Day 67 - 77 From Gary to Milwaukee

 Day 67 – Petoskey to Traverse City ~ 70 miles

We woke up around 9:30 or so and reluctantly began to pack up our things. We felt comfortable there and really didn't feel like going anywhere. Sharon went to the store that morning and got us a few things for lunch! So awesome. We sat around and talked for a bit and then decided it was time to take off. Unfortunately Zach realized that he had a flat rear tire...another slow leak. So he had to fix that before we did anything. Ended up having to put the tube in the sink to find the leak. It was hard for us to go and especially for Kris to leave Mona, but it was time.

We rode the trail all the way to Charlevoix! It was a super nice trail and allowed us to stay out of the way of traffic as well. We reached Charlevoix pretty quickly and busted through town without stopping. We wanted to stop, but there were just to many tourists there. It was ridiculously busy. After the town we had to get back on the road because the trail had ended. Which ended up really sucking because the shoulders turned to shit. Very narrow and lots of traffic. We stopped at gas station somewhere along the road and at lunch in the shade. A guy in a pickup stopped and talked to us for a bit. He was a local and enjoyed riding bike. It was nice of him to stop, that kind of thing is what makes our trip.

We powered on toward Traverse, and were making great time despite the hills. They were just the right size and spaced just about right so we were able to cruise down one and make it to the top of the next without to much hassle. But it was also extremely hot and we were sweating profusely.

Just outside of Traverse in Acme we picked up the T.A.R.T trail and made our way into the city. Kris's Iphone plan had been turned back on so were were able to use the GPS to help us navigate to Irma's house without to much hassle. Irma is a member of the CCCC (Cherry Capital Cycling Club) which is based in Traverse City and she graciously offered to host us. Traverse City and the surrounding area produces about 80% of the cherries that are sold in the US. However this year is a bad year because of the strange spring we had in the midwest. We arrived at here house sometime around 5. We ended up cranking out 70 miles in about 5 hours today, averaging over 14 mph! Not to bad.

We showered and and relaxed and then headed to the Filling Station, a local brew pub and eatery, and had pizza and beers with a bunch of people from the local club. We had a blast and drank our fair share. And the pizza was amazing. We stayed out pretty late, but were feeling pretty good and didn't want the good time to end.

We are heading to Oneckema tomorrow and a few of the members are going to ride with us about half the distance. Should be a lot of fun and we are really glad it all worked out! It was really nice meeting all of the folk that came out to talk with us.

Day 68 – Traverse City to Onekema ~ 83 miles

We woke up at 9 or so and got ready to go. It was our plan to leave at 10 and meet everyone who was going to ride with us at 10:30. We had breakfast and then headed toward town to meet up with the other riders. There were about 8 of us or so in the group. We headed out of town in a tight pack and made our way across the peninsula to the main part of Lake Michigan. We were shooting for Empire. The terrain was mild with the occasional monster of a hill. This part of the state is known for its hills. We stayed pretty close as a group and stopped every so often to re fuel and then continue on. We are pretty sure most if not all of the members that were riding with us are twice our age, and they were giving us a run for our money. It is really awesome to see them so stoked on riding and staying in shape.

Irma gave us some chews called Shot Blocks, which are basically caffeinated fruit chews. They did help when we took em, but man they made us crash later in the day. We climbed a huge hill just outside of Empire and slowly got to the top where there was a lookout called Inspiration Point that looks out toward the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore and Glen Arbor. It was beautiful. We made our way into Empire and then stopped for lunch as a group.

We stopped at a local tavern called Friendly's. It was really good food and super busy. We had to wait before we got a table and stood outside eating Cherries and having a pit spitting contest. After eating we said goodbye and parted ways. We had hit the coast and needed to head south. At that point we had done about 40 miles and had to do another 40 or so to make it to our destination. We had a blast with everyone that came out to ride with us and they kicked our butts.

We were beat and slowly made our way south. It didn't help that we were getting into some enormous hills. Just like the north shore of Lake Superior. The weather was cooler than it had been, but it was still way to hot. We were sweating uncontrollably again today. Hill after hill we climbed and crested and then cruised down the otherside. At the tops there were great overlooks of the dunes further north. Zach hit his top speed of the trip at 38.5 mph heading down from the top of one of the hills a bit north of Onekema.

We arrived in Onekema around 7 and headed into town where we were being hosted by Roger and Leann Burger. Leann was going to be in the U.P for the week, so it was going to be a guys night! We arrived and showered and they had prepared a dinner of venison spaghetti, salad, and some awesome bread. It was delicious and just what we needed after a long day. We were exhausted.

Once the sun began to go down and the temps dropped the three of us sat outside on the porch and enjoyed the beautiful view of Portage Lake. We had a quiet night and enjoyed the conversation and turned in around midnight. Going to be a shorter day tomorrow.

Day 69 – Onekema to Charles Mears SP (Pentwater, MI) ~ 55 miles

I don't think we realized how tired we actually were after yesterdays ride. We ended up waking up at 10:30 this morning...a bit later than we had planned and we could have easily slept longer. Hell at this point we could sleep for a week if given the opportunity. We went upstairs where Roger had already made coffee and had a breakfast of cereal, english muffins, and a Kashi bar. We packed up and by the time we were ready to go it was almost noon.

We said our goodbyes and headed south toward Manistee. We had a blast with Roger and thank him and Leann for their amazing hospitality. Luckily the hills on the south side of Onekema are a bit smaller. We headed down a really beautiful shore drive and made our way into Manistee. On the other side of the city we got onto the country roads to avoid highway 31 and the Sunday traffic.

We slowly made our way to Ludington, where we were planning to stay at the State Park. We ended up stopping at a Little Cesar's for a hot and ready pizza. We each ordered our own...haha what a mistake. Bbbrrrrhhh. That was the sound of throwing up a bit. We ended up just eating the pepperoni and cheese off of the last few pieces and left. We decided that we were going to push on a bit further south toward Pentwater where there is another state park.

Just south of Ludington we hooked up with Lakeshore Drive and had a nice ride into Pentwater. We stopped just outside of town at a store and picked up a few things for dinner. It is a beach oriented park so after we arrived we headed to the beach for a swim in Lake Michigan. It was amazing and totally refreshing! After swimming we ate our cans of soup and then headed into town for an ice cream treat.

Beautiful sunset over the Lake tonight. Hopefully the breeze continues tonight so we can have a decent nights rest. We are headed to Muskegon tomorrow. 5 days away from seeing family and a rest day at Illinois Beach SP...can't wait!

