2021 Tours!!
July 29, 2021 –
DETROIT CELEBRITY & HOME TOUR ($50) (9:00-4:30-5:00)
The people listed below once lived in Detroit. We will see many of them on the tour. (about 35)
Lunch on your own on Canfield Street. It will be a long tour but, you WILL NEVER FORGET IT!
1-Dennis Archer 2-Florence Ballard 3-Jerome Bettis 4-Ivan Boesky 5-Sonny Bono
6-Jerry Bruckheimer 7-Ellen Burysten 8- Ty Cobb 9-Francis Coppola 10-Dave DeBusschere
11-John Delorean 12-John Dodge 13-Wayne Dyer 14-Sonny Eliot 15-Henry Ford
16-Aretha Franklin 17-Melvin Franklin 18-Marvin Gaye 19-Marla Gibbs 20-Stevie Wonder
21-Lynn Goldsmith 22-Berry Gordy Jr. 23-David Allen Grier 24-Spencer Haywood 25-Jimmy Hoffa
26-Mike & Marion Illitch 27-Jackie Kallen 28-Peter Karmanos 29-Casey Kasem 30-Greg Kelser
31-Eddie Kendricks 32-Gladys Knight 33-Sebastian Kresge 34-Ron LeFlore 35-Carl Levin
36-Phillip Levine 37-Charles Lindbergh 38-James Lipton 39-Malcolm X 40-Eminem
41-Marvin Mitchelson 42-Elijah Mohammed 43-Harry Morgan 44-Ted Nugent 45-Ray Parker Jr.
46-Mrs. Rosa Parks 47- Benny Parsons 48-George Peppard 49-Gilda Radner 50-Martha Reeves
51-Walter P. Reuther 52-“Smokey” Robinson 53-Diana Ross 54-David Ruffin 55-George C. Scott
56-Tom Selleck 57-Bettt Shabazz 58-Tom Skerritt 59-Edwin Starr 60-Frank Tanana
61-Danny Thomas 62-Rudy Tomjanovich 63-Lilly Tomlin 64-Robert Wagner 65-Mike Wallace
66-Veronica Webb 67-Chris Webber 68-Jack White 69-William Otis 70-Paul Williams
71-Jackie Wilson 72- Jerry Glanville
August 26, 2021–
FRANKENMUTH-($50) (9:00-8:30)
A beautiful coach bus with HENRY!! WILLKOMMEN!!! In German, that means WELCOME!! I cannot believe that I have never taken a group to FRANKENMUTH. As you can imagine, that is about to change. Of course, the FOOD is the thing that most of us think of when Isay FRANKENMUTH! Let’s get started! I was listening to WJR radio about two years ago on the Frank Beckman (retired in March 2021) show& they were talking about an event at the Heroes Museum in FRANKENMUTH. That really woke me up! Let’s go there, enjoy the cuisine, (20 total restaurants) & the other amenities in this charming town.
The trip begins at 9:00 AM at a Military Museum in Eastpointe (16600 Stephens Rd.). Frankenmuth was founded in 1845 by a group of 15 German-Lutheran Missionaries to teach Christianity to the Chippewa Tribe. A LOT OF HISTORY ON THIS TRIP!! The first thing we are going to see is the Historical Museum ($3.00) or FREETIME!! After the Museum we will walk to Zehnder’s or the Bavarian Inn for LUNCH (or another restaurant of your choice). I am going to list some of the highlights of FRANKENMUTH—-
1- Bronner’s–World’s Largest Xmas Store
2-The Chippewa Indian Memorial
3- Heroes Museum-They HONOR VETERANS
4-Explore FRANKENMUTH by Boat ($12)
5- Glockenspiel Tower (Pied Piper of Hamelin) 6:00-PM-we see the Glockenspiel Tower Program & then we leave for Detroit.
PS. Details of the trip may change after Stewart drives his car to Frankenmuth.
SEPTEMBER 23-26 — -MARYLAND & WASHINGTON D.C.
