Jerry & Anna Lee are in ??????

The city we have been visiting is a town of very wealthy men and their wives. There is even a street named Wealthy. That street leads to the Heritage Hill Historic District, a lovely area of early 20th century Victorian homes and one prairie style home. Meyer May ran a men’s clothing store. He and his first wife Sofia hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design their home, to the consternation and puzzlement of the neighbors.

It was sold many years later and fell into major disrepair. Another local magnate, the owner of Steelcase, Frank Hunting, Jr, bought the damaged home and paid to have it restored to it original design and reconstructed most of the original furnishings such as this Victrola.

Amazingly, tours of the home are free. Our docent was excellent and explained such Wright concepts as compression/release, the act of going from a small space into a large open one surrounded by windows. Our introductory movie said the dining room chairs were uncomfortable. Much to Anna Lee’s surprise, she was allowed to test them and dispute that claim. Dinner there would have been a wonderful experience.
Two other local men founded an unique international marketing company, Amway. Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos have put their names all over the city, on hospitals, arenas, parks, and museums. Jay Van Andel built the Public Museum with its excellent displays of the area’s natural and human history.
There is even a full sized working carousel in the museum.

This photo is of the workings of the clock that was formerly installed in City Hall.

Fred Meijer (like the other Fred Meyer) made his fortune in retail, running stores which are the model for WalMart. He also put his name all over town but his best creation is the Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park. In the conservatory and all around the 132-acre park are statues by every major and many less known sculptures.

Along with some permanent Chihuly’s, the gardens are having a Chihuly show.

Our tram ride and walk was way too short to enjoy all this beautiful park has to offer. But we got to hold a piece of Chihuly’s sculpture.
Our cousin Leora and neighbor Rick guessed right. We are in Grand Rapids, Michigan, home of President Gerald Ford.