Epic Riding in Northern Michigan

Ready to ride

July 27th

Tim and I went for a quick 60 mile ride in the U.P. It was like a time trial in that we did not stop once for a stop light. There are NO stoplights in the entire Mackinac County where I grew up. The roads are flats and smooth with a few rollers a little traffic. This made riding really fun. We might have riden across the whole U.P. if Tim hadn't been distracted by the tractor....Just kidding.

July 28th

Tim and I drove across the 5 mile Mackinac bridge because it's forbidden to ride bike. We parked in Mackinac city. We had plans to ride along the lake all the way to Petoskey and get lunch at the Roast and Toast. Petoskey is the town I lived in post college before I became a travel nurse. It's on Little Traverse Bay and the biking is fatastic there except when it snows. These roads are really cool as they are curvy with rolling hills and go along bluffs above Lake Michigan. On this route, Shore Drive, there are no stop lights. The road is known as the tunnel of trees. In the fall the leaves change color and in the spring the road is lined with trilliums. I like it because of it's beauty, it's few cars, and it's curvy rolling hills which remind me of skiing. It's a good place to work on the craft of energy transfer;) There are no stops signs you can't roll through. Without too much effort you can really get some speed going. Around mile 25 we passed a couple roadies in team Bissel get up who gladly glommed on to our rear wheels. This was fun but I think it inspired Tim to really start hammering. He denies he was going very hard but despite that my legs were burning. "I'm in pain becuase of you" My legs were sort of screaming , begging for just 10 second of rest. Everytime I glanced back the roadies were right on me. Here's to a small world.... I actually knew the couple. I had their kids in ski school years ago. I figured if they could hang I would too. They followed us for the next 20 miles. Never once pulling but thanked us for the pull when they turned off. A few miles later Tim came to a crawl (sorry baby doll ...I can not tell a lie) He looked a bit green and said I feel awful. Last weeks virus had become this weeks sinus infection. Tim had a major cheek ache. Tim asked if I brought any ibuprophen.....Nope. It's not a practice of ours to dope with Ibuprophen while training for a whole slew of reasons. "I don't think I can make it." He said looking more green. We were only about 5 miles from Harbor Springs at this time I offered to go back and get the car but that would take forever. The other option was to descend into Harbor Springs buy some Ibuprophen and take a break while the ibuprophen kicked in. Tim pronounced he was Roasted and Toasted so we aborted the additional 10 miles it would take each way to get into Petoskey. Instead of lunch at the Roast and Toast, we bought sandwhiches from the popular local deli Gurney's and took them to the marina. We enjoyed our lunch and then soft pedaled threw a few of Harbor's quaint summer communities.....things don't change in Harbor Springs ever. I'm glad of that. I like it that way. The ibuprophen kicked in a we headed back to Mackinac City. This time a little slower....the scenery is better under 20 mph.

Team Astana.....aren't they doper????

Tim stated those pills were antibiotics.

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Ready to play tour guide

Classic Harbor Springs home. A pleasant view.
Think the Bob Seger song about being 1/2 hour out of Mackinac City.

That is where is am. No need to get out of aero.
Me with a mouth full of a delicous Gurney's sandwich. Gurney's is famous for good deli sandwhiches.... you can have anything on them except tomatoes. That's just the way it is. Roasted and Toasted Tim Molasses cookies......the riders secret formula