Belle Isle, Part II

Next up, we went to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum (we also checked out the great Nature Center but I didn't take any pictures so I'll just say that it was small but fun and move on!). 

First up inside the museum, they had this awesome room that came from a cruise ship that used to sail the river. It was stunning!

The main exhibit was titled "Life on the river" and showed how the river has influenced life in the area for the last 1000 years up to the present.  It was a great exhibit! 

There was a cool relief map showing the depth of the great lakes and all the rivers and such that connect them.  Check out how deep Lake Superior is compared to Lake Erie.  It's wild!

Nikolai had fun playing with the captain's wheel:

And Niko and daddy enjoyed sitting in the replica trapper's boat:

Other random tidbits:

Greetings from Detroit!

Steering a powerboat!

A sweet poster from an amusement park island that unfortunately closed in 1994 (it looked so cool!):

Checking out some badges from speedboat racers that competed on the river:

Look, I can see Canada!

There was also this great collection of lighthouse lights:

And a gorgeous painting in the conference hall:

Also, some cannons used in the War of 1812 in the defense of Lake Erie!

After the museum, we had seen all of the indoor features of the island, so we took a little time to drive around the island and see some of the cool outdoor sights from the warmth of the car.

First up, a beautiful bell tower:

Then, a beautiful fountain (that does light shows in the summer!) donated by a crotchety old man.

From the Belle Isle Website about the fountain and its donor: "James Scott was a Detroit real estate speculator and developer. He was said to have been lazy, eccentric, a prankster with few friends or colleagues.  Scott's last Will and testament devoted his fortune to the erection of a fountain on Belle Isle, but demanded that a life-size statue of himself be included."

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Next, the Belle Isle Casino, which is not actually a gambling establishment but instead a "meeting place for individuals and groups on the island."  And isn't the architecture lovely?

We drove around and saw a few other things and then decided it was time to head home.  On the way, Nikolai fell asleep and Grandma took the chance to rest her eyes.  Aren't they so sweet together?!

We loved Belle Isle on this cold, rainy day and decided that we'll love it even more when we go back in the spring or summer! Thanks for existing and being awesome, Belle Isle!