2025 POSTS Lake Michigan Tour

6 October 2025: DAY 29 – Clyde OH to Avon Ohio @ Don & Kathy’s house – ADVENTURE COMPLETE

62.2 (1,676T) 1,376’ of climb. We were pretty concerned my wheel could not make it home. Lucky for us, Mary Beth delivered her Trek hybrid for me to ride the last day safely 🙌🏼. Before I describe our ride, I must say the overall adventure was exceptional. Wonderful weather, great roads and scenery, kind people, amazing hospitality from friends, family and warmshower hosts, courteous drivers, nice campgrounds, excellent food and local restaurants, and a good bit of variety in all things. No bad days! Today was no exception. We literally had a tailwind or crosswind with a bit of help all day. We started with a few miles of Northcoast Inland Trail followed by miles of quiet country roads all the way to Huron. We stopped and had lunch at the Harbor House in Huron. Don had a perch sandwich with mac n cheese and iced tea and I had the Sante Fe salad with blackened chicken and iced tea with lemonade. After lunch we rode along Lake Erie to Lorain. In Lorrain we picked up the Northcoast Inland Trail pretty much all the way to Don & Kathy’s. Mary Beth met us for a sort of victory dinner! Kathy made us a feast of salad, meatloaf with sautéd spinich, potatoes, carrots, rolls and “brookies” ala mode for dessert. Whoo boy!! We aren’t sad it’s over… we are happy it happened! Feeling very blessed in many ways. So Long friends… see you next Adventure!

5 October 2025: DAY 28 – Independence Dam State Park to Red Roof Inn Clyde OH

72.4 miles (1,614T) with 876’ of climb (flat). Today was a straight line through corn, soybean, and I think rapeseed fields. There was pretty much zero support in the way of water and food. As we were deciding where to veer off course to get food (costing 8-10 miles extra), we came upon the Milton Township Fire Department Chicken Dinner Fundraiser!!! Can you believe it? Started at 11. We rolled up about 11:20! CHA-CHING. After our feast we had about 45ish miles to go…. There were a couple spots closer to Clyde for water filling and bathroom using. My rear wheel has been wonky for awhile. We knew in Kenosha Wisconsin the rim was a bit out of whack. “Splayed on one side” per the mechanic at Total Cyclery. The last few days, it has gotten a bit worse… today a spoke broke. That started a chain reaction that has caused a pretty wobbly rear wheel with a fractured hub. Lucky for us, it is our last day tomorrow and Mary Beth has volunteered to bring me her hybrid bike in the morning so I can finish the ride safely. Tonight we are in luxury at the Red Roof Inn in Clyde OH. Goodnight friends.

4 October 2025: DAY 27 – Chain O Lakes State Park IN to Independence Dam State Park OH

81.3 miles (1,542T) with 1,612’ of climb. We started the day with about 20 miles to the bike shop to deal with Dons front shift cable. Old Fort Bicycle is an awesome shop in the Northwest Ft Wayne area. They had a mechanic on staff and he repaired dons bike while we had breakfast at nearby locally owned Cosmos Restaurant where Don had the amazing Chicken sandwich with fries and chicken noodle soup with iced tea. I feasted on the Chicago skillet with sourdough toast and coffee. When we left the shop, we had 10 or so miles of well maintained suburban bike trail followed by about 45 miles of country roads with few small crossroads for water or breaks… just Spencerville and Hicksville. It reached about 90 which was surprising for October. We picked up sandwiches in Defiance to take to our state campground (all primitive no power or water) at Independence Dam right on the Wabash River. Can’t beat it… goodnight friends.

3 October 2025: DAY 26 – Grovertown to Chain O Lakes State Park IN

70.7 miles (1,461T) with 2,276’ of climb. Today we left our Hipcamp and pedaled about 10 miles to Plymouth to meet my lifelong friend Mike Wiers (Wiersy) for breakfast at Castaways. We all had a great meal and more importantly were able to spend time together sharing stories of life. From Plymouth we took a quiet patchwork of country roads. There was very little in the way of commercial activity like gas stations, groceries, or restaurants… there was one fine Amish Variety Store, Miller’s in Etna Green. We pedaled through quiet farms, Amish and Yankee alike. All carefully kept like family heirlooms. There were also plenty of cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, cats, dogs and chickens. Even a few goats. Tractors and combines in fields stirring up lots of dust to breathe. We detoured to the tiny town of North Webster to find some “Dinch” (as son Jim calls it). Pasta meals at a pizza joint. Dons front derailer cable detached so he has to ride his granny ring up front which is good for hills, but limits top speed to about 13 on the flats due to rpms. We will try to launch a little early tomorrow and detour to Ft Wayne to visit a bike shop. Camp is all cozy and it’s time to sleep. Goodnight friends.

