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.

Longest Day

Day 109, July 19, 2011, Longest Day

Route from Belding to Enchanted Acres Campground, Irons, MI

131 miles, averaging 13.7 mph

Worst Moment – I don’t know what the actual temperature or humidity reading was today, but it was a sweltering day.  At one point the thermometer on the bike indicated it was 99 when I finished the ride at 5:30, it read 90 degrees.

Best Moment – This may sound silly, but after the hot sweaty day I’ve been through, the thing that I appreciated most was the wonderful shower at the bathhouse.   Normally when I get in I will shower in the campground’s bathhouse if they provide free hot showers.  Not all campgrounds have showers or hot showers, and not all of them are free. (I’ve taken a few cold ones because I hadn’t checked the water and had already taken everything off.)  While Ruby has a great shower, it is small for me and the water goes into our holding tank, which then has to be emptied, so I really enjoy a good shower at the campground.

When I left Ruby in the fog this morning, I already knew it would be a long day.  I just couldn’t tell how long it would be since the route map I’m using didn’t have Irons, MI on it.  Google Maps had indicated that the trip from Belding to Irons was something in the neighborhood of 120 miles I wasn’t expecting that it would be 130.95 miles.  THAT’S MORE THAN A DOUBLE (METRIC) CENTURY (which would be about 127 miles.)

With this kind of ride to look forward to, I tried to get an early start and left around 6:30. The route was well marked today which is good since it was so long.  I don’t think that I went through any town for nearly 50 miles.  I have been riding through very rural Michigan farmland.  There is still corn, but also what look like potatoes and soybeans.

Some of the way was through wooded areas.  It looks like the homes in the woods are mainly seasonal cabins.  They aren’t on the water or anything, so I’m not sure what the attraction is.  In the winter they may be used for snowmobiling, but it is too hot and humid to enjoy this kind of location now.  And there are the hills – lots of rolling hills to climb and climb again.

Now the roadside flowers are mainly Queen Anne’s Lace, with some kind of purple flower – that I don’t recognize. 

Here are a couple of photos from Luther – which was one of the towns that I actually went through.  

Heat index forecast for tomorrow is 105 – Wow that’s hot.  Isn’t northern Michigan supposed to have cool summers? Guess the temperatures are about 8 to 10 degrees hotter than normal and close to record highs.  

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.

Uninspired

Day 108, July 18, 2011, Uninspired

Route from Climax to Double R Ranch Campground, Belding, MI

83 miles, averaging 13.7 mph

Worst Moment – I nearly missed this turn and it was an important one.  Fortunately, most of the roads in Michigan have been better marked than this.

Magnified several times

Best Moment – There was a 50% chance of severe thunderstorms forecast for both Belding and the Battle Creek area all day today.  (When I was in New England, a 50% chance of rain meant that I was going to get wet.  That doesn’t seem to be the case here.) The weather gurus were anticipating strong winds possible damaging hail and heavy rain.  Other than being very humid and hot, the thunderstorms haven’t hit yet – though they still may, but at least I’m in Ruby.

Today was fairly uneventful.  I don’t know, maybe the excitement of bicycle riding every day is beginning to wear off, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Because of the weather forecast, the camera was packed away for most of the day.  I have been going through more farmland with rolling hills.  There are lakes and streams and more hills.  What I see of the little towns has been uninspiring – not that I even see that many little towns here. 

Today was mostly overcast and sort of almost foggy or misty because it is so humid. I really thought that it was getting ready to storm when I arrived at the campground.   Neita was just pulling in so I was able to help her get set up.  This is quite a place for family get togethers.  They have tubing, golf, horse back riding and a swimming pool. 

I am working my way north to Mackinaw City and looking forward to my next rest day.  This 12 days straight of bicycling that’s a lot.  

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.