Day 70 Charles Mears SP to JP Hoffmaster SP (Muskegon, MI)

We woke up and got our things together and biked into Pentwater to find breakfast. We ended up stopping at a grocery store and picked up a few small things to hold us over until lunch. The weather was nice. A bit cooler, so it was bearable at least. And the wind was at our back for a good portion of the day. As we made our way toward Muskegon we had to utilize Kris's phone to help us navigate. The main route south along the shore went in and out of freeway so we couldn't be on it. And unfortunately for us the roads right along the shore cut inland to go around the bays and harbors that litter the western shore. So we ended up taking countryside highways to head south.

There were hills that we had to deal with but they weren't to long or steep so we powered up them pretty quickly. Kris's odometer hasn't been working either and despite his efforts to get it working nothing has done the trick. So we are looking for a bike shop along our route. We ended up stopping for lunch in Whitehall, which is at the eastern end of one of the long bays of the lake. From there it was a fairly quick jaunt to Muskegon.

Once we reached Muskegon there was a pretty nice trail that lead us into town. We looked up a bike shop that wasn't to far off of our route and began to head that direction. We have been going through some really nice towns along the western coast of Michigan and were pretty thrown off by the shape that Muskegon seemed to be in. Maybe we missed the downtown area, but the infrastructure of the city really seemed to be in disrepair. And it didn't seem to be the most bike friendly city. Maybe its because we were there during the end of the work day, but it was really busy and nerve racking trying to bike through the traffic. We ended up giving up on our search for the bike shop and headed further south to a grocery store to pick up dinner and breakfast for tomorrow morning.

After stopping we headed out of town to the state park. The park was really nice. The campground was set back from the dunes a bit so you had to walk through them to get to the beach. We set up camp and waited for Kris's cousin CD, wife Molly, and 9 day old baby son Jake, to show up at the camp site to say hello. They are living in Grand Rapids at the moment and made the drive over to see us. We sat and talked for a bit and then they had to go because it is apparently a lot of work to take care of a nine day old boy! Congratulations to them!

We went out to the beach to enjoy the sunset, which was amazing, and then sat in camp and had a couple beers that we weren't supposed to have in the park. It made them that much better. We are headed to South Haven tomorrow to stay with Deanne and Roger, a married couple that contacted us and offered us a place to stay! They are even going to meet us and ride us into South Haven to their home.

Day 71 JP Hoffmaster SP to South Haven, MI ~ 64 miles

We woke up at around 10 this morning. A bit later than we should have, but thats what happens when you stay up later than you should. We quickly ate breakfast and headed down the road. Pretty nice weather again today! We were still dealing with the freeway today so we had to ride a good distance on the side roads, which we prefer anyways. We stopped in Grand Haven at a bike shop so Kris could get his bike computer checked out. Unfortunately there wasn't anything they could do to fix it so he bought a new one. From Grand Haven we hopped onto Lakeshore Drive and headed south. We like biking on Lakeshore Drives because they are usually quiet roads with really nice homes and beautiful scenery. Pretty much the case with this one.

We underestimated our distance to Saugatuck, which was where we were going to meet Deanne and Roger and we had to stop for lunch because we couldn't wait any longer. We were supposed to meet them at 2, but we didn't end up meeting them until 3. Luckily we were meeting at the Saugatuck Brewery so they were able to have lunch and we were able to have a beer once we got there. It was a really nice facility and the beer was really decent. After sitting and chatting for a bit the four of us headed down the road to South Haven. Deanne's daughter works at a local coffee shop in South Haven and and apparently served the lead singer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers this morning. Apparently he frequents the area...and he was on his bike! Good man.

We made our way toward South Haven and Roger and Deanne led the way showing us the nice back way to avoid as much traffic as possible. They are a very bike oriented family. Both Roger and Deanne ride their bikes to and from work year round and even have a trailer for going to the grocery store and doing other errands. We made it to their house after stopping at the coffee shop where their daughter works and got some ice cream.

Once we made it to their house we had a mug of Oberon (Bell's Brewing) from the keg that they had waiting. We showered and then sat down for dinner. They prepared an amazing dinner of pork loin in the crock pot, carrots, brussel sprouts, cheese rolls, baked potatoes, and watermelon. It was so amazing and we ate until we couldn't anymore. After dinner we sat in the living room and watched some TV for a bit and then walked down the street to use the internet at Burger King for a bit to catch up on a few things.

We came back to the house and then hung out for a bit longer before bed. We can't thank them enough for being such awesome hosts. Tomorrow they are going to ride with us south for a ways as well. We are heading into Indiana tomorrow as today was our last full day in Michigan until we reach the UP.

Day 72 South Haven to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ~ 70 miles

We woke up this morning around 8:45 for the breakfast that Roger had prepared. It was pancakes with real maple syrup, sausage links, and scones. A great way to start out a morning. We packed up and the four of us took of around 10. We were cruising along pretty good and then Deanne got a flat. She ended up calling her son Pat to come and pick her up. We said our goodbyes, unaware that we would see her again for lunch, and then the three of us continued on South. Roger was planning on riding with us until he felt like stopping and then Deanne would come and pick him up.

We continued on down the Blue Star highway and got a call from Deanne saying that she wanted to meet us for lunch. We stopped briefly in St. Joseph and then continued on toward Stevensville which is where we were going to meet Deanne. As we were sitting on the sidewalk contemplating our route south a guy named Bob came up and said hello. He had heard about us through the League of Michigan Bikers and has been following our trip! It was awesome to talk to him and a really humbling experience to know that people are watching what we are doing. Just after talking with him we ran into Deanne and we went to the Cracker Barrel for lunch. We ate and then said our goodbyes and then went our separate ways. It was so nice to meet them and we really appreciate everything they did for us.

We reluctantly continued on south. We are really tired and we think it has a lot to do with our ride our of Traverse City. We don't think we have fully recovered from that day. Unfortunately the quality of the road went down as we continued. Our only real option was to deal with the bad shoulders and traffic otherwise we would have had to go way out of our way. Somewhere along the way we passed over the Michigan/ Indiana border and entered back into the Central Time Zone. That is awesome because we gained an hour. We are probably going to use it for more sleep. It also means that we are that much closer to Chicago!

Not long after we entered Indiana we entered the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which is where we are going to spend the night. We stopped for groceries at a C store and then went to camp. It is going to be a quiet night and we are going to bed early to get an early start tomorrow.

We are heading through Gary and into Chicago and we will hopefully be stopping at the Velodrome in Chicago to check it out! We are super excited for that and to be in Chicago! Zach's parents got us a hotel room right down town, not far from the Navy Pier. We are going to check out that and the “bean” in Millennium Park. It is just really amazing to us because Chicago hasn't even been in our thoughts for so long because until now we were still so far from it. Now we are going to be there tomorrow! It is just really amazing to us to think about how far we have come! Going to bed exhausted and excited!

