Farwell, MI - Day 44

Stats: We rode 92 miles under overcast to partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid 80's.  There is a crew of three of us riding this week.  Tom is back riding with me after a two week absence due to personal issues.  He plans to now continue to Boston.  Bob, another riding friend from Oxford, OH, joined us a week ago in Northfield, MN and will ride for two weeks, leaving in Niagara Falls.  Before dinner we made it to a local  cheap ice cream store which is just behind us around the corner.  Dinner is at the school with a quiet night ahead of us.

Lunch at Lake Idlewild

 The highlight of our day was the location of our picnic lunch at Idlewild Lake near the town of Idlewild in Yates Township, MI.  It is a relatively poor black community where several supper clubs were located in the 30's to the 50's.  Black performers ( Sarah Vaughan, Jackie Wilson and the Four Tops to name a few ) would come here to perform due to limited access for black performers and audiences to other venues during that period.  With the Civil Rights Act and associated changes thus allowing greater access for black performers and audiences, the clubs declined and closed in the 60's.  The picture is the Flamingo Night Club as it exists today, which was one of the performing clubs.  Mr Clarence McKinney is a current resident of Idlewild who joined us for lunch and gave us a history of its golden era of night clubs and performers.  The lake shown is Idlewild Lake where many big name African-American performers had summer homes.  This is just a bit of American history for you all.

On the Road to Farwell, MI - Day 44

After breakfast in Ludington back at the Old Hamblin Restaurant, we were off to Farwell.  In addition to passing by several lakes, Tom, Bob and I spent the day riding together on roads lined with coniferous and deciduous trees typical of this area of the country.  Being so close to home we were beginning to feel as if we were out for a typical Sunday ride.

Ludington, MI Rest Day - Day 43

Sunday, 8/1, is a rest day in Ludington. We have traveled just over 3000 miles in 37 days of riding. Six weeks are done and 3 more to go.  It has been a tremendous adventure and I am looking forward to the final 3 weeks.  Ludington, situated on Lake Michigan, is a summer resort town.  It is filled with grand old houses throughout the city which have been turned into Bed and Breakfast accommodations.  It also is the base for a Coast Guard Station and, with its connection to the lake, recognizes the contributions of seafaring men and women in its parks with sculptures and historical plaques.  One picture is a memorial to the men and women who have lost their lives working on the waters.  Today Tom returned arriving at the school in the late afternoon.  Since I had had several flats, I replaced the worn rear tire on my bike under Bob's watchful eye while resting back at camp.  I am slowly learning more and more about the care and feeding of my bike.  Our group had dinner downtown at the Old Hamblin Restaurant where Greg welcomed our new members at the Sunday orientation meeting.

Fresh Catch of the Day

Not being a fisherman I was intrigued by the local fishermen returning with their fresh catches which they were cleaning at the public cleaning stations along the waterfront.

Exploring the Ludington Waterfront - Day 43

I rose at 7am and headed off to explore Ludington and its waterfront with today being our day off.  It is a beautiful resort area with a large marina, a lighthouse enclosing the breakwater and a vast sandy swimming beach with a hilly backdrop.  After meeting Dan (WI) and Glen (CO) for breakfast, I walked the complete waterfront enjoying the scenery and sunshine.  I ran into a mink sunning himself on the rocks at the waterfront, a kayaking couple, sailboats heading out and the caretakers at the lighthouse.  Bob and I met about noon for lunch and we walked the town.   

Ludington, MI - Day 42

Stats: We rode 40 miles in overcast misty conditions with temperatures in the mid 70's.  It rained the better part of the night in Plymouth and continued to drizzle into the morning.  That meant I was packing up my gear and tent in the wet for the first time during the trip.  Packing in the rain has always been one of our greatest concerns.  However I was somewhat delighted to have the opportunity to learn how to deal with it and deal with it I did.  After delaying our departure from breakfast at the Mill Street Grill as long as we could hoping the rain would stop, we finally left for Manitowoc in the rain.  The first 8 miles were on a bike path where I had another flat tire.  It is always fun to change a flat in the rain.  Shortly thereafter the rain let up, but we were already thoroughly soaked.  Fortunately today's ride was short since we had to cross Lake Michigan in the afternoon.  At mile 38 we had a wonderful lunch at the house of a former Cycle America employee which was just a mile from the ferry dock in Manitowoc.  We sailed on the SS Badger at 2 pm for our 4 hour crossing of  Lake Michigan.  On the ferry we took pictures, played bingo and drank a few beers as we crossed.  The SS Badger is a coal fired ferry built in 1953 for transporting railroad cars, trucks, cars, motorcycles and of course bikes across Lake Michigan.  After docking in Ludington, Bob and I set up camp at Dejonge Jr. High School and headed into Ludington  where we joined Tom ( NETH) for a late dinner.  The mile bike ride back to camp after dinner was in the dark.  With the time change and hour late ferry departure, we didn't get bedded down until 11:30pm Saturday night.  At least Sunday is a rest day in Ludington so I could sleep in - which I did until 7am.