July 26, 2015
We woke up this morning to a steady rain...can't cut the grass today
Looking back
Just thinking about the trip and would we do anything different...
First of all, my riding partner was amazing. It wouldn't have been such an incredible trip without her.
Surprises, Pleasant ones and not so much
The weather, we were incredibly lucky, although the heat was tough at times, it was better than cold rain. Just a few hours of rain in 28 days was amazing.
No speeding tickets, a lot of luck there too
No mechanical breakdowns, just a leaky fork seal
We never really got lost
We stayed healthy
We always managed to find a decent place to stay
The best roads were the ones we weren't expecting
Not too many close calls
I think we saw more hay bales and hay fields than corn or wheat
The KTM drew lots of attention, from riders wanting to know how we liked it, to non riders trying to figure out what it was
Not happy with the Sena Headsets
KTM Oil heat sensor, gave false readings and would have to wait 3-4 minutes to start the bike
I guess not a surprise, but there are a lot of bad drivers out there
The Itinerary
Not having any deadlines or schedule or even a timeline was a really good thing. We could make any day longer or shorter, we could change any days plan mid-stream. Having that much flexibility was really important.
The Route
Since there was no real route plan, the only really smart thing we did was go north into Canada. This kept us in nice cool air and above the really nasty weather happening in the mid west. I have to think that it was a bit more scenic than Kansas! Going through the big National Parks in the summer was a mistake. We'd like to see more of them, but next time in September or May.
Navigation
Maps, GPS, Google Earth, and Google Maps were all important tools in planning each day's ride. The Butler Motorcycle maps were awesome, highlighting the best roads and categorizing them as to scenery, curves, road quality etc. The only problem is they only print them for a few states. My $40 refurbished Garmin Nuvi GPS worked fine once I figured out exactly how to set the way points so it would take us the way we wanted to go on the maps. I'm not sure a more expensive motorcycle specific GPS would have been any better, except the Nuvi is not waterproof.
The Bike
The KTM was a really good choice, of course the only other bikes I have to compare it to, were my 2 previous BMW's. The KTM's suspension and handling were excellent, the power was unbelievable, we were fully loaded, 2 up, and we could accelerate to pass at any speed in any gear. The wind screeen, although pretty small, worked well. In the 'up' position, it deflected the wind just over my helmet. In the 'low' position, you got wind in your face, nice on the hot days. The transmission was so much smoother than the beemer, and the gearing was way better. One problem with the bike is heat coming up from the motor, I added heat shields from Black Dog and had Sargent add insulation to the seat bottom and that helped considerably.
Tires. I choose the Metzler Karoo III, thinking we would do more dirt roads than we did. The tire was surprisingly good and pretty quiet on the pavement, worked well on dirt roads, but not so good in mud. We got about 8000 miles out of the front although it starting cupping pretty good at about 6k. We only got about 4k out of the rear. If I knew how much pavement we would end up doing, a street tire probably would have been the better choice. All in all, the Metzler worked well.
The only real complaint with the bike was the seat. The stock KTM seat is not very comfortable. At the time, there were no real better after market choices available. I had a Sargent seat on my BMW that was the most comfortable seat ever. So I contacted them and they were working on a seat for the KTM. I sent them my seat and they designed and built a new seat. It was better than the stock, but not nearly as comfortable as the seat on the BMW. We'll be looking for a better option.
Communication
I bought the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art headset system for the trip. A Sena SM 10. Having communication was really good, except this system failed repeatedly, and no real way to get it fixed on the road.
Cameras, Computers etc
I brought my Go-Pro and my big SLR. Besides the Go-Pro case self-destructing, the camera wasn't very practical. It does action video well, but scenery and stills, not very good. My big camera takes great photos, but a pain to use every day on the bike. Next time, a good quality small camera with some type of mount on the handlebars. My laptop was just too big, I'll need to break down and get a tablet kind of thing. DeeDee's little Samsung Galaxy worked perfectly.
