Charge Around The Globe – Lexie and Ford Explorer complete the penultimate leg

One of the great things about travelling the globe is trying out the many different foods, and as Chicago is famous for its deep dish pizza Lexie wasted no time in trying it out. Was it as good as the pizza she had near the beginning of this world trip in Naples, Italy though? It was certainly better than the tarantula she ate in Cambodia.

Chicago comes and goes all too soon, with Lexie keen to head back to the Windy City to explore more in the future. For now, a 480 km journey awaits the Explorer as they point east to the hometown of Ford, Detroit. Detroit is famous for its strong automotive history, hence its nickname of Motor City, but it’s a different type of garage that gets her attention. The Detroit Body Garage in east Detroit is a garage and car showroom that has now been converted into a community gym where founder Terra welcomes Lexie for a look around and a chance to have a workout.

Terra, a former triathlete, traded her car for a van to offer pop-up gyms when she was in her forties before establishing the permanent gym in the former garage, a deliberately symbolic location to reflect Detroit’s automotive history. The transformation also aims to brighten perceptions of Detroit and uplift the community. Lexie learns that it’s not just a space that offers welcoming class training to the community though. Activities like community gardens for kids and puppy classes all help with Terra’s ambition of fostering an ever stronger community spirit amongst residents. 

Leaving Detroit, Lexie and the Explorer travel through Pittsburgh and onwards to New York City. Reaching Liberty State Park, the iconic New York skyline in the distance symbolizes the end of her coast-to-coast journey across the United States and, for Lexie, a new appreciation for the diversity of landscapes, weather and cities of her home country. Next up is the final leg of this epic challenge in northern Europe, with the finish line in Nice on March 26^th the ultimate destination.  But before she leaves there’s still time to try a slice of New York pizza… and, according to Lexie, it ranks as the second best pizza of her global journey so far.

You can follow the end of Lexie and the Ford Explorer’s Charge Around the Globe at Ford News Europe’s X, Instagram and YouTube as well as at Lexie’s Instagram and YouTube. Or simply follow the #ChargeAroundTheGlobe hashtag.  

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