2 October 2025: DAY 25 – Homewood IL to Grovertown IN

78.7 miles (1,390T) with 1,557’ of climb. Debbie made us a great breakfast of scrambled eggs with garden vegetables chopped in, bacon, watermelon, pastries, and coffee. With our tanks fueled and bodies rested from a great rest, we set off. After about 10 miles of city backstreets that crossed us into Indiana, we enjoyed about 15 miles of Pennsy Greenway from Munster to Crown Pointe. About 10 miles through industrial parks found us on rural main roads giving way to countryside following US 30 East in a sort of zig zag pattern with brilliant skies. I had another flat, so I changed my tube and tire, I was carrying a new Panaracer Gravel King tire as backup for such a situation we have experienced with my rear tire flats.. 5 all together! We stopped for lunch in the small town of Winfield at the Baja Restaurant. We hit the lottery here as meals came with potatoes, salad and soup. Don had pork chops (3) with veggies, mashed potatoes and chicken rice soup and salad. I had the turkey Rueben, fries, stuffed pepper soup and salad. Lunch also came with huge rolls. The afternoon was quiet country roads with lots of little hills. Finally we rolled into our Hipcamp where Earl & Linda met us with kindness, hospitality, and about 20 chickens. As we set up camp, they said they had a 5th wheel guest house we could use instead, so real beds once again… cha ching. More kindness. Trips like this remind you that we aren’t on political teams pitted against our neighbors as enemies. Everyone we meet is so kind to us it just warms your heart. Goodnight friends.

1 October 2025: DAY 24 – Heart ‘O Chicago Motel to Homewood IL

41.9 miles (1,311T) with just 719’ of climb. Today was a part day as we were meeting up with Don’s friend, Debbie, who kindly hosted us tonight. After our “complimentary continental breakfast” of cereal and coffee, we headed out into the world of Chicago. The first 20+ miles were on the Lakefront Trail which is a bikers paradise situation. We just slow rolled our way down the lakefront, enjoying all the cyclists, runners, and walkers… Not to mention the Chicago skyline and vibes of vibrant life. Edgewater, Uptown, Near North Side, The Loop, Chicago, Near South Side, Douglass , Oakwood, Kenwood, Hyde Park, and Woodlawn were all the areas of lakefront we traveled north to south. As we headed west and south from the lakefront, we went through the storied danger filled “south side of Chicago” which actually turned out to be pretty clean and safe at mid day. We sauntered into Homewood about 3. Early day, yay! Debbie (our host) is college roommate of Kathy (Don’s wife)…. a longtime close friend of theirs. She fixed us pasta salad, baked seasoned chicken, squash-vegetable casserole, and home made pan cookies! Her friend Raul joined us and we had a nice time visiting and trading stories. Time for sleep, goodnight friends.

30 September 2025: DAY 23 – Cliffside Park WI to Chicago (Edgewater neighborhood in North Chicago)

70.4 miles (1,269T) with 1,158’ of climb. Today was another day with plenty of trails. We headed out of camp right onto the Racine MRK Trail to Racine where excellent breakfast happened at Douglas Avenue Diner. I had a ham n cheese omelette with rye toast, home fries, and coffee while Don had French toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and iced tea. We rolled a few miles to Racine and picked up the Root River Pathway. This route became the North Shore Trail, then Kenosha County Bicycle Trail, then Robert McCrory Bike Path. Some sections were crushed limestone, some old lumpy pavement, some brand new pavement. Some sections had city connection streets between trail sections. We stopped at a little bike shop, to get Don a new tire and tube. When we left it was flat again in 1 minute. The shop got is squared away and off we rolled. We had a special visit from Purdue friend, and Fraternity Brother, John Schmidt (The Holy Spirit)! He even bought our dinner ! (more kindness). Right as we rolled into the brewery, my tire was flat again! So I repaired it while we had a light dinner. It was another wire. I think we picked up these wire bits from Escanaba to to Peshtico and it takes a couple days for them to work through the trad and finally cause the leak in the inner tube. We had another 16 miles through Evanston etc. to our Heart O’ Chicago Motel. We split a small Chicago style deep dish Pizza. States we have covered: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, U.P., Wisconsin, Illinois!, and now it is sleep time. Goodnight, friends!

