Trip #6 Grand Rapids

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Grand Rapids, Michigan

Presidential Gravesites seen on this trip #38 Gerald R. Ford  Grand Rapids, Michigan 20 of 38




December 26, 2009 Gerald R. Ford


On Christmas Day, 2009, My whole family came to my house for Christmas. I was talking with my sisters about my hobby and they asked how many Presidential Gravesites I had seen that year. I added them up. 19. That's when I started thinking that it would be cool to make it an even 20. The closest and easiest that I hadn't seen yet was Gerald Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 4 hours away.

I gathered some last minute information and talked my wife into getting an early start the next morning. So we headed out for Grand Rapids around 7am. The weather cooperated. As I got higher up in Michigan and closer to Grand Rapids we started to go through some dusting of snow. As far as the weather went we were very lucky for being in Michigan in late December.

This was a new experience for me. This was the first Presidential Library or Museum that I had taken the time to tour. Ford is the only one whose Library and Museum are in different places. As mentioned his Museum is in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he is also buried. But his Library is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the campus of the University of Michigan, Ford was a U of M alumni and I am a big Ohio State fan. But that's ok. lol.

I really enjoyed the Ford Museum. It was very well laid out. After this I tried to incorporate the other Presidential Libraries into future trips. Ford was the only President to be appointed President. He was House Minority Leader when Richard Nixon appointed him to be Vice President to fill the vacancy left by Spiro Agnew's resignation. When Richard Nixon himself resigned Ford became President. Ford wouldn't win the election of 1976. Making him the first VP who assumed the Presidency who never won a term in his own right since Chester Arthur. He was a good, decent man who brought integrity to the White House after the coroption of Watergate.

After visiting the gravesite of Gerald Ford on December 26, 2009 it made 20 gravesites in one year. In 2010 I would visit another 9. So far in 2011 I've seen another 5. Which leaves 4 left which I hope to see in 2012.

Gerald Ford's gravesite, Grand Rapids, Michigan