Lktour

Around Lake Michigan Tour   July 04

We got back from the 4-day ride (Vic's tripometer ended around 1230 miles) around Lake Michigan. It was fun, but there were definately a few days we had to haul ass to get to the next night's point... We had 12 people (6 couples) on 8 bikes.    We were going to have 2 single/guy riders, but one single guy had to back out, so the other one brought his girlfriend.

Have I mentioned what jerks Michigan-drivers are? "No fault" insurance state-- to them means they're not at fault no matter what.   We were nearly nailed 4 times in just one afternoon (the day we started counting such events), and we're pretty safety-conscious.   By the time the one guy started to cut into Vic.... I started screaming obsenities at him... and was ready to throw my bike on it's kickstand and beat the crap out of him; I could have easily have taken him too. I was so sick of these jerks.

Riding always makes me hungry and exhausted.   I could eat a whole horse.   And, sleep is well earned by the day's end.    The first night's B&B was very cool. Chiminey Corners in "Crystal Lake" Michigan.   This Crystal lake is definately crystal clear, and 400+ times larger that ours in Illinois. If it wasn't for the land bridge that this resort sat on between Crystal Lake & Lake Michigan... I'd say the lake was meant to be a harbor almost the size of Traverse Bay.   Very cool set up. We had a suite of 8 rooms, we took up 6 rooms and shared 2 baths amongst us. Very dorm style, and the building looked like an old OLD... 2 story log cabin.   Breakfast was served on the water at a little dining hut. Wished we had more time here.

Looking back on the weekend, we're alittle bummed.   We didn't get to see ZELCH ! Except the Mackinaw Bridge.   We did stop at the Harley shop to buy our 'destination' earned shirts - that say "Mackinaw" on the back side.   The funny thing is since most of us in this group love Native American stuff, they had a shirt design with a cool dreamcatcher image on the front.   By coincidence, all the girls (except one), and a couple of the guys- ended up with various versions of the same shirt, i.e. on white-tank, on black- T, on black-long sleeve, etc.).   Pam called it our official "Camp Harley" shirts. LOL

We couldn't find the road to the Sleeping Bear Dunes (actually the lead bike-- TOM- seemed to be getting impatient and kept turning around to try different roads- rather than taking one all the way- until he got fed up and gave up), it was getting late anyways... so, no time to get up to the Shipwreck Museum.      We got within 3 miles of Pictured Rock on Lake Superior, but finding food & checking into our Log Cabin reservation in time to barbeque -- before it got dark- took priority.    Log cabins were in the middle of nowhere. Hiawatha Nat'l forest. I've never known that kind of quiet... or darkness.   Awesome!

The plan was to come back in the AM... during our Sunday meandering along Lake Superior's lighthouses -- the long way to Jim/Cindy's Tomahawk property.    However, when the lead bike (usually the one who planned the trip) isn't ready to go until after 11am, (hung-over wife isn't ready) and still dragging, followed by a tantrum of tears that we HAVE to see a SPECIFIC lighthouse... in the opposite direction than everyone else wanted to go.   So much for democratic consensus.   We all ended up giving in to see ths "pile of old rocks," as I kept thinking of it - built in early 1800's -- this meant heading back toward Lake Michigan (we were in the Upper Pennisula now).

We turned the wrong way, and at 3:30pm we were no further than 20 miles from where we began the day.    I knew he went the wrong way, but simply shrugged, I wanted to see how it felt to just "follow" without being concerned with my innate sense of direction. Although, Tom often pulled over, and would ask me "where we are now?" However, this day, he was such a crab he spoke to no one. Everyone spent the day wondering who pissed him off. Finally, I told his wife, we don't deserive this treatment, we're a band of goode friends, because if it were anyone else there would have been a mutiny this morning.

We understand, that the eminent threat of rain makes Tom crazy with fierce determination to make a "run for it" to the end goal, and I believe that fueled alot of his decisions to give up on seeing anything, demand to go "south" and just aim for Tomahawk.   We never did find the old lighthouse (actually we believe we saw the sign, and kept going past it... big surprise).   He was such an anti-social crabass that day.... that we were 60 miles south of our need to head west before he finally stopped to check where we were.    We ended up in rain anyways, nothing big. But, we did just miss a Tornado that came through south of Merrill, when we got there.

Of course I'm happy to be riding- regardless, but to have anticipated so much, and see absolutely NOTHING.      : (       I know a few people are still quietly harping about it.

We joked about how we should just collect photos of all the darn gas stations we visited-- since that's what we saw the most of.   Unfortunately, it's the truth.     But, I suppose all's well that ends well !      We should've done it over 5 days, but even when having to haul ass to cover ground - as Cindy would say "If my butt is in on the bike, I'm smiling."    What a ridiculous tan I have on my face.    I feel like a circus clown. Racoon eyes, and bandana stripe across the forehead. But, I loved it !

Don't get me wrong, I certainly do NOT regret going, and I always enjoy the comraderie of socializing anyways! As a group/collective we learned alot, and can further 'hone' things for the future.    Manuevering through traffic and towns, a group has to function like a team, each position in the pack has its responsibility to the smooth, safe functioning of the group.

Travel times between points were underestimated, i.e. distances are horrible indicators-- particularly with novice riders, hills, curves and back-road towns. Vic had been saying for months that we need more than 4 hours to get to the ferry, and he turned out right.    We were so afraid to miss the boat, that we were flying nearly 80 mph along the Lake Michigan Scenic Road out of Sheyboygan to Manitowoc. Speed limit 35.

We have all conspired that in the future there will be a detailed, pre-determined & agreed to route plan-- rain contingencies (if any - built in). And a "ready to roll by" time established.   Oh well....

I did enjoy the time riding, putting more miles under my belt, and enjoying everyone's company.