Luggage
Our luggage system worked great. I went with the 8" Jesse Odyssey bags, they are strong and narrow, only 33 " total width on the bike. and hold an amazing 80 litres. On the tail I mounted a Jesse quick release double plate with a 14x19x7 Pelican Box. This held my laptop, extra maps, charging cords, DeeDee's hair stuff, 2 pair of hiking shoes and 2 pair of sandals. On top of the box we mounted a Cortech tail bag which popped on and off easily with 4 Fastek buckles. This was great for carrying extra gloves and anything we may need to get at during the day. We carried our rain gear and extra riding layers in 2 Wolfman dry bags mounted on top of the Jesse side boxes. These mounted easily with 4 straps that connect to the D loops on the Jeese boxes. The only problem was the neat little swivel carabiners that came with the Wolfman bags would't quite fit through the D loops, so we had to use a small piece of cord to connect the 2 which worked fine. I could never find a tank bag that I really liked that would fit the bike, so I settled for a Givi Enduro model. It worked ok, but I'll be looking for something better. I don't know why so many tank bag designers feel that something has to come off the bag to form a waist belt to walk around with. I've never seen anyone use it and I never have.
Clothing
Every trip I've ever taken, there are always clothing items that I never used. We brought hiking shoes and socks and shorts hoping to do some short hikes. That turned out to be just not possible. My riding jacket was too heavy, it was fine the last week up in Canada and ok mostly except for the really hot days. DeeDee had her Joe Rocket jacket with 2 removable liners that worked really well. We both had riding pants for cold or bad weather, DeeDee wore hers quite a bit, I never wore mine, but they still needed to be there. We wore our rain suits just once for a few hours, but that was due to just good luck with the weather.
Bottom Line
I think we did pretty well, next time we'll change a few things. We are definite happy to be home and to see friends and family, although everyone seems to think we are happy to be off the bike, not really. It becomes your way of life, part of you. All the cliches about 'freedom of the open road', the wind in your hair etc are pretty much true. Riding a motorcycle, you become part of the scenery, part of the road. You feel the weather, you smell everything and there's just nothing like leaning into a corner to see another corner and another. Not knowing what the next day will bring is exciting.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The Green, Green (and very long) Grass of Home
July 25, 2015
We depart Huletts Landing and ride East. We enter Vermont in about an hour and encounter some of the worse drivers we have seen. Straddling lanes, tossing cigarettes out the window and one woman crosses 2 lanes and nearly rams us. The only time on the trip we were passed repeatedly by cars, and we were travelling at 10 or more miles over the speed limit. The traffic on route 4 was dreadful. Once we crossed into New Hampshire we took some nice back roads, the roads were nice and scenic, but the road surfaces were the worst we had seen. We stop in Plymouth to visit our friends Steve and Michelle, grab a sandwich for the final 2 hours. The sky again is threatening, but we make it to Denmark at 4:30 and ahead of any rain. 6,077 miles in the 28 days since we left Rancho Santa Fe, 7,297 miles since we left Loreto.
The house is in one piece, but projects loom everywhere, for now we shower, sit and relax with a glass of wine. Tonight for the first time in 28 days we won't be scanning maps and tomorrow we won't be packing the bike and heading off exploring the unknown. Bittersweet.... But life is, indeed pretty good. and I'm starting to think about the next adventure
We depart Huletts Landing and ride East. We enter Vermont in about an hour and encounter some of the worse drivers we have seen. Straddling lanes, tossing cigarettes out the window and one woman crosses 2 lanes and nearly rams us. The only time on the trip we were passed repeatedly by cars, and we were travelling at 10 or more miles over the speed limit. The traffic on route 4 was dreadful. Once we crossed into New Hampshire we took some nice back roads, the roads were nice and scenic, but the road surfaces were the worst we had seen. We stop in Plymouth to visit our friends Steve and Michelle, grab a sandwich for the final 2 hours. The sky again is threatening, but we make it to Denmark at 4:30 and ahead of any rain. 6,077 miles in the 28 days since we left Rancho Santa Fe, 7,297 miles since we left Loreto.