Day 73 – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Downtown Chicago ~ 59 miles

This morning is was so hot and we got ready as fast as possible and left the campground. We got onto hwy 12 and headed towards Gary, IN. We soon passed a nuclear plant and US Steel. We marveled at the fact that the National Lakeshore was sandwiched between Power plants and large industrial areas. We entered into Gary and the roads were terrible. We quickly picked up our pace to get through the town. We went through some very bad neighborhoods where most of the houses were falling down, vacant, and in very poor shape. We made our way away from those areas as fast as we could then entered into the industrial area as we headed towards Illinois. This area was just as bad with lots of truck traffic and industrial smells that quickly gave you a headache. We soon passed into Illinois without even knowing it. We didn't see a sign and were not able to celebrate. Just after that we found a bike path that brought us out to a beach where we could see the miles of industry we passed. This was the first time we saw the lakeshore since we left this morning.

After the beach where people were bravely swimming around the industrial plants we found the Chicago Velo Campus where we were to meet people. The campus boasts the shortest and steepest track in the country, almost a 50 degree incline at the turns. We interviewed the volunteers and learned of the owners grand plans to turn the old US Steel grounds into a luxurious area full of apartments, stores, and a massive enclosed Velodrome. It will be incredible when it is done and turn a hard hit area into a brand new place, breathing life back into the area. After we watched the volunteers do some laps which thoroughly scared us they graciously offered to let us try it. We had to fill out some release forms and then take our pedals off our bike and put them onto the track bikes we were to use. Once we got the bikes on the track, an old track racing coach arrived and gave us some great pointers on how to survive. He made us feel very comfortable getting ready for the track. The bikes are fixed gear bikes so you have to keep pedaling in order to not get launched off the bike. It took us a while to learn how to ride them and how to slow down as you cannot coast which is what we have been doing for the last two months. After many laps getting used to the bikes we were ready to try it out. Zach went first and did great. Then Kris went and we marveled at how thrilling it was. You go so fast and it was so scary on the turns being 10-15 feet up on a 50 degree slope. You just had to keep pedaling as fast as you could in order to not fall off. The G-force pushed you up higher as well but the hardest part was getting off the track going incredibly fast and trying to slow down. After a couple more tries we had to go on our way towards downtown. We said our goodbyes and headed north, quickly finding the bike path along the lake.

We followed the path into downtown where there were bikes and people everywhere. We made it to downtown where we passed a running race and then the Taste of Chicago. No wonder there were so many people! We passed by the “the bean” and navigated the swarms of people to our hotel. After checking in and bringing all of our stuff to the 33^rd floor, we showered and headed out back to Millennium Park. We filmed “the bean” and some other features in the park. After that it was time to eat. We split up and Zach went to get snacks while Kris ordered the famous deep dish pizza from Giordano's. At the hotel we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and getting ready to navigate the rest of the town in the morning.

Tomorrow we will be heading through the city and the suburbs to Illinois Beach State Park to meet Zach's family and camp with them. It will be a great time and we will have a rest day the next day. We survived Gary and downtown Chicago and will make our way towards Wisconsin and Milwaukee.

Day 74 – Chicago to Illinois Beach State Park ~ 56 miles

We woke up at about 9:30 and ate the second half of the pizza that we couldn't finish last night. Still good even though there wasn't a fridge to keep it cold in. After eating and getting ready we slowly brought our things down the elevators to the bottom floor. That was at about 11:30 and we were scheduled to meet people down at the entrance of Navy Pier at Noon. After trying to figure out Chicago's multi level downtown we figured out how to get to Navy Pier. Once we got there, we couldn't find anyone who looked like a person looking for us. After biking around through the crowds, we met Jimmy who biked from inland to meet us and bike with us a ways. He had lots of great questions about bike touring as he was planning a trip as well. Right before we left we met Kathy who also wanted to join us for a little bit.

We headed north along the the bike path and soon noticed that there was a large storm from barreling down on us. We said goodbye to Kathy and then headed on to the end of the path with Jimmy. Right as we said goodbye to him it started to rain. We had to go into the city to continue on the bike route and thats when the lightning and incredible winds started. The lightning was so close at times that we took shelter under a Subway until the storm passed. We headed back into the rain and navigated through the puddles and the city. We kept biking along through the suburbs and stopped in Highland Park to have a late lunch and wait for the next storm system to pass. We made the right call as it didn't hit us and we just had to deal with a sprinkle.

We found a bike path and took that for many miles. Once it started heading west we decided to get off it and head back towards the lake. The road took us past the naval base and a few power plants. Sheridan road was really hard to follow as it ended then started up again a few blocks later but we eventually made it to Illinois Beach State Park. The campground was huge and it took a while to find Zach's family but we finally made it. They had a welcome sign made and we took some pictures. Kris got to meet the whole family. Zach's parents, aunt and uncle, and his other aunt and partner were there. They had everything we needed too, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, pillows, and sheets. Not to mention the endless amounts of snacks and meals.

They quickly started dinner and we were all soon eating pulled pork and all the fixings. There was a fire ban but luckily they had brought an electric grill because you couldn't even use propane stoves. After dinner we went to the showers and then hung around in the night talking about our trip and the plan for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will have a rest day and it seems we have some great plans. It is a much needed rest day as we have not had one since July 4^th in Petosky.

Day 75 – Illinois Beach State Park ~ Rest Day

We woke up this morning to the family making breakfast. It was going to be a very hot day. It rained this morning but we didn't seem to notice. We had eggs, bacon, muffins, and fruit for breakfast. After breakfast we headed to the Jelly Belly jelly bean factory for a tour. It was fun riding the train and learning about jelly beans and how they were made. At the store afterwards we sampled jelly beans and it was amazing how accurate they were. We even tried some of the gross flavors like rotten egg, barf, centipede, canned dog food, and pencil shavings. Each one was so close that you spit it out right away and almost threw up.

After the tour we headed to a laundry mat to do some much needed laundry. After that was done we headed back to the campsite and headed to the beach to go for a swim. The water was really nice even though there was a store coming in. The southern end of Lake Michigan this year is 10 degrees warmer than normal. The sun soon came out and then we headed back to camp and had a late lunch and went straight into dinner. We had a great steak dinner and then once again sat around and talked about the trip and random conversations came from that. The bigs were terrible and it was so hot so we all soon went to bed.

Tomorrow we are going to finally make it to Wisconsin and Milwaukee. We will be staying with Kris' long time friend Grace in downtown. Hopefully the rain will not hit us tomorrow even though the region needs more that a few inches. Most people have already lost their crops.