Maryland & Harriet Tubman & Washington D.C. & The African American Museum.
Double Room-$325 Each Single Room $690
Deposit Info-$100—July 26**** Full Payment-$225-August 26
So sorry for late notice!!
Sept. 23- Henry comes first! Best DRIVER & PERSON in the world!! We check for people for LUNCH!! Masks, gloves, and other stuff? You are on your own!!!!! We then look at Stewart’s handouts, answer questions, and discuss videos. We will see videos that are most relevant. Introduce yourself if you want. (2 minutes unless you are really good—-then 3 minutes!!) We will stop about every 3 HOURS for a potty break & EXERCISE!! (Unless emergency!!!!) Stewart has water and snacks!! We will check into a Day’s Inn & Suites in Cambridge, Maryland.
Sept. 24-We will see the Harriet Tubman Museum in the AM. What a brave, fearless, and incredible WOMAN! (But she did not get on the $20- What’s the story?) We will eat lunch in Cambridge. We will go to the Smithsonian when we get to D.C. Smithsonian’s have about 18 MUSEUMS and they are all FREE!!!!!! We will check into a Day’s Inn for the next two days.
Sept. 25- We go to the African-American Museum for the day. The Washington Monument is now open after being closed for about a year. We will meet where the bus is after the Museum.
Sept. 26-We will see several sites in Washington D.C. before we depart. On the way home, we will see many more videos!!
VIDEOS–
1-The Africans- Many Rivers to Cross- Henry Louis Gates-PBS-2017
2-Underground Railroad–Alfre Woodward
3-Uncle Tom’s Cabin- by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
4-Unfortunate Blackness-The Rise & Fall of Jack Johnson
5-AMAZING GRACE- This is the BEST!!
6-William Still Story -President of the UGRR in the EAST.
7-Maya Angelo- “And Still I Rise” (The Better Hour) Legacy of William Wilberforce
October 13, 2021 —
EDSEL & ELEANOR FORD HOME & THE PIQUETTE PLANT.($55)(9:00-5:00)
This home is an authentic witness of the past. It inspires, educates, & engages visitors thru exploration. The home is located at 1100 Lake Shore Drive. The home that they left was in Indian Village — 2171 Iroquois. Stewart’s home is located less than one block from there–2136 Seminole. The only structure that was still there was where they kept their boats. It is used as a storage place for the UAW. Now, back to Eleanor & Edsel Ford’s wonderful home. The architects were Albert Kahn & Jens Jensen. Jensen was a Landscape Architect. The Architectural Style Is English Cotswold. With our guide, we will walk around the grounds, tour the home, & enjoy the beauty! Edsel & Eleanor had 4 children: Henry the 2nd, Benson, Josephine, & William Clay. Stewart has been in the home many times. When you enter, it is like GOING TO EUROPE! There are many impressionists & post-impressionists in the home. They include Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne & Matisse.
