laid to rest the following day, which was her husband’s birthday.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42248" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-5.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing in the lobby of the Presidential Museum where President Gerald Ford had laid in state from January 2, 2007 until noon the following day.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1087" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?resize=800%2C1087&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42249" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?w=1325&ssl=1 1325w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?resize=221%2C300&ssl=1 221w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?resize=754%2C1024&ssl=1 754w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?resize=768%2C1043&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET.jpg?resize=1131%2C1536&ssl=1 1131w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Military honor guards were photographed as they kept vigil around the flag-draped casket that contained the remains of President Gerald R. Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42250" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-6.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">One of the first displays I posed near featured two cans of paint and a wooden paint stirrer; each of which came from the Ford Paint & Varnish Company. Ironically, I had visited the Ford Paint Company site about two hours earlier.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="771" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?resize=800%2C771&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42251" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?resize=300%2C289&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C986&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?resize=768%2C740&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?resize=1536%2C1480&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-7.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After my visit to the Ford Paint Company site, I thought it was an awesome experience to see an original can of paint that was manufactured in the same building.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42252" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gerald Ford joined Troop 15 of the Boy Scouts of America in December 1925 at the age of twelve. The sash and merit badges were earned by young Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="408" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?resize=800%2C408&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42253" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?resize=300%2C153&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?resize=1024%2C522&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?resize=768%2C392&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?resize=1536%2C783&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-SCOUTING.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this image, Ford was pictured in the middle of eight other Boy Scouts from his troop.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42254" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-9.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In 1927, Gerald Ford became an Eagle Scout – which is the highest rank in scouting. To date, Ford is the only President to have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42255" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-10.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The football to my left was the game ball used in the October 20, 1934 contest between the Michigan Wolverines and Georgia Tech at Michigan Stadium. The University of Michigan #48 uniform was a reproduction of the one worn by Ford during his playing days.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="629" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?resize=800%2C629&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42256" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?resize=300%2C236&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?resize=1024%2C805&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?resize=768%2C604&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MICHIGAN.jpg?resize=1536%2C1208&ssl=1 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Future President Gerald Ford posed for this image as he snapped the ball before a Michigan Wolverines game.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="545" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?resize=800%2C545&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42257" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?resize=300%2C205&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?resize=1024%2C698&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?resize=768%2C524&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?resize=1536%2C1047&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-11.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, it was an honor for me to pose near Gerald Ford’s University of Michigan football helmet and a football signed by the 1932 team, including Ford. The pin was the one Ford was awarded in his senior year as the team’s Most Valuable Player.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42261" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-18.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This is the Meyer Morton Trophy, which was awarded to Ford by the Michigan coaches as the most promising freshman football player in 1932.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1436" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?resize=800%2C1436&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42262" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?w=1003&ssl=1 1003w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?resize=167%2C300&ssl=1 167w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?resize=571%2C1024&ssl=1 571w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?resize=768%2C1378&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-TROPHY.jpg?resize=856%2C1536&ssl=1 856w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The handsome Gerald Ford posed with the Meyer Morton Trophy and his 1932 teammate Herman Everhardus, who became known as the ‘Flying Dutchman’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42258" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-12.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing near Gerald Ford’s All-Star game uniform he wore in 1935 when he played against the Chicago Bears. The All-Stars lost to the Bears 5-0, and it was the last time Ford suited up to play football; even though he received letters from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to play professionally.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="704" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?resize=800%2C704&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42259" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?resize=300%2C264&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?resize=1024%2C902&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?resize=768%2C676&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?resize=1536%2C1353&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-13.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The display case behind me featured artifacts used and worn by Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ford of the USS Monterey. Ford served in the United States Navy in World War II from April 1942 until February 1946.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1154" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MILITARY.jpg?resize=800%2C1154&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MILITARY.jpg?w=1040&ssl=1 1040w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MILITARY.jpg?resize=208%2C300&ssl=1 208w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MILITARY.jpg?resize=710%2C1024&ssl=1 710w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MILITARY.jpg?resize=768%2C1108&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lieutenant Ford was photographed in 1944 as he took sextant readings while aboard the USS Monterey.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42260" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-14.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lieutenant Gerald Ford was an American hero and the khaki uniform behind me was worn by the future President during his service in the United States Navy.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42264" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-15.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The desk behind me was Representative Gerald Ford’s Congressional desk, and one he used in his Grand Rapids office.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42265" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-16.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ford’s desk was enclosed in glass, which prevented me from standing on the historic relic for a photo. It would have been a true honor for me to stand on the desk and pay tribute to Congressman Ford, who served in the U.S. Congress for 25 years.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42267" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-19.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’ve always thought Betty Ford was beautiful, which was why I loved seeing this garter belt she wore on her wedding day.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42268" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?w=1143&ssl=1 1143w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-WEDDING.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gerald Ford married Elizabeth Anne Bloomer on October 15, 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42297" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?w=1285&ssl=1 1285w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHEF-HAT.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While several Presidents were members of the Skull & Bones Society at Yale University, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon were founding members of the Chowder and Marching Club. I’m standing near Ford’s chef’s hat and apron, as well as his badge and gavel from the 1968 Republican National Convention which he chaired.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="629" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHOWDER-CLUB.jpg?resize=800%2C629&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42271" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHOWDER-CLUB.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHOWDER-CLUB.jpg?resize=300%2C236&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHOWDER-CLUB.jpg?resize=1024%2C806&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CHOWDER-CLUB.jpg?resize=768%2C604&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Members of the club only wore their chef’s hats and aprons for photographs and official ceremonies. It appeared Nixon and Ford were great friends in 1949, even though they had no way of knowing at the time how those two would impact American history just 25 years later.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="791" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?resize=800%2C791&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42275" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?resize=300%2C297&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C1012&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?resize=768%2C759&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-23-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1519&ssl=1 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was hard for me to believe this resignation letter, signed by Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974, was the real deal and not a reproduction.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1203" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?resize=800%2C1203&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42272" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?w=1197&ssl=1 1197w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?resize=681%2C1024&ssl=1 681w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?resize=768%2C1155&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-22.jpg?resize=1021%2C1536&ssl=1 1021w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This briefcase I’m standing above was used by Gerald Ford while he served as our 38th President.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42276" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-24.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Most Presidential Museums, including Gerald Ford’s, feature a replica Oval Office that’s set up like it was when the particular President was in office. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="532" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?resize=800%2C532&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42277" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?resize=768%2C510&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?resize=1536%2C1021&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-25.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Although certain aspects of the room were identical reproductions, there were numerous artifacts and furnishings that were used in President Ford’s Oval Office in the White House.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42278" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-26.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The doorway to the right of the small Benjamin Franklin portrait was the one I stood at when I visited Trump’s Oval Office on May 17, 2019.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="523" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?resize=800%2C523&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42298" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?resize=300%2C196&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?resize=1024%2C670&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?resize=768%2C502&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?resize=1536%2C1004&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-IN-REAL-OVAL-OFFICE.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this historical photographer taken on July 27, 1976, President Ford met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and others in the Oval Office.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-30.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The tuxedo to my immediate left was worn by President Ford during formal dinners at the White House. The formal dress next to it was designed by Albert Capraro and worn by First Lady Betty Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42280" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-31.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This formal dining table was set with White House China and silverware from the Ford Administration.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1163" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?resize=800%2C1163&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42281" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?w=1238&ssl=1 1238w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?resize=206%2C300&ssl=1 206w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?resize=704%2C1024&ssl=1 704w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?resize=768%2C1117&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-29.jpg?resize=1056%2C1536&ssl=1 1056w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The blue hard hat behind me was worn by President Ford during his tour of the New Era oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 23, 1975.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42282" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-32.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer snapped this image of a porcelain piece called ‘Declaration of Independence’. The piece was located in a display which featured numerous souvenirs from America’s Bicentennial, which occurred during Ford’s Presidency.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="557" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?resize=800%2C557&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42283" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?resize=300%2C209&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?resize=1024%2C713&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?resize=768%2C535&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?resize=1536%2C1070&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-33.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bicentennial Day has a special place in my photographer’s heart as he and Bob Moldenhauer were in Washington D.C. on July 4, 1976 to see the authentic Declaration of Independence. The display case to my left featured numerous relics and keepsakes from that historic day in our history.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CABINET-ROOM-REPLICA.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m in the replica Cabinet Room as it looked during Gerald Ford’s administration. As I stood in front of the President’s chair, I envisioned the First Lady dancing in front of me. In 2019, my photographer and I, along with Bob Moldenhauer, saw the real Cabinet Room in the West Wing of the White House – unfortunately we didn’t see Melania Trump dancing on the table.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="783" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-CABINET-ROOM.jpg?resize=800%2C783&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42299" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-CABINET-ROOM.jpg?w=1372&ssl=1 1372w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-CABINET-ROOM.jpg?resize=300%2C293&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-CABINET-ROOM.jpg?resize=1024%2C1002&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BETTY-FORD-CABINET-ROOM.jpg?resize=768%2C751&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">And this is what my mind’s eye saw – First Lady Betty Ford dancing on the Cabinet Room table on January 19, 1977. It made me wonder whether or not Rosalynn Carter followed in Betty’s footsteps.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1374" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?resize=800%2C1374&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42286" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?w=1048&ssl=1 1048w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?resize=175%2C300&ssl=1 175w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?resize=596%2C1024&ssl=1 596w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?resize=768%2C1319&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-28.jpg?resize=894%2C1536&ssl=1 894w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During Ford’s administration, Chevy Chase always portrayed the President as a clumsy oaf on Saturday Night Live. The fact was, Gerald Ford was likely our most athletic President in history – as evidence by some of the equipment owned and used by Gerald Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42287" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-27.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The white leather golf shoes above me were once owned and worn by President Ford. When it comes to golf handicap, Gerald Ford had a 12 handicap. In comparison, JFK’s handicap was 7, while Donald J. Trump was the best Presidential golfer in history with a 2.8 handicap. That low handicap was likely because Trump played over 300 rounds of golf during his four years in office.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1028" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-GOLF.jpg?resize=800%2C1028&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42288" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-GOLF.jpg?w=1075&ssl=1 1075w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-GOLF.jpg?resize=234%2C300&ssl=1 234w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-GOLF.jpg?resize=797%2C1024&ssl=1 797w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-GOLF.jpg?resize=768%2C987&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Gerald Ford was friends with PGA legend Jack Nicklaus and often played golf with him.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="713" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?resize=800%2C713&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42289" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?resize=300%2C267&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?resize=1024%2C912&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?resize=768%2C684&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?resize=1536%2C1369&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-36.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I was able to get a great look at Gerald Ford’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was presented to him by President Bill Clinton in 1999. The nation’s highest civilian award recognized Ford’s efforts in pulling the nation together after the Watergate nightmare.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="589" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MEDAL-OF-FREEDOM.jpg?resize=800%2C589&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42290" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MEDAL-OF-FREEDOM.jpg?w=1400&ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MEDAL-OF-FREEDOM.jpg?resize=300%2C221&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MEDAL-OF-FREEDOM.jpg?resize=1024%2C754&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-MEDAL-OF-FREEDOM.jpg?resize=768%2C566&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On August 11, 1999, President Bill Clinton shared a moment with Gerald and Betty Ford in the East Room of the White House after Ford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42291" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-38.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The final artifact I saw in the Presidential Museum was this American flag, which flew over Independence Hall from November 10, 2006 to March 20, 2007. It was given to the Museum in remembrance of Gerald R. Ford following his death on December 26, 2006.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42292" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-40.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Before Tom carried me to the burial site of Gerald and Betty Ford, I posed for another photo in front of the Presidential Museum. The ‘Ford 50’ logo behind me was in tribute to Gerald Ford’s Presidency, which began 50 years ago on August 9, 1974.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42293" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-53.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I had to laugh as Vicki never saw Tom and I leave the museum. She sat and read her book while the two of us visited the gravesite.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">From the moment Tom and I entered the museum, until we walked back outside an hour later, I was spellbound by the interesting relics that were displayed there. I went into the building with low expectations because of my experience in 2014, which was when the two of us had rated the museum four stars out of 10. With the renovations and updates to the facility over the past decade, the Ford Presidential Museum nearly doubled its rating with us and now ranked seven out of 10 stars. The rating may have been higher had we seen the Jerusalem Bible used when Gerald Ford was administered the Presidential Oath of Office on August 9, 1974.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When Tom and I walked past Vicki, who was seated outside of the museum and close to the bronze statue of Gerald Ford, she never looked up from her book and never saw either of us as we headed towards the burial site. My photographer walked slowly as he carried me along the sidewalk located on the east side of the museum; and it wasn’t due to his bad knees. Tom wanted to take in the moment as we were on the same path used when the military pallbearers escorted President Ford’s remains to the burial site.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was a solemn moment for my photographer and me because the two of us have always admired the integrity and courage of President Ford – who once said after Nixon resigned, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.” During that speech, Ford also mentioned our favorite President when he said, “Thomas Jefferson said the people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">That Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm, when my photographer set me down on the pathway leading up to the actual burial site, it marked my fourth visit to the Ford’s place of burial. But this visit was different from the others, as the light cloud cover had nearly eliminated the shadows on the concrete wall.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Tom placed me down near the wall where the Fords had been interred into a hillside. Even though I was standing in the footsteps of Donald Trump, who paid his respects and placed flowers at the gravesite on September 30, 2016, my thoughts were focused solely on Gerald and Betty Ford. Suddenly, just as the University of Michigan fight song ‘Hail to the Victors’ ran through my resin head, I heard my photographer as he spoke to the 38th President. I had to admit, Tom doesn’t usually talk to the Presidents during his gravesite visits, but he did on that afternoon.