Cardinal Rules

There are things you just shouldn't do. You don't say Macbeth in the theater. You don' tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. And you absolutely do NOT brag about having perfectly functioning tires on a bike ride. Alex did this yesterday, and no matter how we warned him, he kept doing it.

"Hey, we haven't even had one flat tire on this trip."

"Shhh! Don't talk about it, Alex."

Then later, "I can't believe we haven't had any flat tires on this whole trip!"

"Seriously, you're going to jinx us."

4.5 miles into the ride today, guess who had a flat tire. Fortunately it was a quick fix, and we had no further mechanical problems. The Universe pays attention to these things. As soon as you start to feel too good about something, as soon as you get a little too proud, the Universe levels things right back off. This is abundantly obvious on a bike. If you've had the luxury of coasting down hills all day, you'll be sure to pay for it with some climbs. If you've been climbing tough hills, you'll most likely be rewarded with some downhill. Unless you're in northern lower MI.

We told Alex  the flat was his fault, but he isn't accepting responsibility. He figures if he had upgraded Kevlar lined tires like ours, there would have been no problem. Of course he also blames David for the winds today. "Hey, it looks like the winds have finally calmed down." Ahem. The Universe was listening.

David often says about cycling that you just have to take what the day gives you. Today was a good day to keep that in mind. We had a little bit of almost everything to deal with while riding, including a busy, bumpy road with no shoulder, strong winds, hills, and of course, one flat tire. On the bright side, we did manage to outride a storm we saw coming. Those dark clouds were headed north while we were headed south.  Another bright spot was the miraculous recovery of David's knee. He had no trouble today.

I find that riding against the wind and climbing steep hills makes it difficult to relax. My upper body tenses up and exacerbates my neck problems. So I rode in a lot of pain today. If you are thinking of taking up distance riding, and you are young, I would recommend you start before you develop such problems as bone spurs and arthritis. I may need to take more permanent action at some point with my neck issues so that I can ride more comfortably.

I think they were expecting us to sing or play some jazz...

 As it was, I had developed a pretty bad attitude during the first 17 miles or so. Then we stopped to take David's picture in front of the "welcome to Denmark" sign, and some cows wandered out to the roadside to say hello. That improved my mood. (Mooood) Usually the pain comes later in the ride. I went from feeling regret just yesterday that the trip was almost over to counting the miles to the finish line today. Just as a watched pot never boils, counted miles never seem to increase. But eventually we did find our way into Manitowoc and a hotel. There is a hot tub here calling my sore muscles, and I'm thinking I've earned it today.

After 534 miles, not counting whatever riding we did in TC to get our laundry done, we are finished with this particular trip, our longest to date carrying the most equipment on our bikes at once. I'm pretty proud to have made it all the way here. I have been saying this is our first long unsupported trip, but I have to admit there's been support waiting in the wings the entire time. My parents have been prepared to come and fetch us if ever things got too messy, and that knowledge has been a great comfort. I'm glad it wasn't necessary, and now we can enjoy visiting them on our way back to reality. Or from reality. I haven't quite decided which is more true. It's been a great break from the ordinary, that's for sure.

Pretty sweet ride, huh?

Go drink some water and jump on a bike! As for us, we'll be on the SS Badger tomorrow afternoon crossing Lake Michigan to get back to our car.

Civilized Places Don't Let Their Turkeys Go Just Anywhere

Even the sign is shaped like cheese!

After a painful ride for David yesterday, we decided that we would reroute our trip once more to make the path to Manitowoc more direct. Today we find ourselves in Green Bay with one day of riding remaining instead of two.  Although we believe he's dealing with some tendonitis in his knee, David rode today's 57.6 miles like a boss. He's icing it up while we wash the laundry. Now that it's warmed up into the 80's, our laundry seems to be even more stinky than before.

