2010 Bike Trip

July 9, 2010 9:17 pm

This morning, we walked over to the Northern Lights restaurant next to the motel for breakfast. We took our time, because it was going to be an easy day.

We rode the Arnold Line Ferry to Mackinac Island.

Motor vehicles are prohibited on the island, so the only forms of transportation are walking, bicycling, and horse-drawn carriages of all sizes.

The town is a madhouse of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. I took this during a break in the traffic.

We stopped to see Arch Rock. The outer rim of the island is an 8-mile perimeter road, but the inside of the internal part is crisscrossed with steps and trails. I wish Merrianne (my wife) were here, I think she would have enjoyed the hiking. The island has light breezes, and is like Hawaii, only not so humid.

At a concession partway around the island, we met this family. Gary (the elder) and Sue once snowmobiled all the way across the U.P. Their daughter is Sophia, and their son is also Gary. He’s going to college in the fall.

Even though we were riding at a very leisurely pace, we were soon back in town. Marc’s Double Oven attracted me because it said Free Wireless Internet in the window. Actually, there were quite a few public wireless access points in town. Elliot and I had orange sherbet there. Elliot had Kiwi sauce on his. I met Marc, the owner, who was a really nice guy.

We did a little shopping in town. My “God is Still Speaking” shirt continued to get a lot of attention. The girl behind the counter said she liked it. She was a Christian, of course, but also signs. Elliot and I decided to loop the island again. On our way out, John asked me some of the particulars of our trip. He was a Christian, also. I gave him a card.

Elliot had seen these strange birds with “Mohawk” feathers when the wind blows. I took a picture of them on the next pass. Does anyone know what they are?

After landing at Mackinaw, we looked for lodging. Before leaving the island, I checked the internet and found that the Day’s Inn and all the nice motels on highway 23 were about $100 a night. We kept riding until we saw more modest motels, but those were still pretty nice. 2 miles out of town, we came upon the Mill Creek Campground. $15 for a tent site ($13 with no electricity). Wi-Fi, but not free.

This family was having late afternoon ice cream, and we chatted. Patty had done extensive cycling in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia before. Her son was hoping to get into it, soon. They’re from West Virginia.