The house is in one piece, but projects loom everywhere, for now we shower, sit and relax with a glass of wine. Tonight for the first time in 28 days we won't be scanning maps and tomorrow we won't be packing the bike and heading off exploring the unknown. Bittersweet.... But life is, indeed pretty good. and I'm starting to think about the next adventure
New York, New York
July 24, 2015
5867 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
7077 miles since Loreto
We have an awesome breakfast at the Captain Orchard Inn. We meet the only other couple staying at the Inn, Jerry and Becky from the Toronto area. They are traveling to Ottawa to visit their daughter. Jerry is into sports, so we talk hockey, and Bobby Orr. We agree, the best hockey player ever!
We head out on a nice road past well kept old homes overlooking the St Lawrence. We cross over into the States at Johnstown. The weather's cloudy and for the 5th day in a row, the temperature is a perfect 70. The road down into the Adirondacks is great, as it winds through the hill with scenic views. And finally we see mountains, it's been a while. The traffic is light until we get to Saranac Lake. Our journey slows to a crawl following lines of cars and logging trucks through Lake Placid to the Keene Valley. The traffic dissipates as quickly as it had appeared as we follow the winding road along the shore of Lake Champlain. Above us dark clouds are looming, afternoon showers are predicted. Our destination is cousin Cheryl's cottage at Huletts Landing on Lake George. Ten minutes to go and we are getting hit by a few raindrops. We make it to the house just as the sky opens up. Our good luck with the weather continues!
The rain doesn't last long and soon we are enjoying the views of the lake and mountains and a cold beer. The community here is small and tight, and soon friends and relatives are popping in to say 'Hello', as are the ducks! Cheryl tells us of plans to take down the old cottage to build a larger, more modern 'Vacation Home' to accommodate the growing families. She has mixed emotions as the cottage has a unique character and harbors lots of memories.
She cooks us up a fantastic meal of grilled shrimp and broccoli. After a bottle of wine, we wander down to the 'Casino", the local watering hole, referred to as 'The Hidden Bar' by 'non-Huletts Landing' Boat People. It's a fun little place with Foose ball and pool tables, looks kind of like a summer camp rec hall turned into a bar. There's a band setting up, we're told the music starts at 11:00!, and the bar closes at 4:00! Needless to say we never got to hear the band. This morning, Cheryl tells me she heard the 'Boat People' leaving at about 3:30.
If all goes well, this will be the last day of this part of our adventure. We are both a little anxious to get home and see friends and family.but not because we are weary from 27 days on the road. We could easily go for another month or so, but today we're "Heading down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England" Life is good
5867 miles since Rancho Santa Fe
7077 miles since Loreto
We have an awesome breakfast at the Captain Orchard Inn. We meet the only other couple staying at the Inn, Jerry and Becky from the Toronto area. They are traveling to Ottawa to visit their daughter. Jerry is into sports, so we talk hockey, and Bobby Orr. We agree, the best hockey player ever!
We head out on a nice road past well kept old homes overlooking the St Lawrence. We cross over into the States at Johnstown. The weather's cloudy and for the 5th day in a row, the temperature is a perfect 70. The road down into the Adirondacks is great, as it winds through the hill with scenic views. And finally we see mountains, it's been a while. The traffic is light until we get to Saranac Lake. Our journey slows to a crawl following lines of cars and logging trucks through Lake Placid to the Keene Valley. The traffic dissipates as quickly as it had appeared as we follow the winding road along the shore of Lake Champlain. Above us dark clouds are looming, afternoon showers are predicted. Our destination is cousin Cheryl's cottage at Huletts Landing on Lake George. Ten minutes to go and we are getting hit by a few raindrops. We make it to the house just as the sky opens up. Our good luck with the weather continues!
The rain doesn't last long and soon we are enjoying the views of the lake and mountains and a cold beer. The community here is small and tight, and soon friends and relatives are popping in to say 'Hello', as are the ducks! Cheryl tells us of plans to take down the old cottage to build a larger, more modern 'Vacation Home' to accommodate the growing families. She has mixed emotions as the cottage has a unique character and harbors lots of memories.
