Good-week, Grand Rapids!

After a 22-hour stint 10/1/23-10/2/23 and a 20-hour return on 5/26/25, I knew that my next visit needed to have some breathing room to it. Round 3: a complete week!

I'm not sure how many people get giddy about their first flight into Ford International Airport, but I can attest to there being at least one. As I deplaned, I was both somewhat hurried and trying to be attuned to signage or visuals that signified the airport's namesake. Not finding what I'd hoped before exiting, I figured I'd make additional time for that prior to my return flight. Outside, as I awaited my transportation, I first noticed the statue. With about 5 minutes to spare, I waited for two also-enthusiastic women to cycle through turns of posing with him, and I finally interrupted and asked if I could get a quick pic. They offered to assist. Again, when I return next week, I'll be sure to cushion my arrival for more time with my second Gerald statue friend.

In the days ahead I'll be
• touring Grace Episcopal Church, the church in which the Fords were married and later each had funeral services
• returning to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to share the project with leadership (and revisit my statue friends)
• returning to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library to reacquaint with my archivist friends and complete an additional wave of research
• meeting a t-b-d myriad of magical Michiganders

Stay tuned for a subscribers'-exclusive trip recap in "For the Record 002."