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My photographer began by saying, “President Ford, I admire your courage for pardoning Richard Nixon in an effort to put the Watergate scandal to rest. It cost you the election in 1976, but your sacrifice helped save our nation’s integrity. You made sure our national nightmare was over.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">But then he finished with a sterner statement, one that stunned me a bit. “I’ve always believed you to be an honest man and I held you in the highest esteem. But the Warren Commission you were involved with in 1964 was a complete sham and you should be ashamed of what transpired. Not only did that commission disgrace the legacy of President Kennedy, but it also tarnished your integrity and honor as well. President Ford, you not only degraded your own legacy, but you let down our entire nation – and that’s simply appalling in my eyes. We may never know the entire truth about JFK’s assassination, but one thing I do know as fact – your decision to not talk to all of the witnesses and dissect all of the evidence, and then let the nation believe a solitary gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for Kennedy’s death, is something I’ll never forgive you for.” Tom snatched me off the concrete surface and we headed back towards the museum where Vicki was still waiting for us.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42303" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-52.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my precarious position near the walkway leading to the burial ground, I saw the pallbearers in my mind’s eye as they carried President Ford’s flag-draped coffin past me.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="490" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?resize=800%2C490&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42304" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?resize=300%2C184&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C627&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?resize=768%2C471&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C941&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-CASKET-CARRIED-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This photograph, taken near sunset on January 3, 2006, depicted the events as they unfolded when President Ford was carried to his final resting place.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42305" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-42.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing at the entrance to the burial site where President Gerald Ford was laid to rest on January 3, 2006; and First Lady Betty Ford was entombed next to her husband on July 14, 2011, which was Jerry’s 98th birthday.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="518" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?resize=800%2C518&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42307" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?resize=300%2C194&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?resize=1024%2C663&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?resize=768%2C497&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?resize=1536%2C995&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORD-BURIAL.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Betty Ford, who was comforted by her son Mike, watched as the honor guard folded the Amercian flag that had covered her husband’s coffin.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42313" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-43.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">While I couldn’t stand in former President Donald Trump’s footsteps at the Van Andel Arena, I did stand in Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s footsteps at Ford’s gravesite. During a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Donald Trump visited Gerald Ford’s Museum and gravesite on September 30, 2016.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="530" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C530&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42312" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C679&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C509&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=1536%2C1018&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Presidential candidate Donald Trump placed a bouquet of flowers at the tomb of Gerald and Betty Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42311" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-48.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’ve always loved this view of the burial ground with the Presidential Museum in the background.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42321" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?w=1779&ssl=1 1779w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-46-1.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was at this moment, while I posed front and center at the gravesite, when I heard my photographer talk to President Ford about his integrity centered on the Warren Commission’s report.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42315" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?w=1800&ssl=1 1800w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-51.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Tom held me up next to the President’s tomb, I saw the disappointment in my photographer’s eyes. However, I was willing to forgive President Ford and hoped he was resting in peace.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42319" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-1.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On our return hike from the burial ground where we’d soon meet up with my photographer’s wife, Tom strategically placed me along the path and played a famous fight song for me. “Hail! To the victors valiant. Hail! To the conquering heroes. Hail! Hail! to Michigan, the champions of the west!”</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42316" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-54.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The 3,000-pound ‘Man in Space’ sculpture was created in 1984 and has been featured at a couple of different locations outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42317" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-55.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When Tom placed me in the right hand of the bronze Betty Ford statue, it felt as though the two of us were dancing – on the Cabinet Room table.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42318" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MUSEUM-2.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When I hung by my neck for this final image, lyrics to a famous Paul Simon song popped into my head. “If you’ll be my bodyguard, I can be your long-lost pal. I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me, you can call me Al.”</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us returned to the Jeep where I got situated for the long ride home. While my time at the Ford Presidential Museum was one of the highlights from the weekend, the cherry on top of the sundae came when Tom accessed the 50s station on his Sirius XM radio. We were still in the parking lot when ‘Chantilly Lace’ by the Big Bopper began to play. That hit song recorded by J.P. Richardson was followed by the Buddy Holly classic ‘Rave On’. It turned out a guy by the name of Tom from Sugarland, Texas had a half-hour time slot, and he dedicated his five-song theme to the Winter Dance Party from 1959. The third song of the set was ‘I Wonder Why’ by Dion and the Belmonts, which was followed by Ritchie Valens’ signature hit ‘La Bamba’. The fifth and final tune, which helped wrap up the tribute to the three singers who perished in the plane crash on February 3, 1959, was ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean. While I thoroughly enjoyed the song choices by Tom from Texas, my Tom from Michigan was very critical of the Winter Dance Party Tour facts told by the guest host of the show. Over and over, I heard my photographer complain when Tom from Texas made factual errors – including his biggest gaffe when he stated Bobby Vee played on the tour at the Surf Ballroom, which was not accurate. I sat in my camera case and thought to myself, “Let it go, Tom. Just enjoy the music by some of your favorite artists and quit being such a nitpicker.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Our ride across the state of Michigan, from Grand Rapids to St. Clair, was once again uneventful. The clock read 5:50pm when Vicki pulled into our driveway, and a few minutes later, my companions had the Jeep unpacked. Tom placed me alongside my Presidential bobble head friends where I proudly stood as the center of attention.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">There would be no rest for the weary, however, as Tom and Vicki had another trip scheduled to kick off on Thursday July 25th. That new adventure was a 12-day journey that would take the three of us as far west as Kansas City, Missouri. And since the KC area was known as ‘Truman Country’, I couldn’t wait to hit the road again where I’d give ’em Hell, Harry!</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">History was made while my companions and I were in Grand Rapids over the weekend. Not only was the Trump rally at the Van Andel Arena the first one since the former President was nearly assassinated on July 13th, but President Joe Biden stunned the political world by dropping out of the 2024 election as well. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Politicians in our great country are like a box of Forrest Gump chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get. I knew what I was going to get, however, before our next trip began; and that was a rendezvous with Doctor Watson on the surgical table. Several times when Tom placed me down on something in Grand Rapids, I leaned so horribly due to my damaged left leg, I nearly fell over. As a matter of fact, I felt like Joe Biden on a 24-hour drunken binge. But after some well-placed Gorilla Glue and a fresh wrap for my left leg, I was as good as new. I was ready to Make America Great Again – one Presidential site at a time.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-42325" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?w=1286&ssl=1 1286w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TJ-SURGERY-1.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://eyesofjefferson.com/299-i-spent-the-day-with-ford-after-missing-the-night-with-trump/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">42211</post-id> </item> <item> <title>219: IF YOU BUILD IT, MLB WILL COME AND RUIN IT</title> <link>https://eyesofjefferson.com/219-if-you-build-it-mlb-will-come-and-ruin-it/</link> <comments>https://eyesofjefferson.com/219-if-you-build-it-mlb-will-come-and-ruin-it/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Thomas Watson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:28:34 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[A League of Their Own]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Betty Ford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Beyer Stadium]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cheap Trick]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald J. Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dottie Green]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dottie Kamenshek]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dyersville Iowa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Elihu Benjamin Washburne House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Field of Dreams]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Galena Illinois]]></category> <category><![CDATA[George W. Bush]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald Ford gravesite]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald R. Ford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Julia Grant]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kevin Costner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Moonlight Graham]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Number 48]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ray Kinsella]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rockford Illinois]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rockford Peaches]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Seinfeld]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Day The Music Died]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson bobble head]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ulysses S Grant house]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ulysses S. Grant]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://eyesofjefferson.com/?p=13804</guid> <description><![CDATA[For a little over two hours on the morning of Friday August 5, 2022, my dream of standing on the spot where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper all performed for the final time at the Surf Ballroom…]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">For a little over two hours on the morning of Friday August 5, 2022, my dream of standing on the spot where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper all performed for the final time at the Surf Ballroom came true. The moment Tom and I walked through the front doors of the Surf, I had been transported back in time to February 2, 1959. And even though I didn’t see any ghosts during my visit, I could feel the presence of the three stars who were killed shortly after their performance. When it came time to leave, it was a sad moment for me – I wanted to stay in the 50’s where everything seemed slower and was more innocent. It was a time when Coke was a Coke, and crack’s what you were doing when you were cracking jokes. It was also a time when, according to Archie Bunker, you knew what you were then – girls were girls and men were men. And when we heard about Russia, the only threat from them was a 184-pound silver sphere they had dubbed Sputnik 1.