Day 76 – Illinois Beach to Downtown Milwaukee ~ 50 miles

We woke up this morning and had another great breakfast of sausage and blueberry pancakes. After breakfast we tore down camp and packed up our gear to head out. After saying some long goodbyes we got in the saddles and headed out of the park. Five miles down the road we entered into Wisconsin and celebrated. We then battled the heat and followed the lakeshore towards Milwaukee. We eventually hit the lakefront trial and headed into downtown. Right before we arrived, Kris' chain went into the spokes and broke off the piece of plastic. It got stuck in the freewheel and turned it into a fixed gear. We looked for a bike shop and found one but the guy was rude and wouldn't so a 2 minute fix until close. He wouldn't even lend us a tool for a quick fix. We headed into downtown and found Grace's apartment. We met her sister and the new baby before she took off. After getting our stuff into the apartment and showering we headed into town to see the sights and get some dinner and of course some beer in Beer City USA.

We went through Bastile Days and checked out the scene. We then went to the Milwaukee ale house and had some great beer and dinner on the river. We then walked along the river and went to an irish pub where we met Grace's friends and some people who wanted to give us advice for our route tomorrow. We played dice which is a popular game played in Milwaukee and then met Grace's boyfriend Nik who is one of the cities Alderman. We then headed to city hall where we interviewed him in his office about great lakes issues. After the interview we went to another pub and spent the rest of the evening there before heading back to Grace's apartment to go to bed.

In the morning we will meet Jon from Sheboygan and he will bring us up to Alex's house where we will spend the night. It will be nice to have someone who knows where to go because the route seems to be confusing and hard to follow tomorrow.

Day 77 – Downtown Milwaukee to Kohler, WI ~ 62 miles

We woke up this morning and got ready for the day. It was so hot outside and we were not looking forward to it. We went down to Bruegers Bagels and had breakfast. We then went out to the lakefront and met Jon in front of the Children's Museum. He and Kris quickly fixed his back tire and then Nik showed up to bike with us as well. We said goodbye to Grace and then headed north out of town. We navigated the twists and turns of the Lakeshore drives and then Nik showed us a secret shortcut that took us through someone's backyard and onto a secret trail. After looking out at the lake near Concordia College we said goodbye to Nik before heading towards Port Washington. In Port Washington we stopped for lunch that Jon picked up for us and then headed down the road and stopped to get some cold drinks for the ride. We soon found the Interurban Trail and headed North where we soon met some other members of the cycle club Fat Kats. We had a good crew going as we headed down the trail. We stopped for poweraids soon after. Jon's temperature gauge on his speedometer was showing over 100 from the pavement temps. We made our way to Sheboygan then Kohler where Kris got his first trailer flat. He made it to Alex's house before it was too late.

At Alex's house we showered up and Kris weighed himself. He has lost 35 pounds since we left on the trip! We then enjoyed a grill out with a bunch of the cycle club and their families talking about mountain biking and racing. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and cooling off after the extremely hot day.

Tomorrow we are heading to Kewaunee and then Greenbay. We only have a couple of days left in Wisconsin and then we will finally be in the UP. We have 20 days left and cant believe where the time and miles have gone! We will be back in less than 3 weeks and have logged over 4600 miles as of now!

Day 59 through 66

Day 59 - Lake Huron Campground to Port Crescent State Park ~ 70 miles

Today was a very hard day! We left the campground this morning and it was already scorching hot. We hopped onto the highway and headed towards Harbor Beach. At Harbor beach Kris waited a while for Zach and he finally showed up. He had a slow leak and had to find an air compressor in Forester to fill back up. At this point we are both out of CO2 canisters and Kris has the only bike pump. Once we met back up we went to Subway for lunch and then used Kris' bike pump to try and fill up the tires more. This is where we found out that the pump was broken so we went across the street to the gas station to refill the tires. We then set off on the detour that the people across camp from us last night told us about. It took us inland a ways and we had a strong headwind. It was so incredibly hot but we made it to the next town of Bad Axe and stopped to get more water, cold drinks, and sit in the stations AC for a while. It was there that we found out that it was 97 degrees! No wonder we felt so awful!

After we left Bad Axe we headed north and were hoping that the wind would give us a push with the direction change but it didn't. It switched back into a headwind and we battled on towards Port Austin. Kris got a flat tire about 6 miles before the town in the middle of nowhere. We went to the nearest house and got in the shade from their trees. No one was home but we started to repair the tire when we realized that our pump had broken earlier that day. Kris tried to fix it but to no avail and so Zach offered to take the repaired tire up the road to find some air. About 10 minutes later he was back and we were soon on the road again.

We soon reached Port Austin and got some supplies for dinner at the grocery store. The state park was only a few miles past and we soon made it there. The campground was very full but we found a nice site right next to the water. We celebrated surviving the day by immediately going for a swim in the big lake. After walking about ¼ mile out into the water it was finally deep enough to swim. It was great but we reflected on the fact that lake Huron is showing major signs of the water levels dropping in the great lakes. You can see where the old shoreline is and how far it has dropped. After the swim we went back and made chili-mac and then chatted the rest of the night before dozing off to sleep.

Tomorrow we will head to Bay city where someone who contacted us earlier hopefully will have a place for us to stay and it wont be as hot!

Day 60 – Port Crescent to Bay City, MI ~ 65 miles

This morning we had breakfast, packed up and headed out of the park. About 3 miles down the road Kris had another flat tire, seems to be a slow leak. There was nothing around except for a canoe outfitter. They luckily had an air compressor and we were soon on our way again. We passed through many nice areas and houses with beautiful sand beaches. We got a bit separated during the day and weren't able to stop together for lunch. Zach stopped and got pizza at the last opportunity but Kris didn't, thinking there would be something in the next town. There wasn't! We eventually connected back up about 10 miles outside of Bay City.

We later arrived in Bay City and didn't have a message from the people who wanted us to visit so we had to figure out our next move. We decided to find the next state park and pitch a tent there for the night. In downtown we found a coffee shop and checked the email to see if they maybe had messaged us but there was nothing. We crossed the bridge over the river and found a cheap motel. There was no one at the counter and decided to leave. As we were leaving a lady walked by and told us we didn't want to stay there because thats where all the registered sex offenders stay. We quickly left and and made our way towards the state park. We stopped at a small market next to the park and got our food for the night. As we were getting ready to leave an older bearded man stopped us and asked about what we were doing. After a small conversation he said we could camp out at his place and take showers which was only a couple of blocks away. He seemed nice enough and trustworthy so we followed. When we arrived his yard was full of old antique cars and motorcycles, a museum of sorts. He took us through some thick underbrush to the backyard and we set up camp. Just think of Narnia. The neighbor boy was around too to who spent days hanging out with Dave and helped keep us company. Dave showed us the house and all of his collections, there were a lot of them but some really cool things. We took showers and spent the night listening to Dave's stories from his life ranging from run ins with Timothy Leery to space shuttle launches. Before we went to bed we watched music videos that he had cued up on his TV. One of the most interesting people we have met on the trip. Can't thank him enough for sharing his time and space with us.

