Days 20 – 22, From Pure Michigan to Real Michigan

Well the past few days have been much more enjoyable, but also somewhat uneventful. Saturday morning I packed up camp and rode into Ludington. I’d just eaten, but the Old Hamlin Restaurant looked enticing so I stopped and worked for a while and had a very satisfying second breakfast. It was warm and sunny by the time I left, and I was ready to knock out some miles. The riding was much better than the previous day, probably due to the combination of a good night’s sleep, sufficient coffee, and the sunshine.

My route took me through a few small towns then onto the Hart-Montague Trail; advertised as Michigan’s first rails to trails project. I noticed a sign for a campaign to re-pave the trail, and by the time I was a couple miles in I fully appreciated why. The bumps and potholes made it difficult to ride at anything more than about 10 MPH. I strongly considered getting off the trail and back onto the country roads, but it smoothed out enough after a few miles that the flatness of the trail outweighed its deteriorating condition. I followed the trail for a good 20 miles, and being an old railroad corridor, it was by far the longest flat stretch I’ve ridden since probably the second day of the trip in Wisconsin! I think my legs appreciated it.

A nice flat trail!

The roads stayed relatively flat for the remainder of the ride into Muskegon State Park, but there was a significant headwind and by the time I arrived I was more than ready to be done for the day. I was planning to take the next day off to rest, so I stopped by the store on the way in and picked some provisions for dinner and a six pack. I also noticed they had a relatively light and well-built looking can opener, so I grabbed that as well. I’d thrown away my previous one after getting frustrated at its ineffectiveness, and hadn’t yet found a decent replacement.

The campground was marked as full, and I went in prepared to test out the State Park bicyclist rule. Despite the sign, they still had a couple sites left – I’m starting to sense a theme. As I got set up, my neighbor stopped over to chat about my bike. He was riding a single speed Surly around camp with a tag along child’s bike hooked to the back – pretty hardcore. It’s common to have at least one person come talk to me at a campsite; always nice when people are interested in what you’re doing. I got set up for the night and went out to explore a bit. The campsite was along the channel leading into the bay that the town is around, and I was lucky enough to get out there right as a large freighter was coming through – pretty neat!

Freighter heading out of the port.

Sunday I managed to sleep in briefly, but it’s always difficult when it gets light so early and there are kids running around and yelling. It was supposed to rain in the afternoon, so I decided to go into town right away and run my errands. I hadn’t looked at the map that closely to see where I needed to go, and unfortunately everything I needed ended up being on the opposite side of the bay which was a good 10 miles away. I was about halfway there when I realized that, and was kicking myself for not just packing up camp and staying the next night on the other side of town. I got some breakfast, then biked another few miles through some questionable neighborhoods with bars on the windows to a much-needed laundromat. Apparently I’d left Pure Michigan and entered Real Michigan.

After that I found City Hub Cyclery, to see if they could adjust the tension on my seat. The leather Brooks Swift saddle was starting to sag and get fairly uncomfortable, which is expected after putting 1500+ miles on it. Unfortunately they didn’t have the proper tool, so we tried unsuccessfully to make do with a standard wrench. I guess that’s a problem that will just have to wait. They were super friendly, and we chatted for a bit about my trip. I asked about the area, and where I could go to get some lunch and a Bloody Mary. This seemed to be more difficult in Muskegon that one would think. The three of them struggled to come up with something, but eventually came to a consensus on where they thought I’d have the best luck. I found it, but it didn’t seem to be what I was looking for and they recommended another place nearby. I ended up at Hennessy Irish restaurant, which served a plain but palatable Bloody and decent food. I guess this isn’t Wisconsin.

I rode around the downtown area a little, but there didn’t seem to be much to see on the windy Sunday afternoon so I started the trip back to camp. About halfway back I passed a couple novice-looking bikers on the side of the road with one of their bikes torn apart. It’s common courtesy to ask if you can help in this situation, and with the fairly comprehensive tool kit I was carrying and nothing on my agenda I pretty much had to stop. They were dealing with a broken derailleur – something for which there is really only one option when you’re on the side of the road. During my trip down to Illinois last year I suffered this exact problem and had to coast / walk my bike several miles into town to the nearest bike shop (lucky it was that close). I now carry a chain tool with me whenever I’m on a significant ride. You can’t fix a broken derailleur with a chain tool, but you can turn your bike into a single speed and at least ride back home or to a shop.