29 September 2025: DAY 22 – Sheboygan to Cliffside Park Campground in Caledonia WI (south of Milwaukee)

82. 5 miles (1,199T) with 2,470’ of climb. Today we tried to start early except Don’s tire was flat from a small piece of wire that comes off truck tire retread scraps and typically take a day or two to cause the flat 😩. We had an 80 miler planned with a bit of headwind and a few mild hills, so the flat was Ill-timed🤷🏼‍♂️. One nice thing is today was about 90% on trails. We also went through Milwaukee north to south largely on the Milwaukee River Line Trail and other downtown Lakefront trails. Milwaukee looked like a place that is really in renewal. I plan to visit again when there is time to explore a bit. All the small towns along the trail made the day special as never worrying about water or bathroom spots. However, I had flat just before lunch and then again shortly thereafter (sadly common)… the first flat I found a wire and the second flat was a mystery. After Milwaukee, Don’s tire was losing air. We were able to limp along filling it every 30 minutes also he could change it at camp. Also a mystery. After we set up camp, our neighbors offered brats and salad and chips! Never ceases to amaze me how kind folks are when you are on a bike😊. Another lovely ride in the books. Goodnight friends.

28 September 2025: DAY 21 – Green Bay to Sheboygan

71.2 miles (1,116T) with 1,895’ of climb. Another ideal weather day. Starting around 60 deg and ending around 75. Not humid. We had hotel breakfast and rolled. The first 15 or so miles were backroads, then there were a few country road miles, then we hit a really nice path, Devil’s River State Trail for about 15. When we got to Two Rivers, see had lunch at the Lighthouse Inn. I had the lunch special, bourbon glazed meat loaf, with salad and French dressing as my side. Don had the Capreese grilled cheese with a rice/orzo blend. After lunch, Mariners Trail followed the coast to Manitowoc. We exited the trail and wiggled through Manitowac to a series of quiet roads following the coastline down to Sheboygan. We are cooped up in a budget motel for the night (with free breakfast). Towns we rolled through today: Green Bay, Bellevue, Langes Corners, Denmark, Maribel, Francis Creek, Two Rivers, Manitowac, Centerville, Cleveland to Sheboygan. Goodnight friends.

27 September 2025: DAY 20 – Peshtigo to Green Bay

56.6 miles (1,045T) flat. Perfect day. I had forgotten that Wisconsin is the land of festivals. Peshtigo was celebrating Historical day with a parade, 10k run/walk, historic re-enactments, car show, and more…. That is what we woke up to. Later in the day, Oconto was having sidewalk festival that turned the town into a sort of county fair. As far riding went today we had quiet country backroads. Sometimes it took an hour for the next car to come along. Much of the route was in site of the actual Green Bay (the water, not the city). We had a mild headwind all day which made the effort similar to yesterday even though it was fewer miles. The cities we trekked through included, Peshtigo, Oconto, Pensaukee, Little Saumico & Regular Size Saumico, and finally Green Bay (the city). We set up camp in an economy hotel and walked about a mile to the Lorelei Inn, a fine fine German restaurant where I hade Alpine Schnitzel, potato pancakes with applesauce, salad, and red cabbage. Falling asleep now … goodnight friends.