Tomorrow we will have a short ride to meet Tom and Lois DiMuro just down the road. We have been in contact with them for months and are very excited to finally meet them and spend the day at their house! Today we finished the Thumb of Michigan!

Day 61 – Dave Who's House to the DiMuro's House near Standish, MI ~ 44 miles

Dave woke us up at 7:15am to tell us that the coffee was on and about the break news that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were splitting up! We were sad only for a moment and then laughed as Dave kept talking about now it was his turn to have her! We had coffee and packed up for the day. The neighbor boy came over and they were going to bike us down the road. As we were leaving Zach had another slow leak in his back tire that he hasn't been able to fix so we had to use Dave's compressor and fill his tire before setting off down the road.

Dave biked us around the neighborhood and showed us a great view of the Saginaw Bay. We said goodbye at the store where we had met the night before and parted ways. We continued on for about 4 miles where Tom and Lois where waiting for us in the parking lot of a McDonald's. They had drove down to meet us and Tom was going to bike with us to their house, where we were going to spend the night. It was great to finally meet them.

We headed out and had a decent ride along highway 13 with really spacious shoulders. We were able to chat side by side as we rode along. It was about a 40 mile ride to there house and we only stopped for a water refill because we were making pretty good time. As we reached the town of Standish we got off of highway 13 and were on the backroads to the DiMuro's home. We arrived sometime between 1 and 2pm and sat on the porch and had some beverages and ate an awesome lunch of hotdogs, coleslaw, and some amazing black bean dip that Lois makes. She is going to send us the recipe and we are glad because it is so good!

After lunch we started to work on our bikes and other issues. Kris's pump hasn't been working so he tried to fix it. He and Lois ended up going to a store to find a replacement O-ring. It sort of solved the problem, but the pump still isn't working at 100%. Its going to get sent back. We spent the rest of the afternoon servicing and cleaning our bikes to get them running in top shape again for the next few days. Kris put a new tire on the back because the old one's tread is pretty much gone.

After that Tom and Lois started to prepare dinner and we sat around the table outside and had some more beverages. The prepared an awesome home cooked meal of steak, potatoes, corn on the cob, bread, and salad. Just a treat! It was exactly what we needed and enjoyed every bite!

After dinner we sat in the living room and watch a few episodes of Pawn Stars. Lois made us home made ice cream out of strawberries and bananas. They went to bed around 9 and we stayed up for a while longer and watched the TV and Zach tried to find the slow leak in his back tire...patched it...but it still leaked.

We went to bed around midnight after watching Zoro. It is so nice to be sleeping in a nice bed under a roof. Tomorrow we are headed to Harris State Park.

Day 62 (July 1^st) – DiMuro's home to Harris State Park ~70 miles

We woke up this morning around 9am and headed down for an awesome breakfast of french toast and bacon that Lois had prepared for us. We ate like kings and slowly got ready for the day. Tom went out to check the air on our tires one last time before we left and came in to tell Zach that his patch job on the rear tire didn't work. He ended up giving us a brand new tube so Zach could continue without worry. Before we left Lois played “witch doctor” (inside joke) and treated us with essential oils, Thieves oil to be exact. She put it on Kris's feet and on Zach's shoulders. She didn't need to be messing around with Zach's poison ivy foot. She even sent us with a small bottle so we could use it to treat our sore throats that have been bothering us for the past few days.

We packed up and they even gave us some power balls that they had made for energy. The three of us left around 11. Tom was going to ride with us to Tawas, which is on Lake Huron. We rode about 35 miles to the city and had a great ride. We were on country roads that were nicely paved with little traffic, so we were able to ride side by side for a majority of the time. We reach Tawas and Lois had stopped at a few places to find us a replacement pump and a few tubes. That was so nice of them to do for us and we can't thank them enough. We reluctantly parted ways, but we hope to see them again. We had so much fun spending time with them. It really says a lot about some one who opens up their home to a complete stranger.

We continued North on highway 23...back on the awesome shoulders and stopped for lunch in Oscoda. We stopped at Subway as we were eager to see what the new sub of the month was. We were disappointed when we saw it was the Buffalo Chicken. After a few rough incidents we don't trust the chicken there anymore. But we ate there anyways and then continued on our way. The time and miles flew by today because the wind was sort of behind us, it was nice and sunny, not too hot, and we were able to have conversations as we rode next to each other.

We reached Harrisville, passed the State Park entrance, and went to get groceries. We just got something small and a couple things for breakfast. We headed back to the park and got our site. It is really busy here because of the 4^th coming up and isn't ideal, but it will do. Nothing we haven't dealt with. We were going to swim, but the water here doesn't look to pleasant to we are going to wait on that, but the beach is nice.

We are headed to Rogers City tomorrow to Presque Isle and from there it is only a few days to Petosky and our rest day! We are starting to realize that even though we still have a ways to go our time on the trip is beginning to dwindle...bittersweet. Just passed 3800 miles today!

Day 63 – Harris State Park to Hoeft State Park ~ 78 miles

Woke up this morning and got ready for the day. We ate breakfast and then headed out towards Rogers City. We had a nice large shoulder today and saw some great inland scenery as the road took us away from the lake for some time today. On our way to Alpena we passed the 45^th Parallel which is half way between the equator and the North Pole. We stopped for lunch in Alpena before taking off again towards Rogers city. We quickly made it to the turnoff for Rogers City and decided to take the business route instead of the highway. We stopped at a extremely large Limestone quarry that we dubbed the Grand Canyon of Michigan. It was huge and went on for almost a mile at certain points. We made our way into Rogers city and didn't find anything in terms of a grocery store. We stopped and asked for directions just to find out that the grocery store was on the main highway so we had to backtrack.

After the grocery store we headed to the state park which was only a couple miles down the road. We made it to our campsite and decided first things first, lets go for a swim. The water was great but we had to walk out a ways. After a long swim and hanging out on the beach we went back to camp to get ready for the night. After setting up camp, dinner, and showers we decided to watch the sunset and do some more filming. We learned that Michigan has more shoreline than the Eastern seaboard and touches 4 of the 5 great lakes. It also boasts more historic lighthouses than any other place in the country. We also learned that Lake Huron, even though not the biggest has more shoreline than any of the other great lakes. All in all we learned a lot from Hoeft State Park, one of the top 5 state parks in Michigan!

We went and watched First Ascent, a really neat climbing movie and then dozed off to sleep. We were awoken at around 1am to thunderstorms. We quickly got everything under the tent and attached the rainfly before hopping back inside as the rain started. Hopefully it will let up by morning when we head to Mackinaw City.

