Day 3: Michigan

I'll get this one off quickly since I'm already behind schedule. It was a late one last night just getting to Lansing and working on the Flickr stuff and the regular email pile-up. So I didn't get to this blog until this morning and the sun is already almost right for more picture-taking.

Yesterday was a tough one heat-wise. Low 90s I think and there was no miraculous healing of my A/C. If there's anyone that can lay hands on my van and get it fixed (quickly) in Chicago area or Wisconsin, please let me know! Today's supposed to get to 95 -- not looking forward to that. At least the van is white and reflects some of the heat.

Let's get on with today's pictures. The day started in Ann Arbor with a sighting of a faux coffee pot of the non-architectural kind. This AirStream trailer (correct me if I'm wrong) has been converted into use as a drive-through coffee concession in the parking lot of Zingerman's Roadhouse. More about the place here:

http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/content/pages/home.php



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Here was one of the low points of the day -- look how lovely this abandoneded gas station was:
http://flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/402164567/

and look at it now as it appears to have been torched:



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One of the high points of the day was the sign collection at the Dort Mall in Flint, MI. I posted a couple photos of the signs to Flickr and there will be more to the website. But there's also an amazing collection of non-sign stuff: advertising related objects, a miniature children's carousel, boats, bikes, you name it! This is all the personal collection of Bob Perani who owns Perani's Hockey World, a chain of 15 hockey equipment stores. More about the place here:

http://www.mlive.com/news/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-44/1183870865155320.xml&coll=5

and here:
http://www.peranis.com/

I'll include a photo of the giant elephant described in the article above and this Moxie promotional piece. I'm not sure if this Moxie car is real or a replica. The stirrups were used as accelerator and brake.

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A better photo of another Moxie car can be found here in New Hampshire:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NHLINmoxie.html


Today's Misc. Topic: Michigan Traffic Signals:

I have been to Michigan a number of times now but I never get used to seeing these. I believe they are unique to this state. Has anyone seen them elsewhere? And what are they called anyway? Signal boxes? I'm in too much of a time crunch to do any Google research so hopefully someone can fill me/us in with the history and info about these things. Some are cubes and some are slightly flatter. They are illuminated from within at night.