26 September 2025: DAY 19 – Escanaba to Badger City Park Campground Peshtigo WI

69.2 miles (988T) with 563’ of climb (flat). Today was a great riding day. Our Warmshower hosts, Mary and Andy, made an oatmeal bake with blueberries and bran muffins for breakfast with excellent coffee percolated grandma style. This got us started a little earlier (we usually struggle to get rolling by 9:30 because we just aren’t in a hurry). We rolled smooth and fast (for us fast means rolling speed of 16-17 most of the time). This was due to the flatness, and a slight tailwind. Our average speed for the ride clocked in at 15.2 mph overall. 15% of the ride was on backroads or city side streets, and 85% was on M-35, a two lane trunkline highway with a wide berm most of the time, but 20% narrow berm. Always with a rumble strip and speed limit of just 55 mph. We often had a view of the lake to the east and generally pleasant but unexceptional views to the west. There was just one actual stop (other than a couple quick breaks for a stretch) where we could get supplies and water. This was at the Cedar River Plaza where they had a small restaurant still serving breakfast (as the time did change to Central Time just above this stop). We had a lovely breakfast. Where I had “Suzies Favorite”, which was a grilled polish sausage with over medium eggs, home fries, and raisin toast. Don devoured the scrambled eggs, home fries, and lotsa bacon with old white guy toast. We were pretty hongry and it went down quick. After lunch, we had an enjoyable 35 or so miles in perfect riding conditions, 65 deg, partly sunny with some fluffy clouds, mild tailwind… doesn’t get much better. Somewhere during these miles we crossed into Wisconsin (I think at the Menominee River which was Menominee on one side and Marinette on the other). We got to Badger City Park Campground in Peshtigo, MI about 4 pm. We set up camp, showered, and headed for burgers at Peshtigo Pub and Grille. All in all a nice biking day. Goodnight friends.

25 September 2025: DAY 18 – Dreamland Motel to Escanaba

81.9 miles (919T) with 1,658’ of climb. Today we had breakfast right next door at Chomps. We started our day with plenty of fuel… I had the breakfast skillet and coffee with dry rye. Don had French toast, bacon, and hash browns. Don suggested we get off US 2, so we took the back roads for the first 40 miles. The next 25 miles were back on US 2, and reminded us why we preferred the back roads. We grabbed a light lunch at Jack’s Eats, after which we crunched out the last 16 which included one killer hill. Tonight we are staying at a Warmshowers host, Mary and Andy. They kindly shared their home, and delicious dinner of grilled chicken, green beans & corn, and stuffing with us. Not only that, it was Andy’s birthday and he made an amazing pumpkin cake! Goodnight friends, we are camping in style in Mary & Andy’s 5th wheel today.

24 September 2025: DAY 17 – St. Ignace to Dreamland Motel near Gulliver MI

67.9 miles (837T) with 1,282’ of climb. We started the day with breakfast just down the street at the Bentley’s Cafe. It was a very good and old school diner. Don had his usual scrambled eggs, bacon, and french toast (no syrup). I had the breakfast skillet over medium and sourdough toast with coffee. We rode about 12 or so miles on backroads and the remaining 56 on MI 2 which follows the coastline. The first 20 or so miles we pleasant with lots of lake views. Then traffic got heavy, fast, and loud. It was safe because there was a rumble strip and 6’ berm. Drivers were courteous and safe, but with a 65 mph speed limit they were moving pretty fast. Just as the monotony started to build, the rain started and we got rained on with a steady rain for the last 2 hours of the route. This is when grit counts. Sopping wet, tired, loud and fast traffic, grinding the final 27 miles. We ended up at our planed Dreamland motel (we aren’t getting soft, there are no camps within 20 miles). There is a diner, “Chomps”, adjacent so dinner was easy to capture. I had the Cuban sandwich with fries and Don had a stuffed football sized baked potato & salad. Sleeping in a bed with dry gear is a real luxury… 75 miler tomorrow. Goodnight friends.