The two of them had no idea what to do, and it didn’t seem like they had an immediate option for getting a ride home, so they were extremely thankful that I happened to ride by with the appropriate tools and knowledge to get the bike in rideable condition. After I made the mistake of pushing the pin all the way out of the chain on the first try (it’s pretty much impossible to get it back in once it’s all the way out), I moved down a link and successfully got the shortened chain reconnected the next try. They thanked me profusely as we all rode away with incredibly greasy fingers. The next item I’m adding to my tool kit will definitely be rubber gloves. It was a good feeling to be able to help out a fellow cyclist, after I’ve been shown such kindness and hospitality by so many people.

I quickly pedaled back to camp to beat the rain, and was mostly successful. After the shower passed I spent some time exploring the beach on the windy afternoon, then settled in to make some dinner. I had picked up a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli (unsurprisingly, the local fishing/liquor/grocery store didn’t have an extensive selection), and located my new can opener to dig in. Now can openers have been around for a pretty long time, and given the incredible amount of knowledge and engineering prowess  we’ve accumulated in that time you would think we’d have this straightforward device perfected by now. This is apparently far from the case. How you can manufacture and market a device which fails completely to perform its intended function is beyond me. Ok, I guess it didn’t fail completely since I did get the can open after about 15 minutes. Oh well, at least I didn’t have to carry it far.

What has to be one of the worst can openers ever manufactured. Shown shortly before its death.

Stark difference on the upwind and downwind side of the breaker.

Never mind this conveniently located lifesaving device, if someone is drowning what you really need is a cell phone!

Right after dinner, my other neighbor came over and offered some leftover potatoes. The ravioli wasn’t very filling, and the home cooked food was a welcome addition. A large contingent of kids on bikes had been hanging around as well, and seemed to be in disbelief when I told them I’d ridden there from Wisconsin. I turned in for the night, hoping to get an early start the next day and not be behind the 8-ball as it so often seems I am. It was certainly nice to have a rest day, but I still ended up doing 30 miles with the ride into town and back. I definitely would have moved to the south side of town for the night if I’d have known it was going to be that far.

Monday morning was cold, but I got an early start as planned. After the familiar ride through central Muskegon, I found numerous businesses on the south side of town, including a Wal-Mart. I’ve learned that there are a number of things which – if you have any need for them – you don’t pass up when you’re cycle touring: a water fountain, a bathroom, a power outlet, a sheltered picnic table, and a Wal-Mart. Despite how I normally feel about the ubiquitous superstores, they seem to be your best bet for a number of necessary items. I find myself frequently stocking up on a few food staples (including quick cooking rice and freeze-dried backpacker meals), fuel canisters, misc camping items, energy bars, and trail mix.

After a brief stop, I got back on the road and enjoyed a pretty strong tailwind for a change. I stopped briefly in Grand Haven, designated Coast Guard City, USA, which was having the annual Coast Guard Festival. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything going on when I was passing through. That seems to be happening often – I’m missing interesting things by a day or so. One of the downsides to not really planning I guess. I made good time in the morning, and by the time I stopped for lunch I had 50 miles behind me. It was a chilly day, and I got back on the road quickly after lunch. Unfortunately that meant riding on a full stomach, which is less than pleasant.

Grand Haven, Coast Guard City USA

I thought I smelled something sweet

I made it into South Haven by late afternoon. It was pretty close to my stopping point for the night, so I decided to grab a bite to eat in town. After finding myself on the wrong side of the town’s harbor, I backtracked and made it to the Black River Tavern, where the Crab Cake Sliders and a couple IPAs were a fitting end to a good day. I enjoyed the wi-fi for a while, then casually made my way the last few miles to Van Buren State Park. It seems this is where Wisconsin vacations, as at least half the vehicles I saw had WI plates. The campground was pretty standard, and I made the obligatory walk down to the beach after setting up. It was windy and cold, and the surf was the largest I’ve seen yet. As I sat there and watched the waves crashing, it occurred to me that this would be my last night along the lake.

Although I will have completely circled Lake Michigan, it doesn’t really feel like I’ve seen a lot of it. Glancing at a map, it looks like I’ve only covered about a third of the shoreline. Much of the route along what I have covered has been slightly inland, with expensive waterfront homes crowding the shoreline. Definitely different from Superior, which seemed to have much more public property and roads along the shore. It would be neat to see the western and northern shores of the lake, and that area may be on the agenda for a future trip. For now I’m continuing along the shore for one more day to Valparaiso, then heading south to Champaign, IL for what promises to be a fun wedding!

Last night along the lake

Day 20 Route

Day 22 Route