The roads along our Wisconsin route are nice and flat so far, but we were still fighting a strong wind for much of the ride. While we still haven't seen any bears, we did witness a turkey wandering around town in Marinette, and outside of town a couple of ostriches saw us coming and started sprinting toward the road. I wondered what they would do if they didn't have a fence to keep them in. If I could've tossed a tow rope around one...

Unlike riding through the UP, we had less trouble locating "civilization" today, although the increased amount of McDonald's debris along the roadsides isn't really all that civilized. Almost halfway through the ride, we found ourselves in a little town right about the time we were ready for lunch, so we located a generic family restaurant, and decided to give it a try. I've gotten used to the strange looks people give sometimes when we walk in wearing stretchy shorts, but the problem with every small town diner we've entered is that there is nothing healthy to eat there. I've definitely consumed some unhealthy fuel while traveling, and it's reminded me why I choose not to eat so many of those food items any more. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, there aren't many options out there, particularly in small towns.


Tonight we're trying out a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, so we'll hit the road tomorrow hopefully feeling less sluggish. I have just been informed that Manitowoc is only 37 miles away. So tomorrow should be easy, right?

Menominee: Oh, man, my knee?

Today is the first day we haven't needed our jackets to ride. The heat that's been plaguing the lower part of the state is finally creeping up to us, and it's a good thing because we're camping tonight, and I don't want to be cold anymore.  It was a 56.5 mile ride from Escanaba to a campground in Menominee, and while the terrain was nice and flat, we had a headwind today which only got worse as we progressed through the miles.

It was thirty miles into the ride before we came across a gas station/restaurant. Having looked ahead, we knew this would be the case. See ? Remember what I told you about riding in the UP? We were prepared just in case with PBJ and granola bars. There's nothing you can do, however, about a headwind, even when you know it's coming.

David is having trouble with his knee today, so that made the ride tougher for him. Hopefully he'll feel better with some ice and ibuprofen tonight so he won't be in pain riding tomorrow. We'll see. On the bright side, after watching that crazy guy walk across the Grand Canyon last night, this seems pretty easy. It's all about perspective.

I took no pictures today, so you'll just have to imagine a road with trees on either side, occasionally some houses, and occasionally a nice view of Lake Michigan. With sunshine and some clouds. There. Now you know what it looked like.

Tomorrow we're headed to Shawamo, Wisconsin. At least I think this is true. Alex is all excited about the prospect of cheese and has suggested that vegans may be against the law there because there will be cheese on everything, but I know he just wants to eat cheese. I think we've ridden about 430 miles now. Three more days of riding are left. Stay hydrated, people.

Porcupine: It's Not Just Road Kill

If you ever consider cycling through the UP, here's a friendly tip: pack some snacks because you never know when you'll come across a place to eat, and then there's no guarantee it'll be open. From what I've seen in the past few days, things open late and close early up here. Just because there's a sign advertising dog sled rides, it doesn't mean it's open right now. Well, that one's common sense.

Today we'd traveled over half way between Manistique and Escanaba before we finally found a place  to refuel. I should also mention here that the UP isn't particularly vegan friendly. It's hard enough finding something to eat without meat involved. We rode for an hour after I had decided I was hungry looking for any place to get a bite to eat. I wondered at what point we should just pull over and make up some PBJ's. We finally saw a sign saying there was a restaurant 5 miles ahead. It was a long five miles.

We encountered little wildlife today: three deer, one porcupine, and some old guy on a bike carrying his little dog in a basket up front and balancing a rake across the handlebars. I wanted to get a picture of the porcupine as I had never seen one alive in the wild. We've ridden past plenty of evidence of failed porcupine road crossing, so I knew they were around here somewhere. When I heard David yell,"porcupine!" I should've kept quiet, stopped my bike, and tried to get a picture. Instead, I also blurted out, "porcupine!"  further spooking the critter, who waddled too quickly into the tall grass for me to photograph. I also would have liked to get a picture of the old guy with the dog, but he had a rake, and I was unarmed.