Day 64 – Hoeft State Park to Mackinaw City ~ 56 miles

This morning we waited for the rain to let up before getting ready for the day. The wind was supposed to be at our backs but it didn't seem to be that way. After we got ready we headed out and battled some huge hills, hot temps, and strong headwinds. There was literally nothing until we hit Cheboygan 35 miles down the road. In Cheboygan we stopped for lunch and decided to press on to Mackinaw City, which was only another 20 miles or so.

Once we reached Mackinaw city we had some great views of Mackinac island and the Mackinaw bridge. We proceeded to go down the strip looking for the cheapest hotel. We finally found one and were able to escape the heat. Once we got settled in we headed closer to the bridge to do some filming about it and the island. The bridge really stands out as it is over 500 feet tall and 5 miles long. The island is really interesting because there is an old hotel where many famous people have stayed and there is also an old fort. The entire island has a car ban so people commute by walking and there is a great bicycle culture on the island too. After we filmed we stopped at a brewery and which had over 350 microbrews to choose from from all over the world. We then went back to the hotel and ordered pizza and hunkered down for the night. We were also able to dry off all of our wet equipment and relax and avoid all the rowdy 4^th crowds in the campgrounds.

Tomorrow we have another short day to Petosky where we will meet up with Mona, Baker, and Mona's family for a couple of days. We are excited to see them and to watch some fireworks and celebrate America's Birthday!

Day 65 – Mackinaw City to Petosky (Sharron Frost's House) ~ 55 miles

Happy Birthday America! Before we took off this morning we ate hot breakfast and then watched a documentary about Washington crossing the Delaware river during the revolution. This got us ready for the day. Hopefully people will be watching out for us on the roads this holiday day. We headed out of town and were already dripping sweat. After the first 30 minutes it seemed to be over 90 degrees. We decided to turn off the highway and head towards the water to be away from traffic and the heat. Soon we hit some Monster hills that punished us for miles. We also realized that our main camera was broken and its shutter wouldn't open. Hopefully we can fix it later. We then passed the North Country Trail and marveled in it's glory.

When we finally reached Cross Village we stopped for Powerade and then went on our way. We instantly hit The Tunnel of Trees, which is 20 miles of one way road with two way traffic that winds through trees that are overgrown over the road into a tunnel. We followed this and enjoyed the windy road but more importantly the amazing views of Lake Michigan and cooler temperatures. Somewhere around half way through the road we hit the 4000 mile mark. We were very excited and have been waiting for it! We made our way into Harbor Springs and it was complete chaos having been in peace for the last 20 miles. The 4^th of July was in full effect in that tourist town and we quickly left.

We made our way towards Petosky and once we were there we called Mona and she gave directions to Downtown. We made it through some crazy traffic and then met up with Mona. It was great to see her and the Frosts. We had to climb one more hill in the heat but we finally made it to Sharron's House. We had some great late lunch foods and conversations. There was a parade that was going to start at 6 and it was getting to be about that time. Zach was able to take shower before it started but Kris waited until afterwards. It was great because the parade went right in front of her house. We sat down and watched the parade and enjoyed. Al, Sharron's husband showed up and we then grilled out before the fireworks started. We got all packed up and quickly made it down to the water to watch them. There were people lighting large lanterns and releasing them into the air. It was a beautiful sight to see with the setting sun. The fireworks were great, especially being able to watch them from the Pier, looking back at shore where they were being launched from. We talked to a few people and one of the guys made a donation to the trip. It is just great talking to people that take a genuine interest in what we are doing. After the fireworks we walked back up to the house and on our way we walked past a cupcake shop that Sharon had gotten cupcakes from earlier. As we walked past they asked if we wanted some to take home...free of charge. We said of course and they gave us a dozen specialty cupcakes of all varieties to bring home. They all look amazing! We are heading to be thankful for friends and family and feeling completely content. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! Rest day tomorrow!

Day 66 - Rest day, Petosky

We woke up this morning around 9 or so. Kris and Mona spent the night outside in the tent last night so they could be with their dog Baker. They ended up putting on the rainfly at about 5 in the morning because it began to lightning and thunder. Sharon had to work this morning so we lazily made coffee and breakfast and took our time getting ready for the day. And of course sampled a few of the cupcakes from last night. It did rain a bit but it didn't last long. We gathered our things together and started to walk downtown for a day of strolling.

We made it downtown and stopped at a local cafe for lunch. They had great sandwiches, and everyone seemed to know it because it was super busy...especially because of the holiday week. After lunch we walked to a children's clothing store called Circus where Sharon is working. We stopped in to say hello and then continued on our way. We stopped in a bunch of the local shops and eventually made it to the ice cream shop. We sat in the shade and enjoyed it. It was extremely hot today, definitely in the 90's plus humidity. We walked back up to the house and then decided to head down to the beach. We were about to take our first swim in Lake Michigan on the trip. We went down to the beach and swam and laid in the sun. It was great. 4 out of the 5 lakes complete (swimming wise).

After swimming we went back to Sharon's place and we had dinner...in a couple stages. First came the brats and corn on the cob. Then we decided it wasn't enough so we ordered pizzas as well. Great combo. Sharon also gave each of us a session of massage therapy treatments as a gift. It was absolutely amazing. After all of the stress both physical and emotional it was exactly what we needed. Such a treat!!!

We aren't ready to get back on the road tomorrow, but we have to keep truckin'. We are headed to Traverse City tomorrow. Should be about a 70 mile day.

We have had a blast here in Petosky and we just want to say thank you to the Frost family! They have treated us so well and we appreciate all they have done for us. It is going to be hard to leave and hard for Kris to leave Mona, but one more month and we will be home again.

We just feel so fortunate and lucky to have so many great and generous people looking out for us. It has made the trip!

Lets hope for good weather tomorrow with a nice tailwind...

Day 52 to 58 - NY, PA, OH, MI

 Day 52 – Buffalo, NY to Sara's Campground Erie, PA ~ 95 miles

Woke up this morning and went to go have breakfast. After breakfast we packed up and went out into the heat. It did not take us long to find the highway that we would take south towards Erie, PA and away from Buffalo. We kept following the Seaway trail, which by the way is the longest recreational trail/road in the country and is an American scenic byway. We kept chugging along and listening to our music as today was windy, extremely hot, hilly, and it helps take all that away and get you into the groove. We passed by Graycliff estates, which was designed by Frank Loyd Wright and decided to stop on in. They were charging admission of course but we went down the service road to get a look. We snapped a couple of pictures before the security guard told Zach to leave.

We went on our way and biked along the water for most of the day. We should have stopped at Dunkirk but we didnt and kept going. This turned out to be a mistake because we quickly ran out of water and were already dehydrated. Kris stopped for water at a country club but they had just treated their water and it was not drinkable. They could have just told the dirty cyclist to go away! We finally made it to a gas station where we ate and drank lots of fluids. Even after that we didn't pee and were very dizzy. It was over 90 degrees today and we just couldn't win the battle.