22 & 23 September 2025: DAY 15 & 16 – Magnus Park Campground to Tee Pee Campground Mackinaw City to Bayside Inn at St Ignace

77.8 miles (847T) 1,958’ of climb. Leaving Magnus Park we took the quiet Wheelway through Petoskey where we had a chef prepared breakfast at Sam’s Graces Cafe. After breakfast, we were met by a park ambassador, Judy, who wanted to know all about our journey for the Bayfront Park Social Media pages… I’m not sure if she believed our tall tales…. The Wheelway Trail continued to Harbor Springs where jumped onto some quiet roads and eventually Lakeshore Drive for many miles along lovely lake views with amazing homes from moderate cottage to architectural gems to lakeside mansions. As we pulled east of the shore we skirted very large Wilderness State Park. Lots of tiny crossroads along the way like; Good Hart, Cross Village, Bliss, and Cecil. These are spots you see routinely on a bike and rarely in a car. Backroads into Mackinaw City and Tee Pee Campground on the water with views of the bridge and the Island. As we set up camp it started to rain a bit… no worries radar showed a bit then clear… NOPE… it deluged us for 2.5 hours soaking everywhere and everything. Another downpour at 4 am as we floated on our sleeping rafts inside soggy tents to make sure nothing was dry. In the morning I was greeted by a voice saying “anyone in there?” It was our camping neighbors we never met inviting us to a lovely breakfast. So kind. So very kind. We decided to be tourists today and ferry to Mackinac Island, ride the 8 mile outer loop around the Island (also Lakeshore Drive), then ferry to St Ignace in the U.P. and get a little hotel and do laundry and dry our tents and gear. We had a delicious dinner at Bouys. I had the pesto chicken over herb mashed potatoes and asparagus drizzled with balsamic glaze … Don enjoyed the 4 cheese ravioli with pesto white sauce and sun dried tomato. Delicious. Time for dry sleep! Goodnight friends.

21 September 2025: DAY 14 – Whitewater Township Park to Magnus Park Campground Petoskey MI

61.9 miles (769T) 1,812’ of climb. Today started with a few sprinkles on country ride to Elk Rapids for a quick breakfast at a place called The Dam Shop which felt like a brewery … all concrete and metal and black wood. Also breakfast was cooked in a food truck set up permanently inside the building. They also had a marina. When we left it started raining pretty heavy so we found a restaurant downtown that was closed but it had a large outdoor seating area under cover so we camped out and killed time till the storm rolled through. When things cleared we rolled some hilly back roads east and veered north up the west side of Torch Lake on the quiet Torch Lake Drive. Next we took a combination of the wide berm US 31 and hilly back roads like Parsons, Barnard, Joliffe, Brown… until we merged back onto US 31 and rolled into Charlevoix. We ate a light lunch at a spot called Krist that was a little “fancy”. Don had a fancy grilled cheese and fish chowder and I had a nice quinoa salad with greens and root veggies (and quinoa of course). We had about another 25 miles into our city campground in Petoskey. Most of the way from Charlevoix was on the very nice Little Traverse Wheelway Trail. Camp setup was complete by about 18:45 with a nice view of Little Traverse Bay (it’s not actually“Little”). We grabbed a burger and baked potato at Wendy’s and now it is time for bed! Goodnight friends… we will go again tomorrow.

20 September 2025: DAY 13 – Lake Leelanau to Whitewater Township Park

43.2 miles (707T) 1,566’ of climb. Today a pretty big storm came through from 9:30 till about 11:15 so we got a late start. We had excellent and huge breakfast sandwiches that Matt brought for us. After breakfast we helped him move the outdoor furniture into garage storage for the winter while waiting for the storm to come through. It was cool with heavy wet air and menacing clouds just ahead when we finally rolled out… we would follow behind the storm at about the same rate of travel. The wet roads into Sutton’s Bay turned into the wonderful Leelanau Trail all the way to Traverse City. Once in Traverse City we met Don’s nephew John and his fiancé Caroline for lunch at Folgarelli’s. The hand made to order deli sandwiches were delicious… mine was the Carolina Reuben made with house smoked ham, Swiss cheese, slaw, and sweet mustard all grilled on rye bread. John and Don fought over the check and John won while I refereed … I’m getting a lot of free meals from kind people. That’s another advantage to living on your bike. Many of the miles from Traverse City to our camp were on the Traverse City Recreational Trail. Hiking meal for dinner campside and time for bed. Goodnight friends. See you tomorrow.

