Around Lake Michigan - 2018

Monday August 20, 2018

Home to Griffith, 58 Miles



Left home around 8am. Stopped for lunch at McDonald's in Chesterton. Heavy rain started up near Hobart Indiana, stopped under a shelter at Robinson County park to avoid the downpour. Diner at Wildrose Brewery, pub burger and garlic fries. Back tracked a little bit to a warm showers spot, generous hosts with a nice spot to camp in their side yard, more rain came during the night.




Tuesday August 21, 2018

Griffith to Wrigley Hostel - 40 miles


Cloud Gate

Breakfast at Burger King in Griffith. Stops in Chicago included Trader Joe's for groceries, Cloud Gate the photo opportunity above, and REI. Diner at Cozy Noodles and Rice, Thai Chicken and Rice.





Wednesday August 22, 2018

Wrigley Hostel to Cliffside Park Campground, Racine - 73 miles

Coffee at Reprise Roasters Winnetka
Evanston
Racine
Left Hostel approx. 7:00am, rode Clark Street north from Wrigley Field to Evanston, then Chicago Ave., & Sheridan through to downtown Winnetka. Had my pedals replaced at Green Bay Cycles in Winnetka. Stopped for Coffee at Reprise Roasters then picked up the Green Bay Trail near Glencoe, then Robert McClory trail at North Chicago and on through Kenosha and Racine.





Thursday August 23, 2018

Racine to Kohler-Andrae state park, Sheboygan - 78 miles
Milwaukee
Kohler-Andrae state park
Ozaukee Interurban trail north from Downtown Milwaukee. Met Vince near Cedarburg WI, he was riding a fat tire bike up ahead of me and slowed down to chat. Said he recently retired and was planning a three week tour in Germany near where he was stationed while in the military. Stopped at Kohler-Andrae State Park, a nice couple invited me to their campsite, enjoyed a cup of tasty hot chocolate she made up using her jet boiler.





Friday August 24, 2018

Sheboygan to Devils River Campground, Maribel - 51 miles

Devil's River Campground
Nice inexpensive campsite near a stream and waterfall, historic buildings nearby including a grist mill.




Saturday August 25, 2018

Maribel to North Bay Shore campground, Oconto - 72 miles
Green Bay
Started out in a Northwesterly direction towards Green Bay but after stopping for breakfast I opted for county roads Westerly to pick up a north-south trail to downtown Green Bay. Stopped for lunch at McDonalds in Green Bay, stopped again in Oconto for groceries. The host at North Bay Campground gave me a discounted rate for the night.




Sunday 26, 2018

Oconto to Peshtigo - 8 miles


Rest day, including an 8 mile ride to Peshtigo City Campground. Walked to the Lee's Family Foods grocery, and purchased a Macaroni stuffed pizza for dinner at the deli.





Monday August 27, 2018

Peshtigo to Escanaba - 71 miles
Menomonee River

Sand Point Lighthouse, Escanaba

Stopped around 3:30pm at OB Fuller campground to inquire about camping, decided to take advantage of the strong tail wind and continue another 20 miles or so to Pioneer Trail Park campground in Escanaba.




Tuesday August 28, 2018

Escanaba to Manistique - 50 miles


Manistique Light House

Breakfast at McDonalds in Gladstone, dinner at Burger King in Manistique. Nice new modern campsite at Manistique located near the Lighthouse pictured above.



Wednesday August 29, 2018

Manistique to Brevort Lake - 72 miles

Hog Island Campground
Brevoort Lake Campgound
Rode most of the day on a nice 10 foot wide shoulder along US 2. The Bridge over Cut Bank River was under construction, and the detour included a side road with heavy traffic and no shoulders, but they had quite a few share the road with cyclists signs posted along the way. Nice campground at Brevort lake, friendly hosts. A couple invited me over to their campsite to talk, they had a warm fire going. Said they lived in St. Petersburg Florida and were on 90 driving trip around the US camping along the way.




