Touring The Brunswick Bowling Alley Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Good morning friends,

I have already shared the trips that Daddy, Donna and I used to take. One of those trips was to Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit the Brunswick Bowling Alley factory.

It was such an experience to see how they made the pins to line up in the bowling alley. The glue was so strong in the factory, even with nose protection, that it would leave you feeling a little woozy when you left the room. I was fascinated by the painting process of lowering the pins half way in for one color and then turning them upside down for the stripes. All of this was animated so it looked kind of like a dance, as the pins came down the line.

They dunked themselves completely in the white color then came up and waited until the drip stopped, turned upside down for the bottom stripe and waited again for the drip to stop, then the next stripe was done and the pin was turned again ending in an upright position. (I tried to find a youtube video of the way it was done, but factories today are different than they were in the 60's and I could not find one. They have cut out the ups and downs of the painting so that it is much more proficient but less like a dance)

It was almost dizzying to watch but also fascinating to see. I will never forget how excited I was to see them being made and painted. This was not a normal part of my life and I loved anything that was different.

The workers were taken with the two daughters and the VIP visiting the factory and several of them wanted to take us on a date. Of course the beautiful family that we were staying with would have none of that, so we did other things on our few days stay there.

We were pretty naive in those days and when two girls were begging for money to make a phone call, we gave it to them. Our host said that they were probably going to use the money for booze but we did not know. We just gave if we could without judging the reason needed or wanted for the money.

Simpler times...

On a side trip one day, we found a little car Museum in Holland, Michigan.

We all loved the old cars and My first car was a 67 Mustang similar to the one shown in the second photo. I have a photo of the actual car somewhere but in all my moving the past few years, it is probably packed away. I loved that car and loved Daddy for getting the loan for me. I had to make the 58 dollar payments but I was happy to do that at age 16, to have a car!

Anyway the Museum owner was so sweet. Today most Museums would NEVER let you touch the cars much less climb all over them for photos but this owner let us get inside the cars, old trucks that Daddy loved, and this photo of me sitting on top of my favorite, A Rolls Royce.. lol. I know that Donna has more pictures of our trip that maybe she will share..

Old cars have often been a part of my life and I was devastated to have to sell my 56 Buick when I got sick and had to move back to my home state of Florida. I so wish I could have brought it but when things like that happen, you have to prioritize what comes and what stays..

I will always love old cars and trucks. They take me right back to being a child and riding on the sideboard of Daddy's Chevy, much like the one in the last photo.
Love to all my family and friends, Kimmee

(The above two photos courtesy of my sister Donna Peacock)