A Different Kind of Road Hazard

Day 107, July 17, 2011,  Different Kind of Road Hazard

Route from Wolcottville, IN to Cold Brook Campground, Climax, MI

74.2 miles, averaging 14.1 mph

Worst Moment – There certainly is something to be said for “dry heat.”  This area of the country is having record temperatures, and it isn’t a dry heat.

Best Moment – The shower from the overflow of the irrigation sprinklers felt pretty good.

For nearly 20 miles, I was on Indiana back roads in Amish country.  There is a different kind of road hazard here – from all of the horse drawn buggies.  

The horses are beautiful animals.  And so are the farms and family gardens. 

Shortly after leaving camp, there was a Sunday Service at one of the homes.  The yard in front of the barn was filled with black buggies.   The men in their somber black hats, and white shirts were gathered in a circle, holding hands, heads bowed in prayer.  It was a very impressive sight.  I’m not sure where the women were.

On the same road there were several other families on their way to the meeting.  Two couples were walking and another few families were guiding their carriages into the front of the barnyard.   Sort of interesting to see the kind of businesses that this religion fosters.  There was a buggy repair shop and a buggy store selling black buggies of every kind.  It gave me pause to consider their devout simple lifestyle.

I crossed into Michigan somewhere along Scott Road.  In Michigan there’s lots more corn and they irrigate it with huge lines of overhead sprinklers.  In a couple of places the sprinklers also hit the roadway and felt pretty good.

Here’s a photo of a covered bridge in Michigan – not quite as picturesque as those in Vermont, but still pretty cool.

Neita’s latest plan to kill fruit flies that seem to invade us is to capture them in her wine glass then cover the glass with her hand (as seen in this photo) until the insects get drunk and die.

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.

Starbucks Is Back

Day 106, July 16, 2011 – Starbucks Is Back

Route from Defiance, OH to Indian Lakes Campground, Wolcottville, IN

71 miles, averaging 15.3 mph

Worst Moment – Though it wasn’t really a worst moment, the thing that caused me the most anxiety today was the very skinny shoulder on the road.  The campground last night was really a long way off route and it was much shorter to just follow major roads which is what I did.  Think that I’ll try sticking to the bicycle maps from now on.

Best Moment – I still like Pikes Peak Roast from Starbucks and was able to get it today in Indiana.  

I can really tell that we are headed west.  The front yards aren’t the green of New England, there aren’t any fences, and Starbucks and Wells Fargo Banks are back.  In the east there weren’t any Starbucks – I had to settle for Dunkin Doughnuts.  For awhile in the south there were Wachovia Banks, but, I’ve not seen a Wells Fargo since Texas(?) a long time.

Almost as soon as I crossed into Indiana, the flat as a pancake farmland of Ohio gave way to rolling but not steep rolling farmland of Indiana.  Still, it wasn’t the up and downs of Vermont, New Hampshire and Texas.  And, there is still a lot of corn.

This part of Indiana has a lot of Amish.  Coming into Wollcottville, there were several farms with the black carriages in the front lawn.  I saw two carriages headed into town.  When I arrived at the campground, they are having some kind of reunion with several Amish families.  It seems odd to see small girls playing at the camp’s playground in long skirts and bonnets – but they still seem to have fun.

I got a couple of tomatoes from one of great produce stands in the area. This one was self-service.  It had the scale, calculator and even the change till all there.

At Indian Lakes Campground, it is “Chocolate Lovers Weekend.”  This morning they were serving free chocolate chip pancakes – we missed that.  Then there was chocolate cupcake decorating followed by a chocolate fountain fruit lunch, chocolate brownies with chocolate sauce sundaes, (made it in time for this), all topped off with a chocolate slip and slide.  What a mess – I just saw the end of this!

I just finished reading Matterhorn, by Karl Marlantes.  It seemed to express a lot of what I think my generation feels about the futility of the Viet Nam War – a war that was impossible to win and without clear objectives.  Marlantes is a decorated Viet Nam Vet.   It was a very compelling and disturbing book to read.

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.

