A Brief Tour of Royal Oak

My next stop was Royal Oak because I was going to see Zappa Plays Zappa.  I had a little time to kill before the show, so I took some pictures of the town.

 A jewelry shop.

 I think this was an antique shop.

 Some of the buildings downtown.  Royal Oak is another town that has reinvented itself.  There are several restaurants and other entertainment venues.  It's actually pretty nice.

 This is a Marshall Fredericks, it is called Star Dream.

 A detail of the base.  I think this would look pretty cool in the right light.

 A shot of the park.

 This is now an art theater.

 A bakery window.

This place sells leather goods.

The Belle Isle Conservatory

Since I was already next door, I figured I would pop into the Conservatory for a bit.  That is another place that it's been a while since I've visited.

 This is another Albert Kahn designed building.  It was based on Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.  One of these days, I'm going to have to check that one out.

 The Koi Pond has been emptied but there was still a little water left in it to provide this reflection.

 And then I decided to jump back into the world of color.

 Looking down the garden.  I think this gives a pretty good view of this end of Belle Isle.  To the left you can see the Peace Carillon.  Sort of in the center, there is the Casino.  Off in the distance is the Ren Cen.

 Looking back at the main structure.

 I'm not sure what this but I'll enjoy it all the same.

 I kind of liked this flower.

 One of a few orchids that are here.

 A pair of orchids.

 I really like this one.

 I thought these flowers looked pretty cool.

 another nice flower.

 This is similar to the statue at the Detroit Zoo and is by Marshall Fredericks.

One more view of the Conservatory.

The Cross in the Woods

Just before you get to Mackinaw City, you pass a town called Indian River.  In that town, they  have the Cross in the Woods.

 Originally called the Indian River Catholic Shrine, it was renamed Cross in the Woods in 1983.  The main feature is the crucifix which stands on the grounds.  It was created by Marshall Fredericks and was cast out of bronze in Norway.  The Christ figure ways 28 tons and was one of the largest castings to be shipped across the Atlantic.  The cross itself is made out of redwood.

 There are various religious sculptures on the grounds and this all constitutes a Catholic Shrine.  As I've said before, I'm not particularly religious but I do like to take pictures of religious things.  This is a statue of Mary.

 The Cross stands in front of an outdoor church and they hold masses everyday (although I think those might be held in the indoor church).

 I loved the way the light was hitting the cross.

 These represent the 28 steps that Jesus allegedly had to walk up before he was condemned by Pontius Pilate.  One of the rituals is to climbs these steps on your knees.

 I guess this is a more topical sculpture since it is St. Francis of Assissi and the new Pope is Francis.

 Another angle of the cross.

 A sculpture of the Holy Family.

 I wanted an angle that captured the full effect of the church and the cross.  I would have to admit this would be a pretty cool setting for a church.

 A sculpture of St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer patients.

 Another sculpture of Mary.

 Since this is along a highway, I guess there should be a mention of Mary of the Highways.

 I kind of liked the setting of the cross through the trees.

The main building was designed by Alden Dow, who was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  The building itself blends into its surroundings pretty well.