Minnesota Mike's Ride Across America

Day 11, Ferry ride over to Mackinac Island, 5 miles around island

Wow! Mackinac Island is a beautiful place and what a cool vibe with no vehicles allowed on island and everything being transported by bike and horses pulling carts, wagon and buggies.

Took the ferry over to island at 10:30am to spend the day exploring the island. Ferry took an indirect route by giving us a tour of the Mackinac Bridge and going underneath it before heading back in route of the island.

Got off the ferry and grabbed my bike for a 5 mile ride exploring the island. Felt like I was back in the year 1895.

After getting lunch and ice cream cone got back on Ferry and took it to the other side of bay to lower Michigan, Mackinaw City, to begin riding south down Michigan to Bay City a couple days ride, then will cross over into Canada.

Day 12, Tuesday, Sept. 16th, Mackinaw City to Clearwater State Park 10 miles south of Atlanta, MI miles 67 Total miles 696

What a nice day to ride, clear skies and calm winds, high temps 70. Packed up and rode without breakfast, will stop at McDonald’s for an egg McMuffin in Cheboygen about 16 miles away. I can take the North Central State Trail all the way in. A hard crushed limestone surface right alongside Hwy 23. So glad I was on this about a mile in, a road crew had the highway all torn up. Only saw one other couple on it and one deer the whole way in to Cheboygen

Stopped at a couple gas station/convenience stores, for lunch and afternoon ice cream sandwich. While eating my turkey sandwich a local told me there was a nice State Park about 16 miles up the road. A little bit short of the distance I wanted to cover today, but what the heck. Good to set up tent early and get a shower.

Ride on Hwy 33 is uneventful, mostly green small evergreen trees. No fall colors. Set up camp and had my left over pizza from last night, an orange and some pringles.

Day 13, Wednesday, Sept 17th, Clear Lake State Park to just beyond Alger, MI the Oasis Lake Campground. 82 miles, Total miles 778

Slept good in my tent last night, not many campers here so was a quiet night.

I admit it, I am a messy camper!

Another great weather day, sunny skies. Broke camp and was all packed up and on the road before 8 am. Rode 10 miles into Atlanta and found a cafe for a good breakfast. Was fun talking to the locals. Road another 35 miles to Mio and stopped at the slowest McDonalds ever. Finally got my meal but wrong order, a couple snack wraps, where’s my quarter-pounder? Hey all good I get to keep them and will have for dinner tonight as I will probably be camping again.

Not sure where I will end up. 45 miles and I am in Atlanta and a nice day, but have gotten back into rolling hills! But, like I always say ‘what goes up must come down.’ Uphills are not bad, it gets quiet and I concentrate on my breathing and then get rewarded with a fast cool downhill.

Found a campground just past Alger, MI – Oasis Lake Park, it wasn’t open at the gate but went thru, nobody else camping. Bathroom was open and has a shower, jackpot! Great tent spot on the lake. Having my snack wraps for dinner😀.

Day 14, Thursday, Sept. 18th, Oasis Campground ( Alger, MI) to Bay City, MI. 43 Miles and a flat tire Total miles 821

Slept good. The train that came thru right next to campground only woke me up twice with the horns blowing! Rode 10 miles to Standish and had a good scrambled egg breakfast and treated myself to a chocolate peanut butter long John. Hey, I need the calories, but I am stuffed. M 33 started with no shoulder and first time I almost bit it, when my front tire veered off into the soft sand. Then road turned nice for a few miles with new asphalt and 10 foot shoulder, I like it.

Off to Bay City, well not so fast! My ride felt a little squishy, my back tire is losing air. I am a couple miles from Bay City, up ahead is a McDonalds. I limped in. Yup, it’s going flat. A quick check of the tire and I see a staple. Dang it! Went in to McDonalds and cooled off in the a/c and hydrated with water, a coke and treated myself to a malt. Now time to tackle this. Take everything off of bike and install a new tube.

I could only get about 10 pounds of air in to the new tube with my small hand pump. I need an air tire converter to use a car air pump. I research and find out there is a bike shop open about 3 miles in Bay City, I will limp in on my low tire. But, bridge is out so need to take a 2 mile detour to cross the river in to town. Oh well, get there before they close and get the proper 60 pounds of pressure in tire and the air converter deally bob.

Treating myself to hotel, Comfort Inn, and jumped in the pool and they have a laundry room. Sweet! My clothes need a washing!! Get to hotel just before the rains came.