Minnesota Mike's Ride Across America

Day 8, Friday, Sept. 12, Sagola,WI to Escanaba, MI, 64 miles Total miles 471

Sunshine and high temperatures in the mid 60’s makes for comfortable biking conditions. The rest of the country seems to be sweltering in record heat. I have also not had to deal with any smoke from the Canadian fires that made our air in Minnesota so smokey this summer.

Was awake a lot last night in my tent, tossing and turning. Noisy intersection with commercial trucks stopping and starting throughout the night.

Tent was saturated with dew moisture will have to dry it out tonight. Packed up and went across street to BP for a chocolate milk, was told there was a good bakery about six miles down the road. Unfortunately, I had to turn on CR69 before I got to bakery. So no breakfast, my snack bars will have to do. Thirty miles in, I came across a convenience store and grabbed a coffee and orange. Visited with Lindsay the store clerk for half an hour. She shared pictures of her daughter’s high school homecoming float. She said there is good food at the bar in La Blanche, 9 miles up the road. It did not disappoint, a good Philly sandwich with homemade chips

Nice riding day, light breeze and riding in shorts and short sleeves. About a two foot section of shoulder to ride on. Met another rider out for a training ride, just outside Escanaba, he said he has ridden 8,000 miles so far 2,000 of miles inside on a trainer. Crazy!

Grabbed a hotel room at Magnussen Inn and it has an Italian restaurant attached, spaghetti and meatballs tonight! All my camping stuff is spread out in room drying out. Met a nice couple from Iowa at bar during my dinner, her 65th birthday and yes I bought her a glass of wine to celebrate. They listened to my story and donated to BasketsFromJojo.com So nice!

Then the other gentleman on the other side of me told me he had The Widowmaker Heart Attack this past April! We exchanged our experience. So bizarre, people’s stories and things in common.

Day 9, Saturday, Sept. 13th, Escanaba, MI to Blaney Park, MI, 80 miles, Total miles 551

Day started out quiet and peaceful riding on the side streets of Escanaba and then on to Lake Shore Drive, with the Green Bay Gulf of Lake Michigan over my shoulder. The peaceful ride ended about ten miles in as I am now on Hwy 2. It is Saturday so luckily not many commercial trucks, mostly pickups, cars, motorcycles and rv/campers. Nice smooth shoulder about six feet wide with a rumble strip, so I am feeling safe. Another great weather day, thinking I will make some miles today. Not sure where I am going to spend the night but want to be in Mackinac Island tomorrow night.

Mostly flat roads, not the rolling hills like in Wisconsin. I got the train Engineer to blow his horn by pumping my arm! Made me reflect on the last time I was in Escanaba, MI.

Forty eight years ago, I was a 19 year old college student on summer break and my Dad who worked 40 some years at the Soo Line Railroad offices in downtown Mpls, got me a job in Upper Michigan with the railroad, on a ballast gang, lifting the tracks up and shoveling new rock as a bed for the rail line. Those timbers that did not come up we had to manually lift them and sludge hammer the spikes into the rail.

Stopped at about mile 36 for a breakfast lunch. Got to keep moving and figure out how far I can get and where to stay. Made it up to a strip motel with a restaurant next door. I will take it. A good 80 mile ride and out in the boonies near nothing else. It is nice that about every 15-20 miles or so an eating place or motel appears. Not as far spread out as was the case earlier in trip.

Getting close to Mackinac Island, want to spend Monday there, need to ride about 75 miles Sunday.