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We left the Surf Ballroom shortly after 10am and headed southeast through the vast lushness of Iowa cornfields for over 160 miles before arriving at “the place where dreams come true”, at least according to John Kinsella in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. Tom and I had hoped to tour the 1989 Kinsella movie site home and walk into the cornfield from the famous ball diamond, but those dreams were dashed – all thanks to Frank Thomas and Major League Baseball.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ hit theaters in 1989, fans have flocked to the small baseball diamond that was built in the middle of a cornfield just about four miles northeast of Dyersville, Iowa. For over three decades, people of all ages made the pilgrimage to the site where they played baseball and walked in the footsteps of actors Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, and Burt Lancaster. It was a magical place where adults felt like kids again; where grown men reminisced about being a boy and playing catch with their father. As a matter of fact, Tom and Vicki brought their kids to the movie site in 1992 where little nine-year-old Tommy Watson had a catch with his dad. Over twenty years later, in 2015, my two companions returned with me. For any baseball fan or movie buff, the ‘Field of Dreams’ was a slice of heaven; a place where one could “dip themselves in magic waters.” And the best part of all, at least to my cheap photographer, it was free.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">That all changed in 2020, however, when former MLB player Frank Thomas and his partners purchased the entire ‘Field of Dreams’ property. Shortly thereafter, Thomas worked with Major League Baseball to capitalize on the movie’s popularity by constructing a larger ballpark just 500 feet west of the original movie site. There, on the new field, a single MLB was scheduled to be held in August of that year; but the COVID pandemic pushed the game back to August 12, 2021. After the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-8, movie purists had hoped MLB would return the site to its original ambience. But that wasn’t about to happen; not when a lot of money could be made. The innocence and peaceful tranquility of the site was lost forever. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We got a first-hand glimpse of the greed when we arrived around 12:30pm and the driveway leading to the movie site was blocked by security. Hundreds of vehicles were scattered everywhere on the property, while construction workers put the finishing touches on the site for the August 11th game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. From a spot along Lansing Road, we could easily see the white, two-story, three bedroom “Kinsella Home” in the distance. While it was a bit more difficult to see the original movie ball diamond from our proximity, the huge monstrosity eyesore that was built by Major League Baseball the previous year stood out like Godzilla towering over Tokyo. James Earl Jones, who portrayed author Terence Mann in the movie, said it best: “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game – it’s part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.” The three of us knew Mann was right – it could be good again. But, thanks to Major League Baseball and a bunch of greedy investors, that wasn’t likely to happen. People will still come; but when they arrive, they’ll discover the magic waters have dried up.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13817" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2781.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The sign at the entrance to the ‘Field of Dreams’ movie site now owned by former Major League Baseball player Frank Thomas and his partners.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13815" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2771.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Security was on patrol on Lansing Road at the entrance to the ‘Field of Dreams’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13816" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2780.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">For nearly three decades, the ‘Field of Dreams’ movie site featured the Kinsella farmhouse, the baseball field, a couple of small souvenir stands, and corn. Since MLB invaded the area, and since Frank Thomas and his cronies purchased the site, the tranquility of the field has been ruined.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13818" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2787.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even though there were six days before the MLB game between the Cubs and Reds was scheduled to take place, hundreds of workers had already invaded the site to prepare the property for prime-time TV.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13820" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2800.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The view of the Kinsella farmhouse taken from Lansing Road. And you can spend the night in the house, for the lofty price of $2000 per night. Talk about a big hurt!</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13814" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2765.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the distance, located roughly 500 feet west of the ‘Field of Dreams’ movie site ball diamond, was the stadium built to host Major League Baseball games.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13821" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2819.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During the 2021 ‘Field of Dreams’ MLB game played between the White Sox and Yankees, a total of eight home runs were hit into the corn. Two of those homers were blasted by Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>PHOTOS FROM OUR 2015 VISIT TO THE ‘FIELD OF DREAMS</strong>‘</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="402" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?resize=800%2C402&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13824" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?w=2043&ssl=1 2043w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?resize=300%2C151&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?resize=1024%2C514&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?resize=768%2C386&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?resize=1536%2C771&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/7631.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This was the view we had at the entrance to the ‘Field of Dreams’ on July 22, 2015. Thanks to Frank Thomas and MLB, “Heaven” will never look this way again.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13825" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8538.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer took to the ‘Field of Dreams’ mound as he attempted to see if he “still had it”. He had it alright – he had a sore shoulder, sore elbow, sore knuckles, and sore knees.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-PITCHING-2.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13829" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-PITCHING-2.jpg?w=1343&ssl=1 1343w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-PITCHING-2.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-PITCHING-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-PITCHING-2.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella prepared to deliver a curve ball to ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13826" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8524.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom captured this image of his 1940s era glove and 1991 Comiskey Park Inaugural baseball on the bleachers at the ‘Field of Dreams’. That’s Ray and Annie Kinsella’s farmhouse in the background.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="400" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-BLEACHERS-2.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13830" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-BLEACHERS-2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-BLEACHERS-2.jpg?resize=300%2C150&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-BLEACHERS-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C512&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FIELD-OF-DREAMS-BLEACHERS-2.jpg?resize=768%2C384&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) sat on the same bleachers with his daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffman) as they watched a baseball game in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13827" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/8559.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">My photographer tried to do his best impression of ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson as he emerged from the cornfield in left centerfield. “If you build it, he will come.”</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During the half-hour we were parked along the shoulder of Lansing Road near the entrance to the ‘Field of Dreams’, I listened as my photographer complained to anyone who would listen about what had been done to the movie site. I found it funny because Tom was okay with Major League Baseball building a temporary ballpark in the cornfield for the one regular season game in 2021 – especially since the White Sox were playing. He thought it was a great way to salute the movie and introduce the classic film to a whole new audience of young fans. But when he heard MLB was back in 2022, and the White Sox were not one of the teams playing, my photographer became angry. His displeasure grew worse when Tom heard Frank Thomas’ investment group was in the process of building a youth softball and baseball complex on the site as well. “I can’t stand Frank Thomas. He was a fraud when he played and is a bigger fraud now. There’s no doubt in my mind he enhanced his career with steroids as a player, and nobody blinked an eye. The ‘Big Hurt’ charmed his way with the reporters all the way to Cooperstown and those same hypocritic writers won’t induct Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens into the Hall of Fame – that’s just wrong. To top it off, that phony hawks Nugenix on TV, which is a testosterone supplement. How ironic! Frank Thomas would sell his soul for a buck and now he’s destroying the ‘Field of Dreams’. I hope that bastard has trouble sleeping at night.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">By the time we headed out of Dyersville, my photographer had already calmed down. Even though the ‘Field of Dreams’ was permanently destroyed, not even the ‘Big Hurt’ could alter Tom’s memory of when he had a catch on that field with his son – back when the site and surrounding farmland looked like it did in the movie. To my photographer, that cornfield was more than just a movie site. It was heaven!</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">In the past four days, I had visited the home and grave of Doc Graham, as well as the baseball field that had brought ‘Moonlight’ back to life on the silver screen. When we headed across the Mississippi River for the final time on the trip and we arrived in Galena, Illinois, I figured my ‘Field of Dreams’ portion of our adventure was behind us. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Galena was the small town used in the film as a substitute for Chisholm, Minnesota – “Moonlight” Graham’s hometown. While that small town in the northwest corner of Illinois inhabits a little over 3,330 people, it was one of its famous residents from the 19th century that had brought us back into town. No, not “Moonlight” Graham. I’m talking Ulysses S. Grant!