I Like Short Rides

Day 110, July 20, 2011, I Like Short Rides.

Route from Irons to Travers Bay RV Resort, Williamsburg, MI

72.7 miles, averaging 14.5 mph

Worst Moment – We are in an awesome RV resort – parked with a view out the front window of the fake blue green lakes, and fountains, but it is so darned hot, we can’t sit out and enjoy the view.  I saw one of the church marquees that announced, “It isn’t hotter than hell outside,” but it sure feels like it.  Give me dry heat.

Best Moment – I stopped for coffee at Bud’s in Interlochen this morning.  They had strawberry rhubarb pie.  It has been ages since I’ve had rhubarb of any kind and fondly remember all the ways mom found to use this abundant vegetable.  Things like rhubarb sauce, pie, cobbler, cake and jam.  Sometimes the rhubarb was combined with strawberries and sometimes not. While this wasn’t as good as mom’s rhubarb pie, it was delicious. 

After the long day yesterday, I was sort of lazy in getting out of Irons.  I knew it would be a comparatively short ride so didn’t leave until nearly 8.  I know that I much prefer rides of 70 to rides of 130 miles.  On Main Street in Irons, was a permanent Christmas Shrine - a complete nativity scene, enclosed in its own building.

Today featured more Michigan hills, farms and lakes.  It was a very scenic ride and having a bit of a tail wind helped in climbing the hills. 

Traverse City is a beautiful town on Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan.  There is a bicycle path through the city making navigation much easier.  Much of the route was along the water or along the railroad track.  There was a wonderful park, complete with a steam-powered railroad.  Lots of families were taking rides on the open-air cars, much as we used to do at McCormick Railroad Park.

I made it to the RV Resort and had to wait for Neita for about 45 minutes.  She found an “amazing” market.  The cookies that she got from that market are amazing and so was the salmon wrapped in cedar. 

It seems odd that it is still light outside at 9:30 pm.  I guess that’s because we are so far north.  Then it doesn’t get daylight until nearly 7 am.

If you would like to donate to my ride, my link for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197.  I really appreciate your support.