She cooks us up a fantastic meal of grilled shrimp and broccoli. After a bottle of wine, we wander down to the 'Casino", the local watering hole, referred to as 'The Hidden Bar' by 'non-Huletts Landing' Boat People. It's a fun little place with Foose ball and pool tables, looks kind of like a summer camp rec hall turned into a bar. There's a band setting up, we're told the music starts at 11:00!, and the bar closes at 4:00! Needless to say we never got to hear the band. This morning, Cheryl tells me she heard the 'Boat People' leaving at about 3:30.
If all goes well, this will be the last day of this part of our adventure. We are both a little anxious to get home and see friends and family.but not because we are weary from 27 days on the road. We could easily go for another month or so, but today we're "Heading down the turnpike for New England, sweet New England" Life is good
Friday, July 24, 2015
Oh Canada...
July 23, 2015
Being in Canada for the last 4 days, a few things I've noticed, and, of course, these could just be coincidence: Canadian drivers, (at least in Ontario) are not horrible drivers, but not great. They either drive really slow or really fast, and the slow ones don't pull over when in passing lanes.
Of all the places we've stayed the wi-fi has been noticeably better in Canada.
The TV choices seem a lot better with more educational choices.
The food in the midwest was pretty boring and lacked vegetables, Ontario hasn't been a whole lot better, the main cuisine seems to be fish and chips.
We have breakfast at The Dockside, where we ate last night. Brooke was our waitress last night and is here this morning. Last night the restaurant was packed and Brooke and one other girl handled the entire place keeping everyone served and happy, a hard task, since there are 16 tables and a bar! This morning Brooke takes care of breakfast by herself. I have Peameal and eggs, Peameal is what we call Canadian Bacon in the States, only much better. While waiting, we watch several boats go through the locks, looks like having a houseboat could be fun.
We have a really nice day riding, perfect weather and great roads that meander around the Kawatha Lakes and then small back roads through rural farmland. Speed limit still 50, but in talking with a few locals, they tell us the police don't really enforce it unless you're pushing it. And they say motorcycles never get stopped... So later in the day I'm doing 68 or so in a 50 and pass a cop parked on my side. He pulls out behind me, no lights, he follows me for a while a ways back, I'm keeping it at 65 (testing my new found information) still no lights, and he's gone, phew...
We end up at a nice little B&B, The King Orchard Inn, on the Saint Lawrence River in the town of Brockville. Brendan, the owner, offers us a glass of wine on the porch as he gives us a little history of the town and recommends a few pubs and restaurants. The Inn is perfect, clean and close to town.
We walk down to a nice park by the water and into town, actually a small city. This is the largest city we've stayed in. It is an old seaport with lots of old, well kept buildings, and lots of history. Large cargo ships pass close by. I think I'd like to spend more time all along the St. Lawrence... next time.
Being in Canada for the last 4 days, a few things I've noticed, and, of course, these could just be coincidence: Canadian drivers, (at least in Ontario) are not horrible drivers, but not great. They either drive really slow or really fast, and the slow ones don't pull over when in passing lanes.
Of all the places we've stayed the wi-fi has been noticeably better in Canada.
The TV choices seem a lot better with more educational choices.
The food in the midwest was pretty boring and lacked vegetables, Ontario hasn't been a whole lot better, the main cuisine seems to be fish and chips.
We have breakfast at The Dockside, where we ate last night. Brooke was our waitress last night and is here this morning. Last night the restaurant was packed and Brooke and one other girl handled the entire place keeping everyone served and happy, a hard task, since there are 16 tables and a bar! This morning Brooke takes care of breakfast by herself. I have Peameal and eggs, Peameal is what we call Canadian Bacon in the States, only much better. While waiting, we watch several boats go through the locks, looks like having a houseboat could be fun.
