Ashland Wisconsin

August 20, 2013

I slept reasonably well in the tent and as usual, packing up the gear was no fun. It went well enough I suppose. I did chat with my neighbor a bit before departing. He offered me a cup of coffee and I graciously accepted. While sipping the Joe, he commenced to telling stories about his travels. I do enjoy travel tales, but I needed to go as daylight was a burning, so we bid farewell. I was off.

Once again, the weather was just about perfect and the ride was most enjoyable. It wasn’t long before I was in Mackinaw City, which I suppose is the upper-most point of the lower peninsula and where the Mackinac Bridge connects to the upper peninsula of Michigan. One of my goals of this trip was to cross the Mackinac Bridge and it wasn’t long before I was in the inner lane in the middle of the bridge. Interestingly, the inner lane of the bridge is metal grating and provides a flying type of experience on a motorcycle. Not only is the traction a little squirrelly on the bike, looking down one can see the water almost 200 feet below. Woo hoo!

The Mackinac bridge, or big Mac as the locals call it, is probably the most amazing structure that hardly anyone has ever heard of. It is the longest shore-to-shore suspension bridge in the western hemisphere and an amazing feat of engineering. It compares favorably to the Golden Gate in magnitude and stature and a grand testament to man’s ingenuity and determination. I’m happy that I was able to see the beast up close and personal.

The weather was very good for viewing the Mackinac, but unfortunately there weren’t that many vantage points from which to photograph on the UP. Not knowing this, I didn’t stop at the better sites on the LP thus explaining my lack of a decent photo. I was fortunate enough to get a shot of me and my motorcycle with the bridge in the background. While checking my GPS, a fellow motorcycle enthusiast stopped and offered to snap a few. This is the best one.

Mac and Me

On past Mackinaw City and into the UP on S-2, the landscape took on a more primitive and remote appearance. It was quite lovely and serene plodding along on a straight two-lane road for miles on end in the wilderness. I was surprised at the lack of cars as well. At times, I felt as though I was the only person around for miles and miles. This was the bulk of the riding for the day. Very nice…

Wilderness

I was surprised at the lake Michigan beaches. They looked very similar to the gulf coast beaches.

Lake Michigan Beach

About the middle of the UP, I cut over from S-2 on the the lake Michigan side to the Superior side via S-77 to S-28. On the Superior side, the ride was also very good. After a long stretch of straight roads through the woods, I rolled into Munising, Mi. What a beautiful little town. It sits right on South Bay and is shielded from Lake Superior by Grand Island. I was rather tired at this point from all my riding, so I decided to stop at the first rest area I could find. It must have been my lucky day, because the scenic overlook I stopped at was perfect for refreshments and had a splendid view. As a bonus, I was alone for most of my time there. Toward the end, a couple arrived on a motorcycle and we struck up a conversation that lasted a long time. They were an old married couple from Michigan and we became fast friends. They even invited me to visit any time at their home. Now that's hospitality.

Sweet Rest Stop!

Back on the road again, it's getting dark...

Wisconsin Sunset

As the sun kept getting lower and lower relative to the distance I wanted to go, it became obvious that my goal of Duluth was out of the question. Upon arriving in Ashland, Wi in the dark, it was apparent that more miles would not be a good idea. I couldn’t keep my face shield clear of bugs and I was tired. Fortunately, I was able to find a hotel room in a typical mom-and-pop Indian establishment. It was clean enough and the ‘good’ hotels were full.

A long day of riding comes to an end. Distance traveled equals 495 miles.