ROUTE: Birch Run to Port Huron, MI
DISTANCE: 87 miles
WINDS: Southwest at 5 to 10 mph
WEATHER: Beautiful sunny, clear, in the low 60s/70s (cowabunga baby!)
TERRAIN: Mostly flat but gently rolling east end
TOTAL CLIMBING: 1,340 feet
RIDE OVERVIEW: Onward ho! We waited until first light, which comes an hour later than we're used to, and then after breakfast at either the motel or a place called The Exit--or both--riders and staff were off. I was riding Sweep today and swept out of The Exit parking lot behind Bob, Larry, and Byron, the last riders to leave the restaurant. I stuck to them like a burr to fur until the first SS, which Barb had set up at an Artesian well at mile 26. The area around the well had been newly paved, a welcome upgrade. Last year it had rained or was raining on this day and the area was muddy and potholed. Riders filled their water bottles from the well and enjoyed its cool, clean taste for the next leg of the ride.
We rode some very country country roads, once again lined with blue chicory and lacy white Queen Anne's lace. The farms in this area were for the most part large and old--some with early 1800s dates on them, their farmhouses made of stone or brick, and set quite a distance from the roadside. In fact all houses were set well back with large mowed lawns stretching to the road. On one stretch we again encountered many downed trees and limbs from a wind storm that must have passed through sometime shortly before us. On another stretch, I was trying to puzzle out the odd scratches and nicks in a newly laid section of blacktop, After skirting several piles of manure, I finally put 2 and 2 together and came up with Amish horse-drawn buggies. The marks on the road were from the horses' hooves.
Karen set up SS#2 in a city park in Yale, MI, at mile 62. Several days ago, Don gave us some large gumdrops for the SS, and yesterday I finally managed to remember to put them in the SS cache . . . so riders enjoyed them at this SS. Thank you Don from all.
I left this SS with Val, Jill W., Larry, and Byron and headed for a recommended local restaurant for lunch. Byron was intent on getting some famous Yale bologna. This little town was getting ready for its annual Bologna Festival, which was to begin the next day. A small traveling carnival was setting up in the SS Park, and banners announced the festival at the town's entrance. Our waitress told us that the runners up for Master and Miss Bologna received the lesser titles of Master and Miss Hotdog (for real). We decided that Master and Miss Wienie was probably considered and then dropped. (Master Wienie would be an oxymoron anyway.) Even though Byron sweet talked the waitress and did his best to convince her to break out the bologna a day early, she would have none of it. Yes, the bologna had been delivered and was in the kitchen, but it wasn't cut. And, no we cannot cut it until tomorrow. The rest of us were less than sympathetic, as bologna is not our favorite food.
The others had sandwiches and soup and I had the senior special -- premasticated turkey. Just kidding. Had a real turkey and gravy lunch plate and could have had jello if I so desired as it was offered with all of the lunch specials. The meal met my lowest expectations but would have been high on the list of hospital fare. After lunch we navigated a 500 foot section of construction and then hit the road again to pedal away the last 25 miles to the Lake Huron.
The route was mostly flat today--only one "climb" of any size. It came as a surprise, too, because the road had run flat for so long and then suddenly we came upon the truck on a cheese. The road took and abrupt downhill and then a quick uphill after a bridge across a creek. I've learned that where there's water there's generally climbing. Lakes, rivers, and oceans were either created by glaciers that clawed the surrounding land into hills, or created by erosion that carved out bluffs and created hills, headlands, or capes. Even water towers, such as the friendly one above, may mean climbing because they are located on the highest point of land for gravity flow.
Port Huron is home of the state's oldest lighthouse and is actually part of the Detroit, Michigan metro area. It sponsors the Port Huron to Macinac Island sailboat race every summer. This is a big event in Michigan and competitors come from all over the world to participate. The bridge we will cross tomorrow into Canada is called Blue Water Bridge and it spans the Saint Clair River, carrying international traffic between Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The bridge is a cantilever design 6,392 feet long and 210 feet above the river. Lake Huron was the boyhood home of Thomas Edison, and last year when I got here, I took a photo (left) of the bridge behind a statue of Edison. Traffic was at a standstill on both spans, but the bridge is so high that you cannot see the traffic from such a close angle.
Everyone was in by 3 today, but many of these would have been in by 1 had they not stopped to picnic on the beach or to tour the enormous and beautiful lakeside homes in Port Huron, or to go to "da bridge" as I did for a look-see and photo shoot. Speaking of lakeside, we were on Lakeshore Drive for a piece today, and I saw also Lakeshore Road, Lakeside Road, Lake Edge Street, Beach Street, and Lake Street. Gee, enuff already!
Tonight we ate dinner at the Old Country Buffet. Barb and I shuttled riders and staff in the two vans and then topped off the vans with gas so that we could avoid converting dollars to loonies and toonies over the next two days. After dinner everyone had time to get themselves together for crossing into Canada tomorrow--which meant locating their passports, birth certificates, or photo IDs and making sure that their ABB North 2005 jerseys were clean . . . this latter because Mike has declared tomorrow "Jersey Day" so that he can get some good pix for the website, the ABB brochure, and the end-of-ride CD-ROM. Tune in tomorrow for the great bridge adventure.
HEARD ON THE ROAD:
- "That lunch met my lowest expectations."
- Dianne: "We have only 25 more miles to go."Philosopher John: "Don't be negative."
- "I've been bicycling for awhile. Used to pedal to school in bare feet during blizzards after chopping wood and milking 35 cows."
- "I think I have 'shaken cyclist syndrome' after that last section of road."
- "Byron, you're full of bologna . . . or wish you were."
PHOTOS OF THE DAY:
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| Albert, Murray, and Don riding past corn and sugar beet fields. |
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| Sag Stop #2 in a park in a Yale city park. |
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| Don and Duane have a swinging time at SS#2 |
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| The "Butt Model's" butt is about to touch down. Murray and Mike declared that Paul could not get off the merry-go-round until he upchucked. Paul proved that you don't need Dramamine to keep it all down. |
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| Jim takeS a turn pulling for Team Life is Good. This was a day for pacelines and sociability on the road. |
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| Mike & Karen McG pass a field full of black-and-white bovines. |
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