We have a really nice day riding, perfect weather and great roads that meander around the Kawatha Lakes and then small back roads through rural farmland. Speed limit still 50, but in talking with a few locals, they tell us the police don't really enforce it unless you're pushing it. And they say motorcycles never get stopped... So later in the day I'm doing 68 or so in a 50 and pass a cop parked on my side. He pulls out behind me, no lights, he follows me for a while a ways back, I'm keeping it at 65 (testing my new found information) still no lights, and he's gone, phew...
We end up at a nice little B&B, The King Orchard Inn, on the Saint Lawrence River in the town of Brockville. Brendan, the owner, offers us a glass of wine on the porch as he gives us a little history of the town and recommends a few pubs and restaurants. The Inn is perfect, clean and close to town.
We walk down to a nice park by the water and into town, actually a small city. This is the largest city we've stayed in. It is an old seaport with lots of old, well kept buildings, and lots of history. Large cargo ships pass close by. I think I'd like to spend more time all along the St. Lawrence... next time.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Karwatha Lakes
July 22, 2015
5459 Miles from Rancho Santa Fe
6269 Miles from Loreto
The little town of South Baymouth was neat. Really quiet last night, no bars, no traffic. Peaceful this morning, with just the gulls squawking. It seems odd, it looks like the ocean, but no tides and no salt air smell. It's impossible to imagine the vastness of the great lakes until you've seen them, truly incredible. We grab a coffee and bagel and sit on the dock awaiting the ferry. 3 other bikes and about 40 cars are also waiting. A few locals are fishing and a few boats leave the small marina. The air is chilly and clear and the water calm as the 385 Che-Cheemaun rounds the point heading into the narrow channel. The ferry passes within 30 feet or so of where we stand and then backs into the loading ramp, pretty impressive. Motorcycles board first, (and depart first). The trip across is pleasant and again it's hard to grasp the size of these lakes. We arrive at Tobermory, a nice little town and head east. The speed limit now is just 50, but the road is ok and passes through several Provincial Parks until the end of the peninsula. The traffic is the heaviest we've seen in a while. This keeps up for several hours as we follow the southern coast of Lake Huron. Finally at Wasaga Beach we head inland and leave most of the traffic behind. Our map of Ontario is not very detailed, so we just pick a place that maybe we can get to around 4 or 5 o'clock. We end up in the town of Fenelon Falls. Apparently, the "House Boat Capitol of Ontario" The town is quaint and small with 1 motel and several restaurants. Fenelon Falls is home to Lock 34 in a series of locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway and sits between Sturgeon and Cameron Lakes in the Karwathian Lake district. The lock is pretty big and all the locks on the waterway are still in use, The Alley Cat would even fit. We walk around town a bit and settle in at the bar at the Dockside restaurant. The town seems to be a popular tourist area, yet only 1 hotel, and it was pretty much empty.
5459 Miles from Rancho Santa Fe
6269 Miles from Loreto
The little town of South Baymouth was neat. Really quiet last night, no bars, no traffic. Peaceful this morning, with just the gulls squawking. It seems odd, it looks like the ocean, but no tides and no salt air smell. It's impossible to imagine the vastness of the great lakes until you've seen them, truly incredible. We grab a coffee and bagel and sit on the dock awaiting the ferry. 3 other bikes and about 40 cars are also waiting. A few locals are fishing and a few boats leave the small marina. The air is chilly and clear and the water calm as the 385 Che-Cheemaun rounds the point heading into the narrow channel. The ferry passes within 30 feet or so of where we stand and then backs into the loading ramp, pretty impressive. Motorcycles board first, (and depart first). The trip across is pleasant and again it's hard to grasp the size of these lakes. We arrive at Tobermory, a nice little town and head east. The speed limit now is just 50, but the road is ok and passes through several Provincial Parks until the end of the peninsula. The traffic is the heaviest we've seen in a while. This keeps up for several hours as we follow the southern coast of Lake Huron. Finally at Wasaga Beach we head inland and leave most of the traffic behind. Our map of Ontario is not very detailed, so we just pick a place that maybe we can get to around 4 or 5 o'clock. We end up in the town of Fenelon Falls. Apparently, the "House Boat Capitol of Ontario" The town is quaint and small with 1 motel and several restaurants. Fenelon Falls is home to Lock 34 in a series of locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway and sits between Sturgeon and Cameron Lakes in the Karwathian Lake district. The lock is pretty big and all the locks on the waterway are still in use, The Alley Cat would even fit. We walk around town a bit and settle in at the bar at the Dockside restaurant. The town seems to be a popular tourist area, yet only 1 hotel, and it was pretty much empty.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Huron is Superior to Michigan
July 21, 2015
300 or so miles today after a great breakfast at the Inn. That's one big plus for staying at B&B's and Inns, they always give you a really nice morning send-off. This morning was fresh fruit and OJ, homemade cinnamon bread French Toast with real maple syrup and thick slabs of bacon. The first 10 miles was a nice back country road and then a 50 mile stretch of 2 lane through the Hiawatha National Forest. Mostly flat and straight... and friggin 55 MPH speed limit. I kept it at 75 and pushed it to 90 on the long straights, and slowed it when I crested a hill, and luckily just in time as the Michigan State Cops had just pulled someone over as I slowed it down rapidly to 60.
