Travel: Budget History Vacation to The Henry Ford
This post has been included in the Carnival of Travel #22.
The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are billed as parts of “The World’s Greatest History Attraction.” Based on the breadth and depth of these two places’ collections, it would be easy to agree. For more information about the sites individually, please see my previous posts:
- The Henry Ford Museum
- Greenfield Village: part 1, part 2
This post will focus on Dearborn, Michigan, as a travel destination for the history buff on a budget.
Car: You will need a car to get around, but the area is pretty compact so you won’t spend that much on gas.
Hotel: Get a hotel package. To buy a combo ticket for both sites is already $30/person. Plus, there’s a $5 parking fee each day. If you look at these prices and subtract the $70 (or $114 for a family of four), the remaining hotel rate is very favorable.
For a detailed review of my experience with Sleep Inn, click here.
Time: Leave each, The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, as the main attraction on its own day. Take your time and enjoy them.
Food:
- Breakfast: Many of the package deal hotels have breakfast included. I recommend going with those since it probably makes the most budgetary sense.
Lunch: Both places allow food and drinks to be brought in. Or, see my Splurge suggestion below.
Dinner: The area has some tasty and cheap diners. For me, the portions were so big that I had enough left over for dinner the following night. Here are two choices that were close to my hotel.
Cameos Restaurant They serve huge portions for a low price. I had their homemade lasagna (dinner salad included). It came out bubbling in its casserole dish and big enough to serve four. It was pretty middle of the road in taste, but it was a great bargain. In the picture, you can also see my garlic bread and that huge basket of complimentary bread. My friend has the meatloaf. Including tip, I paid $8 for two nights’ food.
Leon’s The handicapped spaces were all filled up so I knew we had a winner. Always leave it to the seniors of a community to find the best bargains. Most of their entrees came with the all-you-can-eat soup bar. This includes the breads and rolls along side. I ordered the quesadillas and only managed to eat one slice. The soup, bread, and salad had already filled me up. Their coconut creme pie was delicious. Including tip, I paid $7 for two nights’ food and an extra $2.50 for indulging in the pie.
Splurge: History buffs will want to try the lunch at the Eagle Tavern in Greenfield Village. See my previous write up for details.