My Ride Around Lake Michigan

Day 5 (8/8/08) - Marinette, WI. 60.6 miles. 270.6 miles total.

Today was gorgeous weather. The wind was pretty forgiving - we averaged 14.1mi/hr - and it wasn’t too hot. The day started off poorly (after a good and cheap breakfast at the motel) because Allison took a long time to eat, a long time to get ready, and then said she’d need to take it easy today. She took it easy yesterday. To do it again today was not something I was interested in. So I was pretty irritated.

She did all right, though. She likes to stop a lot, and still slows me down even though I pull the whole time, But I imagine she helps keep me from over-exerting myself.

The roads were pretty desolate today, but we stopped in Oconto which was a nice town. Mailed postcards, stopped in City Hall to ask about road conditions (the post master said they might be iffy) and got food. Leaving town (maybe 3 miles out?) we passed a cyclist riding the opposite way with a huge backpack and no helmet (I think) on a singlespeed or fixed gear. We debated stopping to talk to him but decided leaving him mysterious would be more exciting. I wish we had stopped.

We had to make a detour around a closed road, and went into Menominee before realizing we missed the turn for our campground, and had to backtrack a bit.

The ‘campground’ is actually a city park with camping. It has showers though, almost no mosquitos, and is right across from a baseball field where I think they’re setting up for a game (we may go watch). This is my favorite camp spot so far.

I think we’re getting into the groove of things. The next few days look like they’ll be long, but it’s supposed to be a beautiful area. I hope the weather holds for us.

Tonight is the first time I’ve felt really full all trip. Usually I eat a lot, don’t feel really full (just like I’ve had enough), then need more 30 min. later. But tonight I think I’ll feel stuffed for a while. We had pasta with fresh vegetables, and I think those may have done the trick.

I still miss sam a lot. Hopefully I’ll make it back okay and can see her soon.


This was looking behind me, so we didn’t get to draft him


In Oconto


This house dressmaker was also selling “biker bitch do-rags”


This one was selling ostrich eggs


From their ostrich


My portion of camp


The first of 3 tanks we would see on our trip
(this was in front of a National Guard building down the street from our camp and, appropriately enough, across the street from a cemetary)


We paid $1.00…


And ended up watching about half of that local baseball game

I should mention that prior to this trip my longest ride ever was 60 miles, on my road bike. And that was while training for the ride. Other than that I think I had one 50+ mile ride, and everything else around 40 or less. So I was quite amazed that we were doing (and did) basically 50+ (often 60+) every day for 17 days with only one rest day.

If you’re thinking about touring but worry you don’t have the endurance – you’ll get it. When riding is all that you’re doing you have plenty of time to stop and rest and eat, which is something I tend not to ever do when I’m riding at home.

did you get an ostrich egg?

That would not have been very vegan of me. Plus, I doubt my pot would have been big enough to cook it. Those things are huge.

:colbert:

I would’ve gotten one just to throw it at somebody’s car!

thats not very vegan.

I’m a bad vegan.
A miscevious vegan.

Day 6 (8/9/08) - Escanaba, WI (kind of). 51 miles. 321.6 miles total.

Long. Fucking. Day. Worst wind yet. Horrible wind. Awful, full on, all day wind. To the point that I thought I would stop moving forward.

Packed up fast and ate at the picnic tables after watching a baseball game across the street the night before (we didn’t win the pizza [that they were raffling off]).

We successfully avoided paying for our camping spot and were relieved to discover that our neighboring tent was not in fact housing a dead body (no activity plus an old sit registration led to fears). He was actually a suspender and sandals+socks wearing older man who worked at the Grand Canyon.

Talked to some guys meeting in the park for their group ride. They were older and chubby but seemed real nice.

Wind sucked. Did I say that yet? At mile 25ish we pulled into a state park to ask about the weather (we were seeing dark clouds) and to take a break. Waited out what ended up not being any rain at all in a pavilion by the beach and eating lunch.

Finally, gruelingly, made it to a campground we didn’t know existed (Park Place of the North) just before Escanaba (we were thinking e would have to get a motel) and it’s actually pretty nice. The beach was (is) gorgeous and the area is decent. Unlike a state park it feels local (we met the son first before paying the dad, the owner, and there’s a crummy old convenience store right next store [with a kind of crazy, pretty hyper older female clerk]), which I really prefer.

We did some laundry (in a machine, not a sink) and talked to Levi, a former construction man who has been traveling around the country since March with his wife Carol. They went West from North Carolina and have apparently seen some awesome things (Mt. Rushmore, National Park, the Corn Palace, etc). He gave me a [business] card: [omitted]

Tomorrow will be Manistique. Hopefull. If the winds cooperate. My butt has been hurting a lot and my legs are sore tonight for the first time this trip.

When I’m older I want to do what Levi did and quit my job and travel around the country. It sounds like an unbelievable experience.


Part of the park/campground in Marinette


Our view from the pavilion


This is what most of our riding looked like


The sign (and back of the restrooms/laundry) for the campground in Escanaba


View from the campground


The path from camp to the lake


The sky was incredible that night


Allison


A panoramic shot of the water

Envious.

Are you and Allison still friends?

[quote=“SteveSentMe”]I have the same stuff sack and a pretty gross tan, too.

[/quote]

haha ben, your myspace pic was too sexy for photobucket.
could we see your “stuff sack?”

what the hell did that violate? dumbasses. i re-uploaded it so it should work now.

the “dry sack” looks like this.

That tattoo boggles my mind. I dub thee “brain fuck”

I can not get over the tattoo. He is my hero.

I swear I’ve seen your tattoo pop up on other places around the net. Reddit maybe?

I saw it first on BMEzine.

when i got back to school last year a few people said they saw it on digg.

Day 7 (8/10/08) - Manistique, WI. 68 miles. 389.6 miles total.

The winds seemed okay when we awoke. Then they got stronger. And stronger.

We had about 20 miles of more headwinds. After we turned at Rapid River to finish our Northward route and head East, they weren’t as bad, and even helped us at times since they were a bit westerly.

I got a hat at a convenience store, got given nasty eyes at two grocery stores, and met an older (45?) couple riding from Seattle to Bar Harbor (Maine?). THey seemed to have comparatively little gear, and said they were averaging 75 [miles a] day.

We’re in a motel tonight. We rode around looking for motels near a casino with cheap food that we heard about from a guy at a rest area, only to backtrack. It was $25 to camp or $40 for a motel. We opted for a motel, particularly since we are going to shoot for 85+ miles tomorrow.

Aunt Bobbi died. Called mom & Nanny. They seemed okay but I hope they really are.

Not sure I’ll have energy to write tomorrow. I hope so.


Riding looked like this…


…and this, much of the day


Allison did occasionally pull


Me at lunch against a road sign


Some lamers entering Manistique


Our bikes at the rest area where we were given directions


The older couple riding across the country


Our motel room


Our motel