19 September 2025: DAY 12 – D.H. Day Campground to Lake Leelanau

30.7 miles (664T). Sometimes you have to ask…. “Are we doing this to accomplish or to experience?“ Not too many miles today, but we spent precious time with longtime friends of 30 years, Matt & his wife, Keli. After breakfast at the Good Harbor Grill, our ride was along most Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We went through Leland, around Lake Leelanau, and to Matt and Keli’s lakefront paradise. We enjoyed a boat ride to historic Fishtown where we relaxed awhile at The Cove. After boating back to the house, Matt & Keli took us to dinner at The Hop Lot in Sutton’s Bay. The hospitality and story telling has been one of the reasons these bike tours are so special. Thanks Matt & Keli… Namaste.

18 September 2025: DAY 11 – Betsie River Campsite to D.H. Day Campground at Sleeping Bear National Park

40.1 miles (633T) 1279’ of climb. Started the ride on the Betsie Valley Trail to Elberta where we fueled our machines at the Lighthouse Cafe… Don with his usual pancakes, eggs, bacon, potatoes & iced tea … Today he put syrup on his pancakes for the first time in his life. I had the Southwestern Omelette with coffee. I added a maple roll that they prepared fresh on the grille. The breakfast was 10 out of 10 and fueled us up the lovely roads along the eastern side of Lake Michigan (also called the Michigan Ocean). We had a similar weave between 7 inland lakes and Lake Michigan all day. Two of the seven have channels to lake MI. Frankfort, Pilgrim, and Empire were the notable settlements we traversed today. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore hosted a very pleasant travel center in Empire complete with historic movie and bookshop. After passing Sleeping Bear Dune, We set up camp at D.H. Day National Park Campground where veterans and up to 3 guests enter the park gratas. We continued into Glen Arbor for Dinner at the Western Avenue Grille where Don scarfed down a pulled pork sandwich with Cole slaw and chips plus a salad and flourless cake! I enjoyed a Michigan salad and fries. After dinner I went to Sleeping Bear Dune for a hike up the dune. After the hike I took the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail right back to camp. Goodnight friends.

17 September 2025: DAY 10 – Ludington State Park to Betsie River Campsite

70.2 miles (593T) 2,916’ of climb. Today we had breakfast at an Historic spot in Ludington called Old Hamlin. We had our usual, me eggs, ham, potatoes and coffee with toast, and Don had the world’s largest stack of French toast and fruit. Then we got to business… This was the most rigorous day so far. Most of the climbing was in the last third of the day and it reminded me of Colorado. These were real hills! The day was beautiful with much of the same experience as yesterday plus mountains (not really 😂). Again we weaved 8 inland lakes, 6 with channels to Michigan Ocean (Uncle Steve says if you can’t see the other side it’s an ocean). At dinner we found a little spot, Mayfair Burger Bar in Elberta where we had Smashburgers and side salads. It was just 1.4 miles to camp via a nature bike trail through the wetlands that plopped us at Betsie River Campsites. Goodnight friends.

16 September 2025: DAY 9 – Montague to Ludington State Park

60.9 miles (513T) 2,106’ of climb. Today was a near ideal riding day. We were mostly on roads with minimal traffic, and the infrequent times we were on larger roads we had clean wide berms. We weaved between small inland lakes (8 of them) and Lake Michigan all day, often with a view of Lake MI. Two of the inland lakes, Pentwater & Pete Marquette had channels out to the Sea of Michigan. The entire area was peaceful and relaxing. Ideal road riding with none of the busy overtraffic areas that scare a lot of folks from biking on roads together with cars. We had lunch in Pentwater at the Gull Landing and it was delicious … Don had the meat loaf sandwich & noodle soup and I had the Michigan Cherry Salad with blackened chicken. Mmmm mmm. After lunch we discovered that Ludington has a really cool power station that pumps water up to an upper reservoir from lake MI at night when power is oversupplied, then allowing it flow back into Lake MI during the day and create power when the demand is high. It was put into operation over 50 years ago. The Ludington State Park is super well maintained and one of the best we have seen. Our next door camper is big into cycling, so we had a nice chat. It’s good to make friends in the campground! Goodnight friends.

15 September 2025: DAY 8 – Rest Day at Family Lakehouse in Montague

0 miles (452T). Chill all day. Chill.