We then crossed the bridge into Sault Ste Marie Canada. Not a very inspiring city, the same crap as in the states, except Dunkin Donuts is now Tim Hortons, and Burger King is Harvey's or something.
We stop at a Visitor Center and the girl tells me of Manitoulin Island. It sounds nice, so we crank for another 200 miles of ok road, fighting strong winds the entire time. More 55 MPH (90 KPH) and lots of cops, I continue to luck out when we pass them almost always coming upon slower vehicles when they pass, Luck of the Irish, I guess.
We get to the Island and a tiny little town at the tip, South Baymouth. Not much here, but we get a nice motel room with a deck overlooking Lake Huron. The Motel has been here since 1932, refurbished a few times, I think. Our room has the worlds smallest bathroom, but it has a king bed and is clean. It's still really windy and in the 60's.
Almost disaster, no beer or wine store in town, and the best restaurant in town doesn't have a liquor license. I ride back about 10 miles to a Canadian Liquor Store (not much selection) and get a couple of bottles of wine and we sit out on our deck overlooking Lake Huron and enjoy.
Life is pretty damn good.
Across the road is a ferry that goes to the mainland, what the heck, we book passage for 9:00 am tomorrow. Not much to offer for food, but fresh water "Fish and Chips" seems to be the thing.
We catch the "Island Fish and Chips" place just before they close (7:30) and get a huge order of local Whitefish and hand cut fries to go, wrapped in newspaper. We sit outside and chow down, have a little more wine. The sun is still pretty high in the sky at 9:00. My mission now is to get DeeDee up, packed and ready to go for the ferry....
300 or so miles today after a great breakfast at the Inn. That's one big plus for staying at B&B's and Inns, they always give you a really nice morning send-off. This morning was fresh fruit and OJ, homemade cinnamon bread French Toast with real maple syrup and thick slabs of bacon. The first 10 miles was a nice back country road and then a 50 mile stretch of 2 lane through the Hiawatha National Forest. Mostly flat and straight... and friggin 55 MPH speed limit. I kept it at 75 and pushed it to 90 on the long straights, and slowed it when I crested a hill, and luckily just in time as the Michigan State Cops had just pulled someone over as I slowed it down rapidly to 60.
We then crossed the bridge into Sault Ste Marie Canada. Not a very inspiring city, the same crap as in the states, except Dunkin Donuts is now Tim Hortons, and Burger King is Harvey's or something.
We stop at a Visitor Center and the girl tells me of Manitoulin Island. It sounds nice, so we crank for another 200 miles of ok road, fighting strong winds the entire time. More 55 MPH (90 KPH) and lots of cops, I continue to luck out when we pass them almost always coming upon slower vehicles when they pass, Luck of the Irish, I guess.
We get to the Island and a tiny little town at the tip, South Baymouth. Not much here, but we get a nice motel room with a deck overlooking Lake Huron. The Motel has been here since 1932, refurbished a few times, I think. Our room has the worlds smallest bathroom, but it has a king bed and is clean. It's still really windy and in the 60's.
