u/AmericanTravelers44

All photos by me

This is just a hobby of mine. Be kind, rewind!

Here's a stop off in South Haven, Michigan, where my wife and I take in the view of Lake Michigan, which is aggressively pretending to be an ocean. But I see right through you, Great Lake. You have no sharks, no salt, and your tide isn’t real. But honestly? I’m not mad about it.

If you’ve ever wanted to stand in a place surrounded by rows and rows of tanks, helicopters, fighter jets and equipment while your spouse patiently asks, "So, does this one come in a different color?" this is the place for you.

The Russell Military Museum is great for anyone who loves heavy machinery, history, or just looking at things that could flatten a suburban garage. The sheer scale of the collection is incredible. We spent three hours wandering through rows of historic steel, with me reciting highly specific military facts I’d memorized five minutes prior, and my wife politely nodding.

The indoor exhibits are packed with fascinating gear, uniforms, and artifacts, and the outdoor yard is full of historic hardware. I spent a solid ten minutes trying to convince my wife that a decommissioned armored personnel carrier would fit perfectly in our driveway and really clear up our morning commute traffic issues. She countered with a firm, tactical veto.

We had a fantastic time. The exhibits are raw and authentic, and it’s a genuinely unique experience. Whether you’re a die-hard history buff or just looking for a fun, slightly loud weekend date, it is well worth the deployment.

Another day, another stop! Today, my wife and I visited a small museum in Illinois: the Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville. We walked in, and the very first thing that greeted us was a life-sized replica of a Dryptosaurus. Naturally, I looked my wife dead in the eye and said, "Wow, honey, I didn't know your mother was in town." The silence that followed was older than the 420-million-year-old fossil rock they have on display.

Once she agreed to keep moving on the condition that I bought her something shiny from the gift shop later, we explored the local history exhibits. My wife loved learning about Bess Bower Dunn—a true trailblazer who was one of Lake County's first genealogists and an early film actress. I, on the other hand, spent twenty minutes inside the replica Native American wigwam trying to figure out if it had better Wi-Fi than our basement.

All in all, it’s a beautiful, incredibly clean, and well-maintained facility. We spent a very pleasant hour learning about Lake County, and I only had to sleep on the couch for one night. Highly recommended, just leave the mother-in-law jokes at the door!