Minnesota Mike's Ride Across America

Day 15, Friday, Sept. 19th, Bay City, MI to Yale, MI, 79 miles, Total miles 900

Not a fun day, some days with weather, road conditions, scenery, wind direction, etc. are better than others this day kinda sucked. Day started with wind coming out of the East and of course the direction I was going. No woods to cut the wind, long straight flat roads and getting more into farm country. I am 30 miles in to ride and at a trailhead, for the next 6 miles will be on hard crushed limestone into Otter Lake. A nice break. I met another older couple when I stopped to eat my orange, they have a place in Eagan, MN too and told me about a place at end of trail that has some good food. They offer me part of their Cinnabon, of course I willing accept the offer! Tough ride into the wind, but I struggled thru 80 miles. Got a motel in town and Bonnie offers bikers a reduced rate of $60. I’ll take it! A&W is hopping on a Friday night, the place is packed with families, fun to see..

Day 16, Saturday, Sept. 20th, Yale, MI to Canada, Wallaceburg, Ontario. 66 miles, Total miles 966

Left Yale and biked to Avoca, about 10 miles away to stop in a busy small town cafe. Got on a biking trail into Wadhams, 13 miles of quiet out of the wind riding under a canopy of shaded trees.

Biked down to Algonac on and off the bike trail that proved to be too bumpy, my rear panniers were jumping up and down. Got on a short ten minute ferry ride to cross the river to enter Canada.

It was a fun biking day! A good wind but it was a cross wind not straight on like yesterday.

Got to my hotel in Wallaceburg and was met in the parking lot by a couple guys in a truck that were avid bikers and had seen me riding into town. He yelled to me ‘shouldn’t you be camping.’ Haha! Told him I was spoiling myself. He wanted to hear my story, what bike I was riding? Where did I start, where am I going? How many miles a day? Etc.. Then Mike pulls up, another avid cyclist that had seen me riding thru town. He is also a warm shower host, that invites cyclists to stay at their house. He said he would have me stay, but his wife just had her first chemo treatment for breast cancer. I told him my story and my cause for my ride. Basketsfromjojo.com

Mike gives me a good tip on a place a microbrewery that also has good food. I like these Canadian friendly folks!