</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Tom and Vicki had taken me to Galena in 2015 where I had an extensive tour of Grant’s home. But this time, there was a secondary Grant site that was the main focus of our time in Galena – and it was located less than a quarter mile south of where Ulysses and Julia Grant had lived. After Vicki parked the Jeep along 3rd Street just north of our destination, I about fell out of the camera case when I heard Tom say: “Roll ’em out – we’re here. This is the Elihu Benjamin Washburne House.” </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At first, I thought my photographer was trying his hand at yodeling when he said “Elihu”; but it turned out Washburne was a fairly famous figure in his own right. The Galena lawyer was a member of the United States House of Representatives for eight terms, during which time he was good friends with both Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. After Grant was elected President, he appointed Washburne as his Secretary of State, which lasted only 11 days due to illness, then as our nation’s Ambassador to France. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I posed for a few photos near the exterior of the two-story mansion before Tom took me inside for a tour. My photographer was extremely lucky – the home was open to visitors for only three hours on Fridays and Saturdays. And the best part of all was, at least to Tom, the 30-minute tour was free. Once inside, Tom explained to our guide that he was extremely interested in the home’s library, which was where General Grant first learned he had been elected as our 18th President. Although we visited every room on the first floor, as well as two second-story bedrooms, it was the library that stole the show for my photographer and me.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13840" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2842.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Elihu Benjamin Washburne House in Galena, Illinois was constructed in 1844-45 and was owned by the Congressman and his wife, Adele, until 1882 when they moved to Chicago.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13841" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2445.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Washburne House was located a short distance from where Ulysses S. Grant lived. General Grant was friends with Washburne and frequented his home on numerous occasions.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13843" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2437.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A portrait of Elihu Washburne hung over the fireplace in the formal parlor.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13844" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2831.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I was excited when we were led into the home’s library. It was in this room, late in the evening of November 3, 1868, where General Ulysses S. Grant first learned he was elected as the 18th President of the United States.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1120" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13845" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?w=1224&ssl=1 1224w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&ssl=1 732w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2833.jpg?resize=1098%2C1536&ssl=1 1098w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the 1868 Presidential election, Grant defeated Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour in the electoral vote 214 – 80. As I stood near Elihu Washburne’s bookcase, it was as though I could hear Grant’s jubilation after he received the election news.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13846" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2837.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even though the food in the Washburne kitchen was fake, I thought I heard my photographer’s stomach growl. I wasn’t surprised because Tom hadn’t eaten anything all day, and it was after two o’clock in the afternoon.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13847" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2441.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As I stood in the formal dining room, I wondered how many times Ulysses Grant dined with the Washburne’s at that very table.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13848" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2840.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom carried me up this staircase where we saw a second-floor bedroom.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13849" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2838.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The bedroom of Elihu and Adele Washburne.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Roughly ten minutes after our Washburne home tour had finished, the three of us headed a block or two north because my photographer and I wanted to see the Ulysses S. Grant House once again. We had visited the General’s digs seven years earlier, but the two of us couldn’t resist the temptation to go back – even though Tom decided an interior tour was out of the question. That decision grew clearer when we arrived as Vicki questioned the rationale behind another visit. “Haven’t we been to this house several times in the past. Why do we need to keep coming back?” I laughed when Tom went into his usual spiel, which included logic from his friend Bob Moldenhauer. “It’s a Presidential home that was only down the street from where we were. As Mongo once said – it’s like eating pizza. We’ve eaten pizza before and liked it, so we buy more pizza and eat that too. Pizza is always good whenever we have it. I liked Grant’s house each time I’ve visited, so I’ll keep going back when I’m in Galena.” As we left the Jeep and walked onto the property, Vicki just rolled her eyes as though she had eaten a salty anchovy. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13853" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2863.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This two-story brick home was constructed in 1859 – 60 and given to General Ulysses S. Grant by the citizens of Galena in 1865 as thanks for his service in the Civil War.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13856" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2851.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Grant family lived in this house whenever they were in Galena. After being elected President, Ulysses visited the home once when he returned to cast his ballot in 1873 and only occasionally after leaving the White House. The Galena home was always kept ready whenever Grant came home.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13858" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2857-1.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In the adjacent garden dedicated to Julia Grant, Tom and I saw what could be described as “one of the ugliest statues I’ve ever seen.”</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13859" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2860.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">First Lady Julia Grant was not a good-looking woman, and she looked even worse cast in bronze.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13862" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2869-3.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When our twenty-minute visit of the Grant House grounds was finished, Tom set me along the picket fence for a quick final photo. That “quick” photo turned into a lengthy ordeal when Tom had to wait for tourists to vacate the front porch. The famous “Moldenhauer One Person Rule” was in full effect that day.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13864" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2874a.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ulysses S. Grant loved Galena and during an 1873 Presidential visit he said: “Although it is probable I will never live much time among you, but in the future be only a visitor as I am at present, I hope to retain my residence here. I expect to cast my vote here always.” Grant’s last visit to the home came in 1880.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">When the three of us returned to the Jeep that was parked across Bouthillier Street from the historic Grant House, I wondered if that would be the last time I’d ever see it. It had been 142 years since President Grant last visited the site and I wondered if my time had come to an end as well. Tom was right when he told Vicki re-visiting a site over and over was like eating pizza; but the fact was, there’s a ton of different slices of pie all around the country. And each one of those historic slices are delicious in its own way as well.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Minutes after we left the Grant site behind in the rearview mirror, our Jeep suddenly transformed into a 1973 Volkswagen van as we crossed the “magic waters” of the Galena River and into downtown Chisholm, Minnesota. We had gone the distance in the ‘Field of Dreams’ and I thought for sure it was time to visit some film locations used in the movie. But first, Tom needed to ease his pain by stuffing his face with a couple of Coney Dogs. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">From the moment Vicki drove the Jeep through the Galena Gates and north along Main Street into downtown Galena, it was easy to see that we didn’t have the place to ourselves. As a matter of fact, it seemed as though a countless number of people were walking the sidewalks and Main Street was clogged with their vehicles. It took some time, but my photographer’s wife finally found a place to park a couple of blocks off the main drag. Once parked, the three of us set out on foot to find a place for my companions to eat – which ended up being at Paradise Bar & Grill. Tom had his taste buds set for Coney Dogs and Vicki ordered a patty melt, but unfortunately their expensive meal didn’t meet their expectations. I laughed to myself when I heard my photographer say to his wife: “How in the hell can anyone mess up hot dogs, chili, and onions? Those dogs were as rancid as the ones I had last year at the Wienery just north of Watkins Glen.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Shortly after Tom had choked down most of his two “Phony dogs”, the three of us embarked on a one-hour search for “Moonlight”. With a list of sites and addresses at his disposal, my photographer guided us up and down Galena’s Main Street where we visited a handful of buildings and other locations used in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. We started at the northern-most site, which was the Galena Chiropractic building used in the movie as Dr. Archibald Graham’s Chisholm office, then we strolled south to see several more film locations. The Galena sites looked different to me for several reasons – one reason was the movie was filmed over 30 years ago, and the second was the Chisholm scenes were shot at night. Please take a moment and check out my pursuit of ‘Moonlight’ Graham in Chisholm, Minnesota. Oops, I meant Galena, Illinois.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13869" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2875.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Galena Chiropractic Center was used in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ as Dr. Graham’s office.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="385" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C385&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13886" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE-2.jpg?w=1071&ssl=1 1071w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C145&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C493&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C370&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">“Suddenly Old John McGraw pointed a boney finger in my direction, and he said, ‘right field’. I jumped up like I was sitting on a spring; grabbed my glove and ran out onto the field.” </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13870" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2877.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Chiropractic Center was closed, but my photographer captured this image of the interior lobby. An interior room near the lobby was likely used as Doc Graham’s office.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="382" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE2-2.jpg?resize=800%2C382&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13887" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE2-2.jpg?w=1071&ssl=1 1071w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE2-2.jpg?resize=300%2C143&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE2-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C489&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-DOC-OFFICE2-2.jpg?resize=768%2C366&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In this scene from ‘Field of Dreams’, Dr. Graham and Ray Kinsella enter Doc’s office where they discuss Graham’s life before and after baseball.