14 September 2025: DAY 7 – Holland State Park to Family Lakehouse Montague

66.5 miles (452T) 1,690’ of climb. Perfect weather for bicycling today. First 10 miles was on Lakeshore Avenue / Lakeshore Trail to brunch at Sandy Point Beachouse at Port Sheldon MI where I got basic over medium eggs, bacon and golden breakfast potatoes. Don had a chicken sandwich with fries. It was a pretty classy joint with excellent food and service. As we rejoined the Lakeshore Trail we noticed there were many cyclists out today. We continued up Dogwood, Lake Harbor, Lakeshore, McMillan, Fred Meijer Berry Junction, and White Lake Trails. Some trail sections were bumpy and wiggling, so, in many instances we stayed on the adjacent road berm which was well prepared for cycling. Some city sections in Grand Haven, Ferrysburg, Muskegon, Dalton, and Whitehall/Montague also had quiet city road sections. The last dozen miles were backroads to Don’s in-laws lakehouse right on Lake MI. It was just an all around lovely cycling day. Don’s SIL, Sue is a kind and gracious host. Plus she prepared chili, chicken pot pie, pasta salad, watermelon and home made poppy seed bread. Best meal of the ride! We are planning a day off tomorrow and as a special treat Mary Beth drove up to hang out with us!

13 September 2025: DAY 6 – Lake Michigan Beach to Holland State Park

59.9 miles (385T) 2,147’ of climb. Today we road the 1.5 hours via the Blue Star Highway (A-1) in light rain which quickly became steady to heavy rain. By the time we reached South Haven we were spongy. Five (5) lovely restaurants had one+ hour waitlists with no room to stand out of the rain. We sludge rolled around until at 1130 and finally settled for Chinese buffet (no wait). When we emerged (heavier from many plates), we were greeted by the 🌞. We happily cranked onward via the A-1, country roads, beeline trail (and other trails), lakefront avenues, and city backstreets. Chug-chug through Ganges, Pier Cove, Douglas, Sagatuck, Holland.. “all aboard!”. There was a lovely art festival in Douglas and Sagatuck with a jazz quartet and everything. When we got to Holland State Campground on Macatawa Bay… There were only 3 sites left 😬 (whew). We walked 5 blocks to dinner at a spot called Resevoir where I had the Gyro (pronounced yee-row) with a salad and Don ate an entire (minus one slice) wood fired pizza and salad. Goodnight friends, don’t let the chiggers bite.

12 September 2025: DAY 5 – South Bend IN to Lake Michigan Beach, MI

46.6 miles (325T) 1,941’ of climb. Kind of a short day. We started the morning on the Indiana Michigan River Valley Trail. This was a really nice trail, especially once we got close to Niles MI. When we got to Niles, we stopped for breakfast at the Downtown Niles Café. The breakfast menu was literally five large pages. El Gato Con Botas burrito while Don smashed a veggie and mozzarella omelette… we eventually waddled out and started back up on the trail until we switched to rumble stripped and high traffic old US 31 N. (Now M139) then M63 into Saint Joe MI, where we stopped at the St Joseph Bicycle Company. Chris (the owner) had raced for awhile, so he and Don were talking all kinds of bike racing stuff. He is also a bassoon player who graduated from the Cleveland Institute of music and he worked for Trek … now he owns a bike shop. You just meet a lot of interesting people in the bike world. We pedal our way up the East Coast a little bit to our campground called the “sweet cherry resort”. After establishing Camp, we had an amazing spaghetti and meatball dinner at DiMaggio’s Pizza here at Lake Michigan Beach. Whew, time to hit the sleeping bag.

11 September 2025: DAY 4 – Indian Lakes Campground to Brother Max, South Bend IN

60.2 miles (278T) 1,126 of climb. Today started deep in Amish country on quiet but paved backroads to Topeka Amish breakfast. After breakfast it was a nice mixed day riding quiet Amish country roads with children playing kickball at recess with all their bikes parked out front. Horse drawn buggies, walkers, and cyclists were everywhere on roads to Goshen where we caught the Maple City Greenway trail that connects Goshen to Elkhart. From Elkhart to Mishawaka was mostly a mix of light industries followed by lovely residential areas along the St Joseph River. We stopped in downtown Mishawaka to enjoy the river walk and really excellent Battell Veterans Park. From Mishawaka we made our way through Notre Dame campus and LaSalle Trail to Max’s (Max is Phi Psi brother from Purdue) house. We caught up for awhile with Max and his son Tommy, listening to stories about recent escapades. We took our discussion to Max’s favorite Mexican restaurant where we had street tacos and good fellowship. We talked till midnight sharing episodes from our lives. It was a great mini visit at Max’s!