The third deer we saw did what deer often do when we see them in the road: stand there and stare as if waiting for instructions. It finally ran off after David hollered.

Overall, it was a smooth, easy ride today. We're all feeling strong, and we probably could've ridden quite a bit further. There may not have been sunshine today, but at least there was no rain. You can't have everything, and that's okay. We met a couple of guys in Traverse City who had been riding for over three weeks- they started in Bar Harbor, Maine- and were headed west. This morning, when we left the hotel and I wasn't feeling much enthusiasm for a bike ride, I wonderd what kind of mental state you'd have to develop in order to ride for so long. We have a deadline, or at least we know how many days we have, but they didn't. It must take great discipline and patience to attempt such a long trip. I have some mental toughness to develop if we're ever going to be able to do that.

We saw a dumb movie this afternoon, had a great dinner, and soaked our tired muscles in the hotel's hot tub. Tomorrow may be a rainy one, so we're watching the weather tonight trying to determine whether tomorrow will be a travel or a rest day. We've ridden around 375 miles now, and we have only four more riding days scheduled. On Monday I wasn't sure I would make it this far. I'm pleased that I have.

Rain and Bears

Alex becomes acquainted with the local wildlife

We were happy to leave Naubinway early this morning to head toward something more like civilization. Also, the rain was coming, and we hoped to outrun it. We did get caught in a chilly rain for about 15 minutes, but that was long enough to get soaked. To warm up and get a snack, we stopped in at a little camp store, where an older couple showed us pictures of their backyard pet bears and talked about last night's Tigers game.

We rode into Manistique by 11:00, just in time to avoid more rain. The winds were also picking up, and we were ready to be warm again. The afternoon was all about napping, reading, and washing clothes. Pretty boring. We did walk to town and the lighthouse before dinner, and then it rained on us some more. Not to be a whiner, but I'm sick of crappy weather.

Alex claims the lighthouse as his own

The UP reminds me of one big ghost town. We've ridden past countless run down abandoned hotels, restaurants, cabins, businesses. It's sad, really.

Tomorrow we ride to Escanaba. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for better weather. Alex is still hoping to pet a bear. I am content to see images taken by the locals.

Pasties! De're Yooper Good

Art

After a very cold night with little sleep in the tent, our original destination today was Newberry. When David originally mapped out our route, he had trouble finding places for us to stay without our having to ride unreasonably long distances, so he solved the problem by routing us through Newberry. As we set off from St. Ignace this morning, we started seeing little motels and cabins along the way that he didn't find on the Internet, so David figured that if we could find a hotel in Naubinway, we could shorten our ride tomorrow and avoid some hilly roads.

When we arrived in Naubinway, the motels weren't immediately apparent. The one actual former motel in town was closed, and we found out that there were rooms to stay in above a diner. So tonight we'll be in a warm place at least. It's kind of like staying at your grandparents' house if they decorated each room one area at a time during different decades.  For example, the floors would have been done maybe in the '60's, the curtains are from the '70's, the wallpaper is from the '80's, the dining chairs are from the '50's, etc.

I'm not sure who Larry is, but our bikes are locked in his garage out back. The really great part about Naubinway is that they have a snowmobile museum. We haven't taken advantage of this attraction, but I'm sure we'll regret that fact. For days.

We're also really missing out on Newberry. I've been there once, so I feel sufficiently qualified to provide a little background on the place. Originally, Newberry was founded by a group of literature enthusiasts. Their reputation as book critics spread far and wide, and to this day, newly published books are sent to the citizens of Newberry for their expert reviews, and annually, books are selected to receive  the distinguished Newberry Honor Award. The town's traditional greeting when one is first introduced is to loudly announce what book you are currently reading and then demand to know what  your new acquaintance is reading. Failing to do this is immensely insulting to the residents.

