Wednesday, July 13
After breakfast I went for a 13 mile bike road, most of which was on US Route. 2 (the same US2 that goes through Jefferson, Lancaster, St. J, etc). Route 2 hugs the Lake Michigan shoreline, so for most of that ride I was staring at turquoise waves and empty beaches. Route 2 is the main east/west road across the UP, so there is a lot of traffic on it, including logging trucks, but the shoulders are very wide and well paved, so I felt safe.
After my ride I took a quick dip in the lake (our campground doesn't have showers) and then we went for a ride through the dirt roads in the National Forest, looking for wildlife. Didn't see any, but at one point our path was blocked by a logging truck that was loading and it wasn't about to move, so we retraced our path back to the campground, stopping at a great general store, Gustafson's, to buy some food for lunch. Carl and Wendy bought some smoked lake trout which they loved, I thought it was OK, and Joni passed all together.
After lunch we went to the beach which was very close by. The waves were big enough for some body surfing, the water wasn't salty, and we didn't have to worry about moving our stuff when the tide comes it. This really was a spectacular spot and I don't know why it wasn't more crowded.
For dinner we ate at the Gangplank in St. Ignace. It overlooked the harbor and the food was very good. One of our better dinners. We closed our last night in the UP with a campfire, and were serenaded by frogs and loons. This was a great campsite.
Thursday, July 14
Today's Bastile Day, so vive la France!
The morning sunrise bounced right off the lake, created two bright beams of light to wake us every morning. What a treat.
It is also moving day for us, so after a leisurely breakfast of Cherios and coffe, we packed up and were on the road by 8:45 AM.
Joni drove the Eurovan over the Mackinac Bridge as I sat in the back with all the shades drawn and my headphones at full volume. They say the view from the bridge is incredible, but I'll never know. The 147 mile drive to our campground near Traverse City went quickly. This part of Michigan is much more populated, hilly, and green compared to the UP. There are farm stands everywhere selling cherries, raspberries, & strawberries. I can't wait for tomorrow's breakfast.
We stopped at a charming general store in Horton Bay where Hemingway use to hangout. One whole wall was filled with photos of Papa. We had coffee and cinnamon roles there, sitting at the counter which was right out of the 1920's. The place reminded us of the general store in Warren Vermont, although not as crowded.
We arrived at our new campground around 2 pm, and set up our gear. Unfortunately both our sites are very sloped, so it took a while to decide how to position everything. This campground, Interlochen State Campground, is adjacent to Michigan's answer to Tanglewood, so perhaps tonight we'll get to hear some music for free!
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