Thursday August 30, 2018

Brevort Lake to Cheboygan - 42 miles

Mackinaw Bridge from atop the toll gate




After lunch at Subway in St. Ignace I noticed my front tire was flat. I found a bench nearby, took the tire off and while searching for the source another touring cyclist stopped by. A young guy, a recent graduate of the Civil Engineering program at University of Wisconsin. We talked for a bit and after I patched the tire we rode down to the Mackinaw Bridge Toll Gate together. When we arrived a worker yelled out from a toll both for us to take the elevated foot bridge across to the office. We did, payed the $5.00 fee and a pickup arrived shortly there-after. The driver helped us lift our bikes up into the pickup bed, and we hopped into the truck and away we went across the bridge. Across the bridge we unloaded our bikes, said our farewells, and I continued along a bike trail to Cheboygan. I stopped at Walmart for groceries and noticed I had a message from my Son that he was coming to join me for long the weekend. so I decided to get a hotel room for the night.



Friday August 31, 2018

Cheboygan to Wolverine - 32 miles
Cheboygan
William

My Son would be driving from Indiana to meet up with me today. I took a walk around Cheboygan and had breakfast at Alice's restaurant. Started out towards Indian River around 10am. We met up at Burger King around 2pm and rode the N Central State Trail south to Haakwood State forest Campground together. Set up our tents and then rode a few miles down the trail to enjoy a delicious diner at the Hungry Sturgeon Restaurant at Wolverine Michigan.




Saturday September 1, 2018

Wolverine to Ostego Lake Campground, Gaylord - 27 miles
Otsego Lake County Park

William and I packed up our gear and headed south on the N Central Trail. Strong headwind and steady uphill climb to Gaylord Michigan, slow going. Stopped to take shelter from the rain under a church alcove and decided to try to locate the source of my consistently deflating front tire. Google maps showed a bicycle shop nearby and William rode over to buy a new inner tube for me. Put it back together, stopped at Aldi's for groceries and continued on to Otsego Lake County park. Showered, called in for a pizza delivery, and we built a nice camp fire too.





Sunday September 2, 2018

Gaylord to Indian River, Gaylord to Mancelona - 56 miles
Dead end road, whoopsie
William and I headed back north to his car. Stopped for coffee in Gaylord, learned that Gaylord is the highest town in Michigan (1348' amsl) from a local bicyclist that stopped to chat with us. Nice tailwind and downhill today, stopped at the Hungry Sturgeon for lunch. Arrived back at Williams car around 2:30pm, packed up the bicycles and William dropped me off back in Gaylord. I headed SW towards Mancelona, stopped at Whispering Pines RV Resort & Campground for the night.





Monday September 3, 2018 (Labor Day)

Mancelona to Reed City - 83 miles
Kalkaska Shoe Tree
Cadillac
Rambadt Park - Reed City
Breakfast at McDonalds in Kalkaska. Stopped at Family Fare Supermarket in Cadillac for Groceries. Multiple flat tire day, patched 5 tube punctures.




Tuesday September 4, 2018

Reed City to Grand Rapids - 74 miles
Big Rapids
Grand Rapids
Breakfast at McDonalds in Reed City. Near Big Rapids front tire went flat, noticed the tire was wet inside around the puncture hole, covered the inside of tire with duct tape. Stayed at AirBNB in downtown Grand Rapids., the host was a young mother with two small children. Walked to market for diner, Meijers store with all self check out lanes.




Wednesday September 5, 2018

Grand Rapids to Glenn - 54 miles
West Michigan Bike & Fitness
Holland
Saugatuck
Pier Cove
Stopped at Speedway in Grandville for coffee, waited for the bike store across the street to open. Purchased a new tire at West Michigan Cycling and Fitness. Stopped for lunch at subway in Holland. ate Diner at Burger King in Saugatuck. Located a secluded nature preserve south of Pier Cove on google maps. Bicycled in at dusk, pushed my bike off trail and set up for the night in a grove of pine trees.



Thursday September 6, 2018

Glenn to Home - 68 miles
camp @ 6am
Roadside Park
S.B. Chocolate Cafe - St. Joseph
US Bike Route 35






18 days, 17 nights, 1005 miles