The Upper Peninsula is an interesting place to ride. While not as quiet as riding in the countryside, as the traffic is heavier, and everyone seems to be in a hurry, possibly to get out of the UP, it still feels isolated. What qualifies as civilization is different here. For example, after miles of seeing nothing, we came across a diner with a large sign advertising pasties, and we felt we had reached civilization. There are no signs announcing how far it is to anything- perhaps they don't want anyone to feel discouraged.

 Places selling pasties are more abundant than roadside bbq's are in Texas. For those of you who are not familiar, pasties is pronounced with a short "a" rather than a long "a". These delicious pies, once prominently featured in the critically acclaimed documentary about life in the UP, "Escanaba in Da Moonlight", are the original inspiration for the Hot Pocket. We sampled this unique cuisine for lunch today and found veggies pasties enjoyable. Also of note, everyone listens to old country music. Possibly there's a law I'm not familiar with.

We still haven't figured out why there are signs advertising wild rice everywhere.

Tomorrow we ride to Manistique, a real town with actual hotels. Hopefully Larry will return our bikes in the morning. Before we leave the UP, I'll be sure to explain why you really aren't hearing banjos.

Forget about the raccoons and bears. Beware of the birds!

We left Petoskey early, even though it was in the 40's out. Sometimes you just have to bundle up because you've got someplace to be. It was a beautiful day for riding, and the fact that much of the route was downhill made it a fast day as well. Once we were out of Petoskey, we were also out of traffic, and the quietness of riding through the tunnel of trees and farm country was a welcome change.

I was looking forward to a nice Polish lunch at the Legg's Inn in Cross Village, which is located just as you emerge from the tunnel of trees, but when we arrived, we found that they didn't open until noon, so we bought some juice at a gas station, found a picnic table, and settled for some PBJ. The tunnel of trees kept us in heavy shade most of the time, so it felt good to be in the sun again.

A beautiful ride through the tunnel of trees

David and Alex, just before they jumped into the water and towed the bikes to the U.P.

Once we arrived in Mackinaw City, we found the Mackinaw Bridge Authority booth and obtained a ride for ourselves and our bikes across the bridge (bicycles are not allowed on the bridge, and I'm not in to being terrified anyway) for $5 each. Once we were across, it was only 2 or 3 more miles to the campground. So far we've been pretty lucky, and the campgrounds have all had clean, hot showers, although Alex said one of the shower stalls at the first campground had a spider in it which wouldn't let him take a shower.

We were assured here that they have had no problems with raccoons or bears, but after we visited the rocky beach for a bit, we returned to find our camp had been invaded by Blackbirds. They tore into a mostly  empty box of pasta, ripped open our box of matches, which was also in a ziploc bag, and dumped some of those out, and generally poked holes into and tore up whatever we had left out. I guess we won't be hanging the trailer up in the trees tonight.

Tomorrow we ride to Newberry, where we will get another hotel room, which is good because thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow night.

Sometimes it IS about the Destination

Planning a trip like this is a lot easier than experiencing a trip like this. After packing up our equipment, we left behind that obnoxious squirrel who kept sneaking into camp and set off in the sunshine to Petosky. Today was work. We rode 65 miles in a little over six hours, slowed significantly by a cold headwind. I never took off my jacket today, but put on more layers instead. It was mostly a day to keep your head down and pedal.
On the bright side, the hills were much gentler, even if the traffic and the shoulders and the wind weren't.

You can never tell when you set out what the day will be like.  It was a relief to make it to Charlevoix because it felt like we were making progress. I tried not to think in terms of time and miles, but of landmarks instead, like the farm supply place we rode out a storm in last time we were on a bike trip.     It's always encouraging to see something familiar. Once we were within 20 miles, I reminded myself that this is a normal amount of riding to do when we're training at home, so it seemed reasonable.

