Holiday Nights

You may remember a blog post from a few months ago, called, "There's No Place Like Home". In it, I referenced one of our favorite Detroit spots, Greenfield Village. To refresh your memory, Greenfield Village (GFV), was founded by Henry Ford and is an 80-acre site divided into seven historic districts - Railroad Junction, Working Farms, Edison at Work, Porches and Parlors, Liberty Craftworks, Main Street, and Henry Ford's Model T. It is truly an incredible and fun place to visit when it is warm, but during December and January, it transforms into nothing less than an historical winter wonderland as they host their Holiday Nights program.

Holiday Nights is, "complete with candle-lit paths, live entertainment, costumed presenters, horse-drawn wagon and Model T rides, delightful holiday shops, Santa and live reindeer, ice skating, a spectacular fireworks display and more" (description courtesy of GFV). Sounds pretty exciting, right? I thought so too, and thus asked my Dad if we could go on a Daddy-Daughter date to Holiday Nights. I get my love of history and learning from my Dad, so I was very excited to experience this with him.

The big night arrived, and after waiting in the Will Call line for about a half and hour (apparently everyone there that night had a last name starting with A-D), we headed straight to A Taste of Michigan, one of Greenfield Village's eateries. This may seem like the most boring part of the evening to you, but it was one of the highlights for us. Why, you ask? Because of the bread bowl. They make the most amazing bread bowl, consisting of bread, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The carb-packed dish was a great source of energy to Loggers who would eat during the winter months. See? Delicious and historical!

A man and his bread bowl!

We spent the rest of the evening touring the Village, and there was a lot we visited that I have never seen, including the Cotswold Cottage. The Cotswold Cottage was built in the early 1600s in Chedworth, Gloucestershire, England, and is the second-oldest building in the United States. Due to its age, it is rarely open during the year, but during Holiday Nights, they open it to visitors because docents (dressed as United States WWI soldiers) are present to tell about its history and supervise visitors.

Inside the Cotswold Cottage

We finished the night with a Christmas sing-along and fireworks (the first I have ever seen in December)! Overall, it was a wonderful evening with a wonderful person. I love my Dad very much and it was so nice to be able to spend some time with him. We shared more than a few laughs at some of the things we did and saw, including accidentally trespassing in The Henry Ford museum and a woman we passed who looked at her daughter, quite annoyed, and loudly asked "Where are all the lights? This is called Holiday Lights, isn't it?"

But the truth is, my dad and I could have taken a walk down our non-historical street back home and we probably would have had just as great of a time because my Dad is a wonderful father who loves me very much and I am incredibly blessed to be called his daughter. Love you, Daddy!

Click HERE for more info on Greenfield Village or Holiday Nights.