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13871" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2886.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The storefront window of La Michoacana was where Ray Kinsella spotted a Richard Nixon re-election campaign poster; it was the first sign of Ray’s apparent time-travel back to 1972.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="383" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-NIXON-2.jpg?resize=800%2C383&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13885" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-NIXON-2.jpg?w=1072&ssl=1 1072w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-NIXON-2.jpg?resize=300%2C144&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-NIXON-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C490&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-NIXON-2.jpg?resize=768%2C368&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella spotted the 1972 Nixon campaign poster in the store window. What he apparently didn’t notice were the symbolic tape recorders in the window as well.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13872" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2881.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The facade of the Country Crafts & Sports store was transformed into the Plaza Theater which featured ‘The Godfather’ – “One of this year’s ten best” movies. It was the second moment of Ray’s realization that he had travelled back in time.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="381" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-THEATER2-2.jpg?resize=800%2C381&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13884" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-THEATER2-2.jpg?w=1075&ssl=1 1075w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-THEATER2-2.jpg?resize=300%2C143&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-THEATER2-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C488&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-THEATER2-2.jpg?resize=768%2C366&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella was shocked when he saw the marquee – saying aloud, “This year’s”.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13873" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2890.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing in the middle of Main Street where Ray Kinsella stood in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. From this spot, Kinsella saw the Nixon campaign poster and then the theater marquee. What he didn’t notice, however, was Doctor Graham had walked past the storefront ‘Petals & Primitives’ only moments before.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13874" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2895.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The first glimpse the audience had of Doc Graham was in front of ‘Petals & Primitives’ store. In the movie, it’s easy to see the arched glass windows as the doctor walked past.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="390" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-RAY-DOC-2.jpg?resize=800%2C390&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13881" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-RAY-DOC-2.jpg?w=1068&ssl=1 1068w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-RAY-DOC-2.jpg?resize=300%2C146&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-RAY-DOC-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C500&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-RAY-DOC-2.jpg?resize=768%2C375&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As Ray Kinsella walked down Chisholm’s Main Street after dark, he didn’t notice an elderly man walking alone on the sidewalk. This was the audience’s first look at Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13875" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2450.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing near the site known as the ‘Green Street Stairs’, which was featured prominently in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="384" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-STEPS2-2.jpg?resize=800%2C384&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13882" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-STEPS2-2.jpg?w=1068&ssl=1 1068w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-STEPS2-2.jpg?resize=300%2C144&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-STEPS2-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C491&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAM-STEPS2-2.jpg?resize=768%2C368&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella and Dr. Graham walked above the ‘Green Street Stairs’ as they headed for the doctor’s office. In reality, the building used as Doc’s office was located roughly six blocks behind them.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13876" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2905.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Once again, I’m standing in the middle of Main Street, this time near the spot where the ‘Chisholm Centennial’ banner hung across the street in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13877" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2910.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Behind me, in front of the Embe Eatery & Lounge, was where Ray Kinsella parked his 1973 Volkswagen van when he and Terence Mann first arrived in Chisholm. In the movie, Ray’s van was parallel parked exactly where the red Dodge Grand Caravan Crew was parked. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="434" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAMS-VAN-2.jpg?resize=800%2C434&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13883" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAMS-VAN-2.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAMS-VAN-2.jpg?resize=300%2C163&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-FIELD-OF-DREAMS-VAN-2.jpg?resize=768%2C416&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ray Kinsella’s Volkswagen van stood alone on Main Street of Chisholm in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13879" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2899.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom carried me along Main Street for nearly a mile when we arrived at the Galena Gates, which were floodgates installed in 1951. When I saw the gates, I wondered to myself about the possibility of a flood during the filming of ‘Field of Dreams’. Had the river flooded the town in 1989, the movie would’ve been called ‘Field of Wet Dreams’ instead!</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Once Tom and I had made it to the Galena Gates, which was roughly a mile south of the Chiropractic Center where we had started our hike, it was time for my exhausted photographer to ‘huff and puff’ his way back to meet his wife. During our continued search for “Moonlight” sites, Vicki had stopped at a small gift shop to purchase ‘Sandlot’ movie tee shirts for their grandsons. By the time the three of us made it back to the Jeep at roughly 6:30pm, my companions were exhausted – but unfortunately, we weren’t close to being finished for the day. That was due to the fact that my photographer had asked his wife to secure our hotel room in Rockford, Illinois, which was 90 miles east of Galena. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Shortly before eight o’clock, the three of us arrived at the Courtyard by Marriott in Rockford. I could tell Tom was excited to be in Rockford as it’s the hometown of ‘Cheap Trick’, one of my photographer’s favorite rock bands. As a matter of fact, as Tom pushed the luggage cart towards our room, I heard him muttering to himself: “Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird. Surrender. Surrender; but don’t give yourself away.” In my mind, the only thing he gave away was the money for singing lessons.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="500" height="500" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CHEAP-TRICK-2.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13889" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CHEAP-TRICK-2.jpg?w=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CHEAP-TRICK-2.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CHEAP-TRICK-2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CHEAP-TRICK-2.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Both of my travel mates had surrendered to exhaustion by 9:30pm. It had been a long day that began with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa and ended with Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen in Rockford, Illinois. Just as the clock strikes ten, I started to think about the Rockford Peaches baseball team – Tom planned on paying an early morning visit to Beyer Stadium where the Peaches once played ball. Ain’t that a shame there isn’t a women’s professional baseball league anymore?</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">At precisely 4:30am, I heard voices coming from the parking lot outside of our first-floor hotel room; and the two people didn’t seem to care one iota who overheard their loud vocal fight. Initially, I thought I must be dreamin’, but the intensity of the argument increased as vehicle doors slammed shut. I knew for a fact it was all too real. After ten minutes of uncensored verbal volatility, the male axed the female if she was gonna raise hell if he drove off. That’s about the time I saw my photographer go to our window to investigate the situation. I had a feeling in my resin gut I would hear the sound of gunfire, but luckily that never happened. Suddenly the yelling stopped; the doors once again slammed shut, and the vehicle sped off with a loud squealing of the tires. I listened carefully for sirens, but the Dream Police remained hidden inside my head until Tom’s alarm clock rang at seven o’clock.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>**********</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The sky was partly cloudy when we left the hotel at roughly 8:15am on Saturday August 6, 2022. Although the eight-mile drive to the south-side of Rockford was relatively traffic-free, I noticed through an opening in the camera case that our route also took us past several chapters of the local VFW – which didn’t exactly make my day. We had run the gauntlet; the torch of women’s professional sports was held high when we arrived at Beyer Stadium. My companions felt the safest place to park our Jeep was in a lot next to the Beyer Early Childhood Center, which sat adjacent to center field of the historic ballpark.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Beyer Stadium opened as Kishwaukee Park in 1913 when a Rockford minor league baseball team from the Wisconsin-Illinois League played there. A decade later, the ballpark was sold to Rockford High School for use as their athletic field. For 23 years, the high school called the venue Rockford Municipal Stadium. In 1948, however, it was renamed Beyer Stadium in honor of Charles Beyer, a long-time high school coach.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Tom proudly carried me through centerfield and onto the infield diamond where my photographer carefully placed me onto the pitcher’s rubber. I toed the slab and looked towards catcher Dottie Green for my signals. That’s right – I was standing on the pitcher’s mound once used by the Rockford Peaches, the most celebrated team from the All-American Girls Baseball League. The Peaches played their home games at Beyer Stadium from 1943 through 1954; winning the league championship in 1945, ’48, ’49, and ’50. When the AAGBL folded in 1954, the teams and players faded into obscurity with it – at least on a national level. That all changed in 1992 when the film ‘A League of Their Own’ hit the silver screen. The movie, which featured actors Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, and Tom Hanks, brought the Rockford Peaches and the AAGBL back to life. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">As I was carried around Beyer Stadium, from the mound and into the third base dugout, and finally out to the original ticket booth down the left field line, the ghosts of Peaches’ past were there with me. In my mind, I saw ballplayers in peach-colored dresses, highlighted with red socks and hats, as they played baseball in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Out of nowhere, Dorothy “Dottie” Kamenshek stood in the left-handed batter’s box and swatted a double down the right field line; she slid into second base in a cloud of dust. The Peaches were alive on this Rockford ‘Field of Dreams’, and I felt a tear well-up in my painted resin eye. But I stopped and remembered – there’s no crying in baseball.