For the last few miles of the ride, we were fueled by the promise of getting off the bikes, taking hot showers, and eating a hot meal. Within a few miles of Petosky, it started to rain, and I started thinking about going home. Being cold, sore, damp, and hungry gives me a bad attitude. The thought of camping didn't sound appealing at all.  When we finally arrived at the campground where we intended to stay, no one was working, and we could find no place to purchase fire wood , which would be necessary for tonight. It wasn't a difficult decision to go find a hotel room  instead, but this required climbing some steep hills . We pushed our bikes.

Tomorrow is a much needed rest day. We'll have no squirrels sneaking in to search for food. Tonight everything hurts, and it's all I can  do to keep my eyes open.  If only the squirrels knew when we were really most vulnerable...

Who was the walrus?

After a night of thunderstorms, we packed up our soggy gear and started out in the mist toward Traverse City. Our first three miles or so took place on a paved trail along the Betsie River. The trail was lined with turtle nests, some of which were occupied, but I took no pictures, so you 'll just have to take my word for it.

David and Alex have an adventure in a very windy sky

Art - possibly the Far Side Gallery of Prehistory

As soon as we were off the trail, the hills started again. As I huffed and sweated my way up, I kept imagining the roadsides littered with the petrified remains of past riders who didn't make it, their legs forever straddling their bicycles (stuck for eternity in granny gear), their skeleton mouths gaping as if sucking in their final breaths. I took comfort in knowing that I was at least a better athlete than someone.

After being resuscitated by Traverse City pie, David asked if I had noticed the yard with the Jesus sculpture next to the Goofy sculpture next to the  "God Bless America" sign. Sorry I missed that. We must've been passing that when I was dying. He seriously needs to start taking pictures. Or wait up for me so he can point these things out. All I got to see was the guy with a big mustache roller skating along the bike trail in TC with ski poles in his hands. I have named him the walrus. Goo goo gajoob.

The great thing about riding around this area this time of year is that there are roadside markets with fresh, healthy food available for snack time. We've lucked out the last two days by coming upon these markets just in time for a mid morning snack of fresh fruit and trail mix.

Today was a short ride. We only ride 42.5 miles to the camp site. Unfortunately, this one doesn't have  laundry facilities. Yesterday's camp also had no laundry, so we have ridden about four more miles to wash our stinky clothes before we find dinner this evening. I may need another shower and more clothes washed after riding to the laundromat to wash clothes.  Next stop, Petosky, MI.

Stop inhaling all the pepper spray so we can pack

After a long school year, it's time to slow things down again. To about 12mph on average, to be exact. So we planned out a new adventure, the longest we've attempted so far. We're traveling from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. In the interest of science, Alex began the trip clean-shaven today and will not shave until the end. He has taken a before picture for comparison. Also in the interest of science, David inhaled a bit of pepper spray while preparing for the trip. Perhaps this is why we seem to have forgotten so many important items we intended to bring.

Speaking of which, Alex has the daunting task of towing the trailer with camping equipment. It's about 70 pounds of extra pain for his muscles. He held up amazingly today on some hills that most likely would've killed me or David.

The first 40 miles of the ride today were pretty smooth sailing, but the last 23 were awful. David said that since we were riding closer to the coast, the land would be flatter. I'd hate to see what the roads are like further inland. Otherwise, it was a good riding day. I could wish for warmer weather,but I still appreciate the time to enjoy the outdoors with family.

This deer presumably had a rough night

I can't seem to get pictures posted here at the moment, so I'll have to figure that out later. We did come upon a fake deer in someone's yard. It was dressed in a red hat and stood next to a sign advertising a wildlife control service. Humiliation must be one of their primary methods of control.

We are camping tonight and have been told that bears have been spotted here (shhhh... Don't tell my mother). Therefore, the office will lock up our food for the night to help ward off unwelcome guests. Alex said he was planning to train a bear to guard our stuff instead. We'll see how that works out. 44 miles to Traverse City tomorrow. We'll see if our legs still work in the morning.