Almost disaster, no beer or wine store in town, and the best restaurant in town doesn't have a liquor license. I ride back about 10 miles to a Canadian Liquor Store (not much selection) and get a couple of bottles of wine and we sit out on our deck overlooking Lake Huron and enjoy.
Life is pretty damn good.
Across the road is a ferry that goes to the mainland, what the heck, we book passage for 9:00 am tomorrow. Not much to offer for food, but fresh water "Fish and Chips" seems to be the thing.
We catch the "Island Fish and Chips" place just before they close (7:30) and get a huge order of local Whitefish and hand cut fries to go, wrapped in newspaper. We sit outside and chow down, have a little more wine. The sun is still pretty high in the sky at 9:00. My mission now is to get DeeDee up, packed and ready to go for the ferry....
The U.P.
July 20, 2015
Miles from Rancho Santa Fe 4900
Miles from Loreto 5,710
The Michigan Upper Peninsula
We leave our cozy little motel on the Eagle River and travel through some small towns on nice roads. The big Agro Farms are behind us, just small farms, lakes, rivers and trees. The 55 MPH speed limit is too much, the roads are pretty straight and no traffic. I'm doing 70-75, been lucky, so far.
After an hour or so, we cross into Michigan and the town of Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain looks like any mid sized city with it's strip malls and usual fare of fast food etc. I was hoping it would be more rural here, but guess not. Not so many bikers here, but Michigan bikers either wave normally or don't wave at all, which is fine by me.
The population thins as we head north through several nice National Forests with lots of green. Very similar to northern Maine.
We pass through the town of Manistique on the shores of Lake Michigan. A nice town that hasn't succumbed to Taco Bell, Wallmart and the rest.
The clouds are building and starting to look threatening, so we opt to try and find a place for the night. We happen on the Chamberlain Inn, a nice old Inn on the shores of Manistique Lake. The lake is big with whitecaps and the wind is howling. We sit out in the gazebo drinking a beer and munching on pistachios. Then I kick DeeDee's butt at "Corn Hole" the bean bag lawn game.
The Inn has a nice dining room and a pub. We settle in at the bar for wine and dinner. I have pan fried Bluegill. I used to catch them by the dozen when I was a kid, but never ate any. The plate arrived with 6 small fillets that were really tasty! We had a nice fresh salad and vegetables too,
Temperatures drop into the 50's, still windy but great for sleeping.
Miles from Rancho Santa Fe 4900
Miles from Loreto 5,710
The Michigan Upper Peninsula
We leave our cozy little motel on the Eagle River and travel through some small towns on nice roads. The big Agro Farms are behind us, just small farms, lakes, rivers and trees. The 55 MPH speed limit is too much, the roads are pretty straight and no traffic. I'm doing 70-75, been lucky, so far.
After an hour or so, we cross into Michigan and the town of Iron Mountain. Iron Mountain looks like any mid sized city with it's strip malls and usual fare of fast food etc. I was hoping it would be more rural here, but guess not. Not so many bikers here, but Michigan bikers either wave normally or don't wave at all, which is fine by me.
We pass through the town of Manistique on the shores of Lake Michigan. A nice town that hasn't succumbed to Taco Bell, Wallmart and the rest.
The clouds are building and starting to look threatening, so we opt to try and find a place for the night. We happen on the Chamberlain Inn, a nice old Inn on the shores of Manistique Lake. The lake is big with whitecaps and the wind is howling. We sit out in the gazebo drinking a beer and munching on pistachios. Then I kick DeeDee's butt at "Corn Hole" the bean bag lawn game.
The Inn has a nice dining room and a pub. We settle in at the bar for wine and dinner. I have pan fried Bluegill. I used to catch them by the dozen when I was a kid, but never ate any. The plate arrived with 6 small fillets that were really tasty! We had a nice fresh salad and vegetables too,
Temperatures drop into the 50's, still windy but great for sleeping.
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