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="306" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=800%2C306&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13892" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?w=2339&ssl=1 2339w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=300%2C115&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=1024%2C392&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=768%2C294&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=1536%2C588&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?resize=2048%2C785&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2915.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing on the mound at Beyer Stadium, home of the Rockford Peaches.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13893" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2921.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I toed the slab and looked in for my signs from catcher Dottie Green. Rockford manager Eddie Stumpf shouted encouragement from the dugout. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13894" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2934.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">That’s me sitting on the bench in the Peaches’ dugout.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13895" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?w=1773&ssl=1 1773w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2925.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">There was no doubt in my mind that the dugout was not original to the 1940s, but it was still an awesome feeling to stand on the bench just below the Rockford Peaches logo.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13896" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2927.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After I posed for this image on the bat rack, I turned around and saw Dottie Kamenshek swat a line drive to right field and slide safely into second base for a double.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13897" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2953.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom photographed me standing on the original ticket booth at Beyer Stadium. During the inaugural 1943 season, 46,882 fans filed through that ticket booth to watch 54 home games for the last place Peaches.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="602" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=800%2C602&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13899" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?w=1669&ssl=1 1669w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=300%2C226&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=1024%2C771&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=768%2C578&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=1536%2C1156&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?resize=120%2C90&ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2942a.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The 1949 Champion Rockford Peaches – 1st row (left to right) – Dorothy Ferguson Key, Melba Alspaugh, Manager Bill Allington, Dottie Green (chaperone), Chalene Barnett, Irene Applegren. 2nd row – Ruth Richard, Alice Politt, Jean Lovell, Jacqueline Kelley, Louise Erickson, Betty Werfel, Helen Fox. Top row – Dottie Kamenshek, Dorothy Harrell Doyle, Eleanor Callow, Rose Gacioch, Doris Neal. </figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="720" height="861" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DOTTIE-K-2.jpeg?resize=720%2C861&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13900" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DOTTIE-K-2.jpeg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DOTTIE-K-2.jpeg?resize=251%2C300&ssl=1 251w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">How good was All-Star first baseman Dottie Kamenshek? She was a seven-time all-star, two-time batting champion, and the all-time league leader in hits and total bases. Dottie had a lifetime batting average of .292 and only struck out 81 times in 3,736 at bats in her career.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="786" height="376" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DUGOUT-2.png?resize=786%2C376&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13901" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DUGOUT-2.png?w=786&ssl=1 786w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DUGOUT-2.png?resize=300%2C144&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-DUGOUT-2.png?resize=768%2C367&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 786px) 100vw, 786px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Rockford Peaches in their dugout at Beyer Stadium.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="604" height="900" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-3-2.jpg?resize=604%2C900&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13902" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-3-2.jpg?w=604&ssl=1 604w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PEACHES-3-2.jpg?resize=201%2C300&ssl=1 201w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dottie Green was the Peaches catcher from 1943 to ’46 before becoming the team’s chaperone in 1947.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">It was 10:15am when we left Beyer Stadium and returned to the Jeep, but the home of the Rockford Peaches wasn’t the last ballpark on our agenda. While my companions discussed visiting a couple of antique malls in the Rockford area, they also thought about driving straight to Lansing, Michigan where the West Michigan Whitecaps were scheduled to play the Lansing Lugnuts in a 7pm baseball game. In my mind, their scheme was doable – even though Jackson Field was 310 miles from Beyers Stadium. Tom figured it would take five hours to get to Lansing; however, the time zone change would cost us another hour. I laughed to myself when I heard my photographer say: “I think we have time to hit the two antique malls and still get to Lansing in time for the game. As long as we get out of Rockford by 12:30, we’ll make it to the stadium before the first pitch is thrown.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The first antique mall on Tom’s list was called ‘Hidden Treasures Mall & Antiques’. The large antique store was located six miles north of Rockford in Loves Park and it took us 15 minutes to get there. Unfortunately, that place turned out to be a waste of time and effort, at least according to my photographer. With our clock ticking, Vicki drove the Jeep to ‘East State Antique Mall’, which wasn’t too far from the Courtyard hotel we had left earlier that morning. As soon as Tom carried me into that mall, I heard him say: “I think we just hit the honey hole!” My photographer was in search of an autographed Cheap Trick album, which he thought wouldn’t be too hard to find because we were in the band’s hometown; but unfortunately, he struck out. Then it happened – at the very moment Tom noticed an antique KISS lunchbox in a display case, a familiar song began to play over the store’s speaker system. A huge smile filled my photographer’s face. Right now, you’re thinking the song was ‘Detroit Rock City’, since we were close to the lunchbox. But the song was more symbolic than that – it was a 1963 tune that has filled our lives since our 2021 Texas trip. That’s right – it was the Singing Nun and her hit song ‘Dominique’. I couldn’t believe my resin ears; and I laughed to myself when I saw Vicki roll her eyes as Tom ‘belted out” some of the lyrics he knew – which was only ‘Dominique inique inique’.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13903" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ROCKFORD-ANTIQUE.jpeg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As Tom enjoyed ‘Dominique’, he captured this image of the KISS lunchbox. In my mind, had the relic been a ‘Singing Nun’ lunchbox, my photographer would’ve handed over the cash without hesitation.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">We spent about 90 minutes wandering the aisles of that antique mall, but at the end of the day, my companions once again emerged empty handed. Tom was unable to find any vinyl records to add to his collection and he didn’t see any Presidential memorabilia. At one point, I thought my photographer would pull the trigger on the KISS lunchbox, but it wasn’t the original 1977 collectible he’s been searching for. That particular piece was made in 2000 and it fell short of Tom’s expectations.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The stops at the two antique malls had put us over 45 minutes behind the eight ball. Tom recalculated our arrival time, and he figured if his wife would exceed the speed limit for over half of the 300-mile journey to Lansing, there was a chance we could still make it to the ballgame on time. But that all changed when a wrench was thrown into our plans just outside of Chicago – the Saturday afternoon traffic was horrible. As a matter of fact, our route was altered due to a traffic accident near the Illinois-Indiana border, which caused another delay. I think Vicki was more disappointed than my photographer because she had hoped to see her cousin, Jared Tobey, pitch for the White Caps during the game. Tom solidified the change in plans when he said: “With all of the unexpected delays, there’s no way possible for us to get to Lansing in time for that baseball game. I’ll set our course for Grand Rapids, and we’ll spend the night there.” My photographer’s wife had no idea that Tom had an ulterior motive with his new plan – Grand Rapids was where our 38th President Gerald R. Ford was buried. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">During a stop for fuel near the city of Niles, Michigan, Vicki found a good deal on a hotel located on the east side of Grand Rapids. My companions were hesitant to stay at an Econo Lodge, but everything else in that area was either already booked or very expensive. In my mind, I couldn’t stop envisioning large cockroaches. Hopefully they’ll be friendly.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Once we had made it to the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Tom and Vicki picked up a Papa Johns pizza for dinner. When I saw that, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. We had been to that same Papa Johns in the past, but Vicki didn’t blink an eye when we returned. There’s no doubt her outlook would’ve been different had that been a Presidential site. I wondered if Tom’s wife will have the same demeanor in the morning when we visit Jerry’s gravesite. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The Econo Lodge in Grand Rapids turned out to be okay; from my spot alongside the TV set, I didn’t see any large critters running around. My companions polished off their pizza and Vicki went to sleep. Tom and I stayed up and watched a few episodes of ‘Seinfeld’ before he extinguished the lights at 9:45pm. I spent the entire night wondering if we’d experience another domestic confrontation outside of our room – thankfully, that never happened.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13913" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/SEINFELD.jpeg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">From my spot alongside the TV set, I had a front row seat for ‘Seinfeld’.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-large-font-size"><strong>**********</strong></p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Tom’s alarm went off at 7:00am on Sunday morning August 7, 2022. Well, at least that’s what time my photographer thought it was. It turned out his phone never adjusted to the Eastern Time Zone when we got back into Michigan; his phone was an hour behind. The actual time was eight o’clock when my companions rolled out of bed. Since it was the final day of the trip and my travel mate’s goal was to pick up their dog Abigail in Bay City at some point in the early afternoon, the clock snafu wasn’t a deal breaker. We had half the day to make it across the state of Michigan. But first, Tom and I had a Presidential gravesite to visit.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After breakfast at the hotel, Tom and Vic got their stuff packed and loaded into the Jeep for the last time on the trip. When the three of us boarded the vehicle, that’s when my photographer sprang the news to his wife that he wanted to take me back to Gerald Ford’s gravesite – and Vicki’s reaction didn’t surprise either of us: “Oh noooo – why? Why do we have to go back there?” Tom shot back with his mentally pre-arranged spiel: “Because we’re only ten miles away. Visiting a Presidential gravesite is the perfect way to end a great trip. Besides, the museum is closed – so you won’t have to spend any time inside there. We’ll see the grave, then hit the road to Bay City.