Soon after we crossed into Pennsylvania and said goodbye to New York. We made out way into Erie and along the waterfront. We stopped and had dinner before venturing out and looking for our campground. We finally found it and it was not what we were expecting or needed. Full of RV's and people who didn't know what they were doing. We decided on the beach site where people just pitched wherever they wanted but then moved to the other side of the road due to the sand and rowdy crowd. Out site was right next to the road and was still sand but we made due and set up camp. After camp was setup we decided to brave lake Erie and go for a swim. The water was incredibly polluted. There were algae blooms everywhere and the water stank. You could make bubbles on the surface that wouldn't pop because the water was so thick. The beach was also littered with trash, pretty shocking coming from lake Superior. It definitely gives us more of an appreciation for our lake. We left feeling like we had contracted some sort of disease and went and showered.

The rest of the night we tried to fall asleep but it was so hot and muggy that we couldn't. The loud campers all around us didn't help either. At about midnight the rain started to fall, which only made the tent hotter. We picked the wrong day to do 95 miles but we finally got rehydrated and started feeling better.

Tomorrow we are heading to Geneva State park in Ohio. We will be entering a 3^rd state in only 2 days, pretty crazy!

Day 53 – Erie, PA to Geneva SP, OH ~ 55 miles

We woke up this morning sweating and exhausted. We hardly slept a wink last night because of the temperatures, noise, and rain. Feeling awful we slowly packed up our gear and headed up the hill to find breakfast. We were so ready to get out of that campground. Probably the worst camping experience of the trip...possibly lifetime. By the time we made it up the hill to the area with restaurants it was already 11.

We ended up getting food at McDonalds because it was really the only thing around and we just wanted to eat and get on the road. Today was hot, but a bit more bearable than yesterday and the wind wasn't nearly as bad. We biked for a few hours until we reached Ashtabula where we stopped for lunch...subs, and picked up food to make for dinner and some produce and bagels for tomorrow's breakfast.

From there it was only about 10 miles to the campground. We biked through Geneva-On-The-Lake, which was a bustling little town with hotels, resorts, and restaurants for the weekend warriors. It was right on the lake and reminded us a bit of Sauble Beach, ON. A single road running through the village lined on both sides with businesses.

We reached the park around 6 or so and got our site and enjoyed a popsicle from the park office. We set up camp and showered and made our dinner. We are still exhausted from yesterday and are finding it hard to do much more than the necessities...at least it is going to be much cooler and less humid tonight. We will hopefully get a decent nights sleep.

We are really hitting the point of physical and mental exhaustion and are dreading the thought of having to bike for another month. But, we just have to keep pushing and try to enjoy ourselves. We are excited to make it to northern Michigan and back onto the “good” lakes of Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Troy Schantz is also going to ride with us for a few days after we pass through Detroit, so we are really looking forward to having a friendly face around for a few days.

We just know that Michigan is going to be better to us. Hopefully we will feel better tomorrow. BTW, Zach's poison ivy is GROSS.

Passing through Cleveland tomorrow which is going to be a challenge.

Day 54 – Geneva SP to Wahoo Campground and Bar ~ 89 miles

Woke up late this morning and got ready for the day, it was going to be a hot one. We made breakfast and slowly got ready. Once we were off we started to follow the Ohio Waterfront trail that took us all over the place. We ended up staying on highway 20 which is where the trail kept going back to anyways. Zach had a slow leak in his rear tire so we had to stop and pump it up. We headed towards Cleveland and stopped to talk to a biker for directions. He ended up biking with us for a little ways then we were on our own again. When we got close to Cleveland we stopped for lunch at a grocery store and then went on our way again. We passed some amazing houses and it was crazy to see right across the highway was the ghetto. Pretty stark contrast separated by one highway. We finally made it to downtown after cycling on some terrible roads. We stopped at the Cleveland Browns stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had Johnny Cash's tour bus parked out front so we got to see that! We also passed the gay pride parade next to the stadium.

After some detouring trying to navigate through downtown we passed over a very jhigh bridge and got a glimpse of the Cavaliers and Indians stadiums. We made our way through some more questionable neighborhoods and then found the lakeshore again and followed that through some nice houses. We stopped for some liquids at a convenience store and got directions to the campground and a grocery store, both were very close. After the grocery store we set off and found the campground. We had to leave to find a gas station right away though because they only took cash and we didn't have any. After the ATM we got our campsite and set up camp. We ate a great dinner of pita, hummus, and turkey sandwiches and listened to the people next to us scream at each other all night long. We went to the campground bar and watched the news over a beer and then quickly went to bed to the screaming again. I think it went on until 1am or so.

Tomorrow we are heading just east of Toledo and it looks like a long one. We hope to maybe take a ferry or catch a ride across the Bridge at Sandusky bay as bicycles are not allowed. We will se what happens. Tomorrow will be our last full day in Ohio!

Day 55 – Wa-Hoo to Fenwick Marina and Campground ~ 65 miles

We set the alarm for 8 am last night and we easily slept through it until a few minutes before 10. The temperature was perfect for sleeping and it was finally quiet..unlike last night, so we took advantage of it. In hindsight probably not the wisest choice because when we got up we realized that Zach's rear tire had gone totally flat in the night. The slow leak from yesterday had taken its toll. Not the way we wanted to start the morning. Zach took off the tire and tried to find the leak so it could be patched, but to no avail. So he used the tube from his first flat and patched it and used the air compressor at the campground to get it pumped up. We quickly ate and hit the road around 11:30.

It was about a 40 mile ride to Sandusky and we stopped for a quick stack before we got there. Once we got into town we immediately went to the ferry to see what our options were for getting across the Sandusky Bay. We met a couple kids from New York who were riding to Chicago that had just gotten off the ferry. It looked like they had to much gear for their ride, but more power to em! We found out that in order to get across the bay we would have to take two ferries, one to Kelly's Island and the second to Marble Head on the other side of the Bay. The first ferry was leaving at 3 and it was about 2:50 so we made the quick decision to take the route of the ferry. It was hot and we were tired and didn't want to have to bike the 20 plus miles around the Bay.

It was about a 20 minute ride to Kelly's Island and we passed Cedar Point Amusement Park on the ride over. Originally we had planned to stay there, but it didn't work out that was. Once we arrived we rode over to catch the second ferry to the Head. It took about the same amount of time to cross. We got off and went down the line to pay. Zach decided he wasn't going to pay for the second ferry because we had already paid enough, so he kept riding past the toll collectors in hopes that they wouldn't come after him. Kris ended up paying for his way and we continued on.