Eat More Corn

Day 105, July 15, 2011, Eat More Corn

Route from Lindsay to Shepherd’s Pasture Campground, Defiance, OH

85.6 miles, averaging 14.6 mph

Worst Moment – Shortly after leaving Pemberville, OH, I saw the sign that the road I was on was closed – there was not any advanced notice that the road ahead was closed before I got there – just the sign that the road was closed.  After a few bad words, (I had after all gone nearly 3 miles to this point,) I decided to go around the barricade.   I didn’t know where the alternate routes were and I really didn’t want to go back east three miles to try to find another way west.

Best Moment – On the other side of the barricade was someone in a car from the Ohio Department of Transportation drove up just as I was walking around the second barricade.  I asked him if the road going west was really closed.  He told me that it was only closed at this intersection and that I was fine.  Crazy.

According to the USDA, corn has the highest return above variable cost, and is the number one produced feed grain in the U.S. with over 80 million acres planted in corn and the acreage is increasing.  I have certainly seen that we have a lot of corn in this country.  All through the south; and now all across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and anywhere there is farming, there has been corn.  We must use a lot of corn – probably all of those tortilla chips.

With all of the corn that is being grown, one wouldn’t think that we had land for anything else, like tomatoes.  Yet in Napoleon, Oh, there was Campbell’s Tomato Soup plant.  It even smelled a little spicy around the plant – just like good tomato soup should.

From just west of Bowling Green all of the way to Defiance, I was along the Maumee River.  As I was eating lunch, I could watch the kids wading in the water and enjoying a warm summer day in the cool water of the river. 

This part of Ohio has a great grid system of county and town roads.  They are flat, in good condition and without much traffic. 

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.

Great Legs

Day 104, July 14, 2011, Great Legs

Route from North Ridgeville to Wooded Acres Campground, Lindsey, OH

92 miles, averaging 14.9 mph

Worst Moment – On the 4 lane Route 6 east of Vermillion, there was a propane delivery truck that felt I didn’t belong on the road.  Several blocks behind me, he started honking for me to move over – I was as far right as I could be and there really was no where else to go.  Finally, he was able to get around and I was glad not to have him on my tail.  

Best Moment – At Decidedly Different Gifts and Coffee, in Vermillion, OH, I was getting ready to place my order.  There was some conversation about my cycling to the coffee shop.  The woman who had ordered just before me, said, “great legs.”  I thanked her for the compliment.  Her comment made me feel like the entire ride was worth it – just kidding.  Seriously though, it did give my ego a huge boost.

 

This morning I was still riding along the shores of Lake Erie.  I didn’t quite make it to Sandusky for the roller coaster ride, but have seen a lot of this Great Lake.  While there are a lot of beautiful homes on the lake, there is also some industry and not so beautiful areas. 

 A mailbox along Lake Road

One of the many parks along the lake

Parts of the state are suffering terribly because of the economy.  I tried to find a coffee shop in Lorain (about 10 miles east of Vermillion), only to see that their entire downtown area of about 3 or 4 city blocks was completely empty – on both sides of the street with stores for sale and boarded up.  Very sad.  It is interesting that some areas, like Lorain, are so very depressed, yet Vermillion seemed to be doing well with the tourist trade.  The stores and streets in Vermillion made it look like the area was quite prosperous.

After leaving the lake region, I went through cornfields more cornfields of flat Ohio.  It is sort of amazing to see the golf ball like water towers all over.  It seems like one could see for several miles because the ground is so very flat.

From Clyde to Fremont, I was on the North Coast Inland Trail.  A bicycle – recreation trail.  It was a great ride.  I got to Ruby early and was able to change the front tire – the same one I’ve been riding on since Texas – guess that shows the difference in wear between the front and back tires.

Just finished listening to Next, by Michael Crichton.  It was an interesting, if somewhat preposterous tale about genetic engineering and taking a look at the issues under the most bizarre situations.

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.