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">My photographer’s logic worked – before anything else was said, we were headed into downtown Grand Rapids and to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Tom knew the museum wouldn’t be open that early on Sunday morning, but he was also aware the three of us would have easy access to the gravesite. Once Vicki pulled the Jeep onto the private roadway that led to the museum’s parking lot, however, they discovered there were locked chains that prevented her from getting to the individual parking spaces. My photographer’s wife was left with no choice but to park our Jeep in a ‘No Parking’ zone that was labeled a fire lane. Tom felt it was our only option; we had to leave the Jeep somewhere. My photographer justified the decision by saying: “It’s not our fault some moron didn’t do their job this morning. The museum doesn’t open until noon, but the gravesite opened at nine o’clock and this is the only place for people to park. If we get a ticket, we’ll fight it. Besides, there’s plenty of room for other vehicles to get around ours. What’s the chance the museum will catch on fire while we’re here?”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The three of us set out on foot towards the gravesite of President and Mrs. Ford, which was located roughly 500 feet from where we had illegally parked the Jeep. Our path took us along a sidewalk directly in front of the Presidential Museum; it was the same route used by the military when they carried the President’s coffin to its final resting place on January 3, 2007. The burial place of Gerald and Betty Ford is a tapered concrete wall nestled into a shaded hillside just north of the Presidential Museum. The site has been meticulously manicured and beautifully landscaped; the peaceful serenity broken only by the rushing water of the nearby Grand River or by the voice of a homeless person asking for spare change.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Five minutes after my companions and I had arrived at the gravesite, a badged security guard silently strolled past us, which caused Vicki to panic. So much so, in fact, she made a hasty return to the Jeep and stayed with the vehicle until Tom and I were finished. It might be hard to believe, but I hadn’t visited Ford’s gravesite since September 22, 2014 – even though he’s buried in the same state we live in. It took nearly eight years to make it back; and I was happy Tom didn’t let his wife persuade him to bypass the visit.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13917" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?w=1773&ssl=1 1773w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2988.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This was the south entrance to the burial site of President Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13918" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2965.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gerald Ford died on December 26, 2006, and Betty Ford passed away on July 8, 2011.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="392" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FORD-GRAVE-FIRST-LADIES-2.jpg?resize=800%2C392&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13933" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FORD-GRAVE-FIRST-LADIES-2.jpg?w=1326&ssl=1 1326w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FORD-GRAVE-FIRST-LADIES-2.jpg?resize=300%2C147&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FORD-GRAVE-FIRST-LADIES-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C501&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FORD-GRAVE-FIRST-LADIES-2.jpg?resize=768%2C376&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Susan Ford Bales, daughter of Gerald and Betty Ford, visited her parent’s grave with former First Lady’s Barbara and Laura Bush on April 8, 2013.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13919" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2968.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">During my visit in 2014, and again in 2022, shadows from nearby trees made it difficult for my photographer to capture great images of the gravesite. That meant only one thing – I need to make a return trip on an overcast day!</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="572" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?resize=800%2C572&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13921" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?resize=768%2C549&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?resize=1536%2C1098&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2970a.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The memorial gardens and Ford gravesite were designed by architect Marvin DeWinter in 1977. The concrete wall was first installed on flat ground; the dirt mound and trees behind it were added later.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="491" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?resize=800%2C491&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13931" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?w=1849&ssl=1 1849w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?resize=300%2C184&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?resize=1024%2C628&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?resize=768%2C471&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?resize=1536%2C942&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BUSH-FORD.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In April 2007, President George W. Bush laid a wreath at the grave of Gerald Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13922" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2973.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">In my mind, I thought granite would’ve been a better choice for the tomb’s construction rather than concrete. But the simplicity was symbolic of the person, the man, Gerald R. Ford.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="571" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?resize=800%2C571&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13923" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?w=1713&ssl=1 1713w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?resize=300%2C214&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?resize=768%2C548&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?resize=1536%2C1097&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2977.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum could be seen through the trees above the gravesite.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="640" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=800%2C640&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13932" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?w=1400&ssl=1 1400w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TRUMP-AT-FORD-GRAVE-2.jpg?resize=768%2C614&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump paid his respects at the grave of Gerald Ford on September 30, 2016.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="531" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?resize=800%2C531&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13924" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?w=1777&ssl=1 1777w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?resize=1024%2C679&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?resize=768%2C510&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?resize=1536%2C1019&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2983.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The entire memorial gardens and Presidential tomb were beautifully landscaped alongside the museum.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13925" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?w=1773&ssl=1 1773w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2990.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m standing in front of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The building was 300 feet long – which was the length of an entire football field.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13926" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2995.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It was an honor for me to pose on the statue of Gerald Ford. He was the only President never elected to office, either as President or Vice President.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1121" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?resize=800%2C1121&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13927" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?w=1223&ssl=1 1223w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?resize=214%2C300&ssl=1 214w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&ssl=1 731w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?resize=768%2C1076&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3003.jpg?resize=1097%2C1536&ssl=1 1097w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I had to admit, I was nervous when Tom placed me between the fingers of the Betty Ford statue, and it wasn’t because the First Lady was a recovered alcoholic and prescription drug abuser.</figcaption></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-13928" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?w=1773&ssl=1 1773w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/eyesofjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/3005.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gerald Ford was a two-time national champion football player at the University of Michigan from 1932 – 34. Ford wore #48 and played center, linebacker, and long snapper. I’m standing next to a statue created by Ford’s friend, Stuart B. Padnos, that he called ‘Number 48’.</figcaption></figure></div> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">After we visited a couple of statues dedicated to Gerald and Betty Ford, Tom and I made it back to the Jeep where Vicki patiently waited for us. While my photographer’s wife was anxious to see Abigail and her grandkids in Bay City, it was a sad moment for me because our trip was essentially over. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">The 125-mile drive across the state to Bay City seemed to take forever. We arrived at my photographer’s son’s house at 1:20pm and Abigail was excited to see her parents. Vicki gave the ‘Sandlot’ tee shirts to Bo and Rory, who surprisingly didn’t seem very excited to get them. I thought to myself: “Next time, they’ll get nothing.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">With no more sites to visit, I looked forward to seeing my Presidential bobble head friends back home. I knew they missed me and were anxious to hear my stories from the trip. When Vicki pulled the Jeep into our driveway at roughly 5:30pm, our trip was officially over ten days and 2,727 miles after we left home on July 29th. While I had seen some incredible sites during the past ten days and met some interesting people, I’ll never forget the feeling I had when I stood on the three stages where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper performed during the 1959 Winter Dance Party tour. The ‘Day the Music Died’ tragedy came to life for me in a cornfield just north of Clear Lake, Iowa, however, when I stood on the hallowed ground where the performer’s 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza crashed on February 3, 1959. </p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">I have no idea what adventures lie ahead for me. I do know I’ll face some minor surgery on my right arm before I hit the road again; there’s a small gap where my arm didn’t set properly in Minnesota. I’ll likely have another medical procedure done to both of my legs as well. Next year, on July 10, 2023, I will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of my first trip. Since that day, I’ve traveled a total of 60,243 miles and have visited 41 states. I have a lofty goal of hitting 100,000 miles of travel before I call it quits, as well as setting foot in all 50 states. What are the nine states I have yet to visit? Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, and Arizona. I’m sure I’ll be able to find a Presidential or historical connection in each one of those states. Anyone ready for a road trip?</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size"> “Now for ten years we’ve been on our own<br>And moss grows fat on a rolling stone<br>But that’s not how it used to be.<br>When the jester sang for the King and Queen<br>In a coat he borrowed from James Dean<br>And a voice that came from you and me.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">Oh, and while the King was looking down<br>The jester stole his thorny crown<br>The courtroom was adjourned<br>No verdict was returned.</p> <p class="has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size">And while Lenin read a book of Marx<br>The Quartet practiced in the park<br>And we sang dirges in the dark<br>THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED.”</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://eyesofjefferson.com/219-if-you-build-it-mlb-will-come-and-ruin-it/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">13804</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>