After a wedding which had us staying overnight in Bay City, Mrs. Local Tourist and I walked to the Beatles and Beans Coffee Emporium. The place is small, but PACKED with Beatles memorabilia. I asked how long they had been collecting, and it probably goes back to the 60's. I asked where they find all this stuff, and it was reserved as a carefully guarded secret. Fear not, Beatles and Beans people. I will not rival you for Beatles stuff. But I enjoyed your collection!
I have been watching the documentary "Get Back" on Disney+. It covers about three weeks of rehearsals by the Beatles who are crafting new songs for a live performance. It culminates with their concert on the rooftop of Apple Studies.
One of the songs they were working on is "Two of Us." If you are not tapping along to this, please check your pulse.
This medley has been playing around in my head for the past few days. Finding it on YouTube and listening to it has not made it go away. John Lennon did not care for this medley. It was mainly "throw away" tracks that got stitched together. Amazing that the Beatles' throw away music is so good.
Here is the medley from Abbey Road. "Her Majesty" was moved to the middle of the medley. On the album, it came as a surprise ending about 20 seconds after the final track. Enjoy.
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| Dr. Seuss exhibit at Dow Center for the Arts in Midland, Michigan. (I know this streches the "Local" in Local Tourist, but it was still in Michigan.) |
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| The Tridge in Midland, Michigan. Yes, it meets in the middle with three entry points. Cool! |
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| The Magical History Tour, an exhibit of Beatles memoriabilia, making its US debut at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Only $5 a person with our membership. It will be on display here through Labor Day weekend. A must for any Beatles fan! |
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| A model of the Cavern Club where the Beatles honed their skills in Hamburg, Germany. |
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| One of several photos taken by a photographer who had asked to document the Beatles' coming to America in 1963. The photographer, whose name I can't recall, worked without pay for the opportunity to get these photos. |
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| Tour to Historic Fort Wayne in July, 2016. This fort is south Detroit right on the Detroit River. It is only open on weekends, and admission is only $5 per carload (secured parking). Though guided tours are available, we did the self-guided tour. It could and should be a featured tourist destination in Detroit, but is in a state of neglect and gets very little financial support to address many needed repairs, especially to the enlisted men's barracks (see below). Despite the delapodated condition of many of the buildings, a great deal of this fort and its surrounding buildings still remain standing. All support for Historic Fort Wayne is voluntary. A generous grant or a large check from a benefactor could make this fort fantastic. |
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| Entry to the star-shaped fort. Beware of startled birds suddenly leaving their nests, resulting in startled visitors. |
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| Some of the turrets still present (cannons aimed at Canada removed), as well as the barracks in the background. The barracks building is still on good condition and is still used for various camps and re-enactments. |
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| Peter enjoyed his visit to Historic Fort Wayne. This, if I recall, was one of the officer's residences. It was not open. |
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| The fort jail is one of the few buildings still accessible for entry. |
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| As you can see, many of the barracks have not been kept up and have suffered from years of neglect in the elements. Please do not conufse this with the average neighborhood in Detroit (though many neighborhoods have similar looking issues.) |