It was nearly 5 by the time we got to the other side of the Bay and we stopped at the first grocery store we came across to get supplies for the night because we weren't sure when we would get them again. While we were there Kris called the campground we were supposed to stay at just to double check that we could stay there. Good thing he called because they don't allow tent camping, which is absurd when you advertise your business as a family campground.

We ended up riding to another one that they had told us about and it ended up being the same situation. On our third try we finally found a place to pitch the tent. On our way we passed the nuclear power plant that we had seen when we were on the north shore of the lake nearly a month ago when we stayed near Amherstburg. We set up camp, but the owner had already closed the office so we are going to talk to her in the morning.

We had dinner and talked to a couple people who offered us a couple of hot dogs. We gladly accepted. We did a bit of filming and relaxed a bit after a long day.

Tomorrow we have a shorter day and are headed to the other side of Toledo, crossing into Michigan, just before Detroit. Definitely ready for a short day.

Day 56 - Fenwick Marina and Campground to Sterling State Park ~ 55 miles

Woke up this morning and the strong winds that started last light were still there and in the wrong direction. Looks like we will have a bad headwind all day. We got onto highway 2 and headed towards Toledo. It was about 20 miles away and we pushed through the miles pretty quickly. Once we got to Toledo we overlooked the city from the bridge that crosses the river. We then entered into downtown and we really didn't think anything special of it. Once we went north through the city we passed some golf courses and then stopped for lunch at Subway.

After lunch the road quickly took us onto the interstate and we took the next available exit and headed west until we found the 125 hwy that took us towards Monroe. Along the way we noticed that the signs started to say M-DOT and we realized that we were in Michigan. We were bummed because there was no sign that we could celebrate at. We then made our way into Monroe where we stopped for groceries and then headed east back towards the lake. Once we got close to the lake we asked for directions to the state park and we found out that we were very close. We followed a bike path into the state park that lead us through some great swamp areas and conservation zones.

We finally made it to the campground, got our site, and started to set up camp. Our campsite was about 100 feet from the water and we could see for miles. We could see the nuclear plant that we camped at the night before off in the distance and to our left we could see the two nuclear towers that we saw from Ontario. We talked to a few people in camp and found out that there were some bike tourists there. We went and met them and had a great conversation and found the best route through Detroit. During dinner we watched a bunch of teenagers hit a seagull with a rock and injure it. They then killed and buried it on the beach. Zach went to bed early but Kris stayed up and had smores with the campers next to us and talked with them for a while.

Tomorrow we will have a long day in the wind and heat and press on through Detroit. I hope it will go well and we will be safe all the way through. Tomorrow we will also meet up with Troy Shantz who we stayed with In Sarnia over 5 weeks ago. He is planning on riding with us the next day as well, and we are looking forward to a familiar face.

Day 57 – Sterling SP to Algonac SP ~ 90 miles

We woke up this morning after a good cool nights sleep and surprisingly didn't feel to great. We both felt like we had a bit of a cold coming on, Kris more than Zach. We got going though and headed out towards Detroit. We knew it was going to be a long day because we had to ride through Detroit, but we were looking forward to seeing Troy.

After about 10 miles we stopped at Erie Metro Park to pick up a road map of the area after one of the guys we had met last night recommended we stop. We had about 20 more miles to go before we made it to Detroit. We slowly made our way into the city once we arrived we could see that it was pretty close to how we imagined it. There were run down warehouses everywhere and it definitely had an erie feeling to it. It was basically a shell of a once thriving industrial town. We have to say though that we never felt threatened going through the city. We may have avoided the bad areas if there are any, but we felt a bit worse as we were traveling through Cleveland. We hope that Detroit will see a thriving time again.

As we passed through the heart of the city we went by the Joe Louis arena (home of the Red Wings, the GM building, and several other really interesting buildings. We were surprised though at how small the downtown was compared to most of the other large cities we have been through. Once we got to the other side of the city we stopped for lunch, called Troy, and then continued on our way.

After we got out of Detroit we got our first real view of Lake St. Clair. It is a really impressive lake as well and would stand out anywhere if it weren't surrounded by the other great lakes. The wind was against us for most of the day, but as we turned the corner around the northern shore of Lake St. Clair we got a bit of a push from the wind. Kris wasn't feeling good though and we stopped several times so he could rehydrate properly.

When we arrived at Algonac State Park Troy was already there. He and I picked our site while Kris laid in the grass, the combination of the 90 mile day and not feeling good had him wiped out. We got to our site, drank a beer, showered, and set up our tents. Afterwards we biked a mile back toward the town of Algonac to a riverside bar and grille where we had dinner and talked. After we ate we biked back into the town to the nearest DQ and got some ice cream and sat by the river and watched the boats pass as the sun went down.

After we got back to camp we tried to sit out and talk, but the mosquitoes were just to brutal. We tried to cover up as best we could, but they won. We went to bed still not feeling good. We are glad we made it through today because it marks a point where we are going to have a few easier days in our near future.

Day 58 – Algonac SP to Lake Huron Campground (Forester, MI) ~ 65 miles

We woke up this morning Kris feeling a bit better and Zach feeling a bit worse. We both have similar symptoms, sore throat, stuffy face, and achy body. We got out of bed around 9 and Troy had made us oatmeal. We had that and a bagel with Nutella and then packed up our things, did a bit of filming, and then headed out.

We left the park and biked along the river with a really nice wide shoulder for quite a ways. We stopped at the first McDonald's we found and went in for some coffee. After stopping we continued on biking side by side in the really spacious shoulders. Troy was going to part ways with us once we reached Port Huron, which is directly across the river from Sarnia where we stay at his home over a month ago. Before we parted ways we stopped for lunch at a little restaurant where we ate subs and Kris had pizza.

We had done about 30 miles at that point and we said our goodbyes and then continued on our way. It was really nice to see Troy and we hope to see him again soon. After we split we went down to the lake because we were officially back on Lake Huron. We could see the opposite shoreline where we were over a month ago.

After stopping we pushed on because we knew we still had about 40 miles to go. The shoulders were great again and made the riding a bit easier. We stopped in Port Sanilac for groceries and then biked the 4 miles to the campground. Once we arrived we set up camp and showered after attempting to go the pool, which had closed for the night. We ate our dinner, which we will never get again. We bought cans of the LaChoy Chicken Chow Mein. We decided to eat them cold, it was discusting, and completely un appetizing. Basically just tasted like salt. 180% of our daily sodium requirements in the can. Gross. Live and learn.

After dinner we chatted with the neighbors who are from Sarnia, and they gave us a couple beers while we chatted. Super nice folks. We are catching with some other stuff tonight because we have internet.

We are really looking forward to our rest day in Petosky on the 5^th of July. And then after that headed back south toward Chicago.