THE PIQUETTE PLANT- Birthplace of the Model T. The Piquette Plant is a former factory located within the Milwaukee Junction area in Detroit. The Ford Piquette Plant in Detroit is CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AUTO HERITAGE SITES IN THE WORLD. Built in 1904, it was the second center of automobile production for the Ford Motor Com. Ford’s first factory was on the north side of Mack Avenue near Bellevue. Visiting the Ford Plant is a unique experience—it is the oldest auto plant open to the public ANYWHERE! Another interesting thing is to see the world map & notice all of the different countries people come from who visit the Piquette Plant. Next, the Piquette Plant is all about the VOLUNTEERS! So much hard work! And finally, the Piquette Plant may have not happened if it was not for Dr. Jerry Mitchell!!!!!!!! As a matter of fact, Dr. Mitchell heard of the possible razing of the Piquette Plant. That was it for Jerry!! He immediately dropped out of Wayne State Medical School where he was a Professor in Medicine. He believed that the building was # 1 in SAVING in the United States of America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OCTOBER 28-31, 2021 Underground Railroad Tour (UGRR) Ohio & Kentucky-
Double Room-$275 Each Single Room $600
Deposit Info -$100—August 30—–Full Payment –$175—-September 30
Oct 28-The way things are these days, it makes sense that this must be HALLOWEEN! But, I digress. Let us get on with what we are going to do. We are leaving the Military Museum at 9:00. This 3 night-4 day adventure is my FAVORITE TRIP! On the bus, we will go thru some of my stuff which is an overview of what we are going to do. We will introduce ourselves (two minutes is the limit–unless you are really GREAT-then it is 3 minutes!!) We will get to our videos that are relevant for the trip. We will get off the bus about every 3 hours to go to the restrooms and exercise! Please bring your lunch so we make better time. I have water& snacks. Our first major stop is Wilberforce. We would learn about “Cry Baby Bridge” & visit the home of Charles Young. We go to the home of Sterling & Burt which was a home for slaves. The home was built by the man that started the town!! It was called Springboro & it had the MOST places that were safe houses. (2nd to Ripley??)We eat dinner in Springboro and go to Middletown for two nights (Super 8).
Oct. 29-On our second day we visit the spectacular home of Harriet Beecher Stowe. For lunch, we eat at a choice of restaurants near the Ohio River. After lunch, we are going to visit for about 4 or 5 hours the
UGRR. This is the second most cool place on the trip!!! After this, we will go out of this building and walk along the Ohio River. We will learn about a woman who killed one of her children. She did not want her child to go thru that horrible experience. We eat at the same places we did for lunch.
Oct. 30-On our 3rd Day we will drive along the Ohio River & see small towns & examples of the UGRR. One of the towns has the home of Ulysses Grant. Next, we see the FAMOUS TOWN OF RIPLEY—THE NUMBER ONE PLACE where the people HATED SLAVERY!!! John Rankin (white) and John Parker (black) were the LEADERS!!! John Rankin had more than 21 CHILDREN!!! We will climb a hill that is very hard to climb! John Rankin’s home is at top of that hill. We will have a tour of Rankins Home. After the climb, we will eat at a choice of restaurants. After lunch, we will tour Main Street where we will see a number of stations (homes today) John Parker was an incredibly brave abolitionist!! He as a black man would go to the Ohio River and try to get some people to save. Next, we will drive to Maysville, Kentucky. Stewart will guide us as we walk along the levee on the Ohio River. We will be looking at all of the murals and paintings. Next, we visit Washington, Kentucky a very relaxed & quiet place. The whole place is like a Museum. Walking around this place seems to take you back 200 years!! By far the most memorable event in Washington was when Harriet Stowe first saw enslaved people being sold—-and it HORRIFIED HER!! The result–Harriet decided to start writing her book–UNCLE TOM’S CABIN!! Bestseller after the Bible!!!! We then check into our Super 8 Motel. We may check into a place called Chandler’s for dinner–got to check it out.
Oct. 31- Today we get up early for the drive home. We are going to tour Augusta, Kentucky. We may take a boat across the river and back. Our boat ride will be quite different from those fugitives in the 19th Century. Those black people were SCARED TO DEATH, but their desire for FREEDOM outweighed everything else. About 10:30 we will leave Augusta & start our trek back to Ohio and the north. (may go to a small cemetery) Our lunch will be in Hillsboro, Ohio at a Ponderosa Restaurant. After lunch, we are off for Wellington where we will learn about the “Wellington Raid”. The incident really put OBERLIN ON THE MAP!! We then stop in OBERLIN our last major stop. We will tour the historic & some of the AMAZING PEOPLE in its history. I cannot predict our timing for this day. I hope to get to Eastpointe by 8:00—but, maybe not. I hope you had a good TIME!
November 4, 2021– THE HENRY FORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ($60) (8:45-5:00)
I am doing something I have never done before. Shame on me! About 3 months ago I went to the
HENRY FORD!!! I spent the whole day there!!!! I was amazed! Staff are all smiles and welcoming !!!!