10 September 2025: DAY 3 – Saunders Village to Indian Lakes Campground, Wolcottville IN

67.6 miles (218T) 2,287’ of climb. After packing the tents, clothes, camping gear, and all the miscellaneous preparations (takes about an hour… or more) we rode the 1.6 mile gravel trail to breakfast at Home Restaurant in quaint and charming downtown Archibold which began life as a railroad town. Don had biscuits & gravy plus French toast without syrup I had the “Haystack” which is home fries on the bottom with sausage gravy and cheddar in the middle and an over medium egg on top… with one biscuit… the Haystack is worth a trip to Archibold. Now for the bicycling… Today was 100% county roads in NW OH and NE IN. It was lovely weather and the cycling was rigorous because the county roads are a continuous series of ups and downs that on a road bike you would roll right through the ups… but with a 100lb rig with the aerodynamics of a Jeep these rollers take a toll. The scenery included farms, soybeans, corn, and many cows, pigs, and horses. Much of the ride was through Amish country. When we crossed into Indiana, we endured a few miles of gravel with fine yellowish soft dirt…not easy to going… luckily just a few miles. The final 10 miles weaved through a series small lakes, all complete with lakes houses and cabins. Our campground is exceptional… recommend. We had an amazing dinner at Backroads Tavern just .6 miles from camp with no other spots for miles. Don had a chicken sandwich that. Was perfect with potato wedges and salad while I had the mushroom Swiss smashburfer with fries and salad… it was delicious! Goodnight all.

9 September 2025: DAY 2 – Wooded Acre Campground to Saunders Village, Archibold OH

75.2 miles mostly flat (150T). We started on a section of the Northcoast Inland Trail. It was only about 8 miles to breakfast at The Village Inn Grill… I had home made corned beef, over medium eggs, dry sourdough toast, and hash browns. Don had the senior special. This was a true 5 star small town mom and pop breakfast restaurant. We jumped back on the trail and took it to Genoa where it ended about 10 miles early 🤷🏼‍♂️. We rerouted on quiet country roads to Perrysburg where we literally rode past Scott Murray who is on of our POHR riding brothers. Had a little catch up chat (yes, we forgot to take a photo), then we were back on our way. We went right by the Gardiner office in Maumee and said hi (again forgot photo) to Kim, Patrick, and Cedric. We jumped on the Wabash Cannonball Trail and rode it 20+ miles until became a grass path. A few more county roads to Saunder Village Campground in Archibald where proceeded to eat our camp meals at the very nice campground which is part of a pretty extensive historic village complete with Dutch restaurant, founders hall, bakery, furniture store, Inn, and other attractions. Goodnight 💤.

8 September 2025: DAY 1 – Avon OH to Wooded Acre Campground, Lindsey OH

75.3 miles (75T)

1,491’ of climb (flat). Day 1 in the books. A pleasant ride starting at the Grisa homestead in Avon OH and ending in Lindsey OH at Wooded Acres Campground. We had a nice 50 mile roll along the southern coast of Lake Erie with the lake in sight most of that section through Lorain, Vermillion, Huron, and Sandusky. We stopped at the Pier Pub in Huron for lunch right on the water on the Mouth of the Sea Huron River at Lake Erie. After my delicious southwest chicken salad, and Don’s Erie perch sandwich was reported to be delicious, fresh, and local. we headed south and west on mixed rural roads (including some miles on state highway 6) to Fremont where we jumped on the North Coast Inland trail up to the camp at Wooded Acres Camp! The lakefront was lovely with a sky of spread clouds. For awhile there was an ominous black storm cloud but it never erupted! The weather was absolutely perfect with temperatures reaching high 60s with plenty of sunshine and a few puffy clouds. The wind was mild as a side wind or tail wind all the way, so that was nice and we were able to average 14 mph. Looking forward to tomorrow, should be lovely weather again through rural farmland.