There are four unique ATTRACTIONS:
1- HENRY FORD Museum of American Innovation
2- Greenfield Village
3–Ford Rouge Factory Tour
4- The Giant Screen Experience
I think we will do 1 and 2.
One 2021 Tour, a Party, and all of the rest are 2022 TOURS!!
Miscellaneous- HENRY FORD PHONE -313-982-6001
1—Stewart will have a Party on August 7, 2021 from 4:00 to 10:00 PM. Please RSVP-313-922-1990. (Stewart’s phone) BRING FOOD!!!!
2—November 4, 2021, for HENRY FORD TOUR (HF)(website-THF.ORG) Greenfield Village. ($60) (8:30-6:00)(HF does not really know??)
2022 STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Day Trips)1—Fort Wayne Tour–($50) (not Fort Wayne, Indiana — It is the FORT at DETROIT!!)
2– Black History Tour–($50)
3– Woodward Avenue Tour– ($50)
4– Pewabic Tour –($50)
5– Arab Tour——($60)
6– People Mover Tour ($30) (no bus) Meet in Cobo (TCF) Hall. Station on 2nd Floor!!!!!! (Park on Top of COBO)
7– Tour of Canfield–($30) (no bus) Meet at TRAFFIC JAM & SNUG
8—Stahl’s Auto Tour & Brunch-($40)
9—Elmwood Cemetery- (no bus) ($20)
10–Mt. Elliott Cemetery- (no bus) ($20)
11–Woodlawn Tour- (no bus) ($20)
12–Walking Tour of Grosse Pointe ($50) (37 Historic Sites)
13– There will be an EASTERN MARKET TOUR
2022 OVERNIGHT TRIPS
13-Creation Museum & Ark Encounter-(one night in Kentucky) Watch FOX NEWS for advertisements for Ark Encounter & the Creation Museum. (PRICE LATER-PL)
14-Amish Tour– (Indiana -one night) (PL-PRICE LATER)
15-Mackinaw Island & Traverse City-(PL) (3 or 4 nights??–let me know?) PLEASE!!!!!
I appreciate IDEAS, TRIPS & EVERYTHING!!!!
16- CANADA- It is open!! What do you want to say? PLEASE!! (1-3 nights??)(PL)
17- HOLLAND SPRING FESTIVAL (1 or 2 nights)(PL)
18-GRAND RAPIDS TOUR (2 nights(PL)
19-CHICAGO TOUR–(3-5 nights)(PL)
20-CANADA-Toronto, Ottawa, & ONTARIO (Province)-(3 nights)(PL)
21-CANADA-Montreal, Quebec, & QUEBEC (Province)-(4 nights)(PL)
MISCELLANEOUS- Stewart’s website is —-www.mcmillintours.com
Call Stewart McMillin-313-922-1990—Call Stewart on cell phone at 586-218-9042
Stewart’s -E-Mail–stewart@mcmillintours.com Tours leave from 16600 Stephens Rd. City of Eastpointe. Stephens is the equivalent of 9 & one half mile road. It is less than one block from Gratiot.
Call Stewart at 313-922-1990. Tours leave from Eastpointe. A Military Museum is the departure point on 16600 Stevens Road just one block from Gratiot. Stevens is also known as Nine and a Half Mile Road. The museum has a phone. Its number is 586-872-2581.
Please E-MAIL me about your questions, comments, etc!!! I really need to know what you want to do? Phone-313-922-1990. Cell–586-218 9042. I prefer e-mails.
STEWART’S BACKGROUND-
This is his 54th year conducting tours. I taught Social Studies at East Detroit High School for 30 years. (1964-1993)
From 1994-2001 I taught Humanities at Wayne State University. Of course
TRAVELLING has also been very important to me. I also have been blessed to have visited all of the states and 142 countries!!! Please send checks to- Stewart McMillin–2136 Seminole- Detroit, Michigan 48214