Day 38 Hastings MI to Mendon MI

Stats: mileage: 63; total climb 2065 ft; total mileage: 1740

Today was a rather strange day. We started out bright and early as usual, but in order to get to where we wanted to be, we had to go west! We are accustomed to starting the day with the sun in our face but today we could see our shadow in front of us.
Along the way we me met a group from the Cal Bike Club. We asked if they would like to carry our bags as a training exercise. There was a resounding and unanimous, "NO!!!" Oh well, it was worth the try.
We continued on our trip. While we were taking a break, Jerry, who recommended taking the Paul Henry trail, stopped and checked up on us. Farmland and rolling hills kept us company all day. We stopped for lunch in Scotts. Apparently I am not the only last minute person in the world.
Even with the fuel provided by lunch, the headwind and some of the road conditions started making the 63 miles seem very long.
We continued along the different back roads of St Joseph County,Michigan to the community of Mendon where we were staying. the Mendon Inn is a very old stagecoach stop. It is full of all sorts of memorabilia. The spiral staircase was very impressive.
After a buffet of various courses and food that were prepared by the chef/owner of the Mendon Inn, we called it a night.

Day 37 Grand Rapids MI to Hasting MI

Stats: mileage: 40; total climb: 1103; total mileage 1674

As we said good bye to our Warmshowers host Karen, she reminded us to be sure an turn left at the end of her street. Just around the corner was Van's Bakery a fifth-generation goody factory. Paul is not smiling because he already has a mouth full of sticky buns. Most excellent but not 3 Sisters. After we enjoyed our coffee et al, the owner gave a small loaf of bread to have with lunch. The morning was one treat after the other.
Although the bakery opened early, the bike shop did not. Paul was skunked again. So he downed his GU and we were on our way again.
The rest of the day was spent riding along the Thornapple River which eventually flows into the Grand River. The terrain rolled long and there was very little traffic.
When we reached Middleville, we had lunch sitting on this bench watching the water flow by. There was a Farmer's Market going on behind us so we enjoyed some fresh Michigan blueberries. The path is the beginning of the Paul Henry Trail.
Of course, we refigured our route so that we could enjoy the traffic free shade. Though it is not a long trail, it was a worthwhile choice.

As we completed our ride for the day, this sight greeted us just outside of Hastings. Of course, we stopped and Paul clicked away. Who would have thought that this scene would appear again?

Day 36 Waukesha WI to Grand Rapids MI

At 5:15 AM we were at the Port of Milwaukee ready to board the Lake Express. The ferry crossed 80 miles of Lake Michigan in 2 1/2 hours.
After Paul secured the tandem among the cars and motorcycles, he went out on the upper deck to catch the sun rise. It was a smooth ride from Wisconsin to Michigan. We are now in our 8th state and finally back in our own time zone.
After a great breakfast at Mike's (no relation to our Mike, but a good meal nonetheless), we left Muskegon and headed to the Musketawa Trail.
This trail was 24 miles of paved enjoyment. There were no cars and plenty of shade.
Along the trail in Conklin, we met our Warmshowers host, Karen and rode to the end of the trail. Then she took us on a whirlwind tour of the Grand Rapids area.
Because she has been reading the blog, this was our first stop. Of course I enjoyed it very much. I even got some fabric with tandems printed on it.
Then we rode around the city and saw Gerald Ford's final resting place, the Grand River, various colleges, the historical district and even pedaled on a brick road. In spite of it's size and population (Michigan's second largest city) it is a nice little feeling city. This was a great way to start our tour after the rest days.
Stats: mileage: 47; total climb: 838 ft; total mileage: 1635

Day 35 Still in Waukesha

Stats: The same place for the second day !!!!!!!
It was odd and wonderful sleeping in the same place two nights in a row! And it is great to be surrounded by family.
Today's theme for the morning was divide and have fun. Paul took the cousins to Ottawa Lake for a swim since it is hot and humid here in Wisconsin. A great time was had by all according to Norah.
Annmarie, Elizabeth, Juliet and I headed to the Milwaukee Art Museum for a special exhibition. It was fascinating. We also strolled along Lake Michigan and took a tour of Lake Ave.
In addition to all the other things to do, feeding Uncle Michael's fish is too much fun. And the fish are happy too! Tomorrow it is back on the road again. Hard to believe that in a little more than three weeks, we will be at the end of our journey!

Day 34 All Day in Waukesha WI

Stats: Just stayed put.
Paul did manage to get the bike all cleaned up. Neither heat nor mosquitoes deterred him.
The girls and I all headed to Pamela's for quilt fix. Even Juliet had a good time.
Then Beeps and Norah were able to head out to the playground for fun and chocolate milk.
Annmarie and Michael hosted a dinner of friends and family including my cousin Connie and her husband Bill.

Day 33 Madison WI to Waukesha WI

Stats: mileage: 47; total climb: 680; total mileage 1590

Early morning urban riding in Madison is delightful Madison is a very biker friendly city. Some streets are closed to vehicular traffic, many streets have dedicated bike lanes and there are bike paths throughout the city. We left my niece Sarah's and headed for the state capitol at the end of State St. Our first stop was a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe.
Then we were off along the Capitol City Path which is a wonderful way to circumnavigate the city of Madison. It goes through business areas, residential sections and along the way there are beautiful gardens of perennials, native plants and annuals.
And of course, there is always some art to enjoy.
We left the Madison city limits and headed for Cottage Grove and the beginning of the Glacial Drumlin Bike Trail. Today was Paul's lucky day.
Before we got on the trail we stopped for a goody. This sticky bun was yummy and certainly hit the spot, but not top of the list worthy. Then it was onto our fourth railtrail in Wisconsin.
The trail began and it was a great way to spend the day. It is well maintained with its surface of finely crushed limestone. There was some beautiful scenery, lots of shade, and an interesting way to make the trip across a bridge easier for bicyclists. The rubber strip did make for a smoother ride.
My sister Annmarie came and picked us up at the trailhead in Sullivan, a short distance from her home. Paul thought that he was headed for two days of cleaning the bike and serious R&R. Boy was he SURPRISED!!!!
After dinner Paul was able to celebrate a belated birthday and some help blowing out his candles. Another perfect day.

Day 31 Sauk City WI to Madison WI

Stats: mileage 35; total climb 1225; total mileage 1542

Sauk City is located on the Wisconsin River. Since the dew point and temperature were so perfectly aligned, incredible fog occurred. Paul discovered this on his early morning ride. I was lucky enough to sleep right through it.
Most of our ride to Madison was on a bike trail along Rte 12. It was another rolling hill day and the the variety of barns kept our interest.
But this was the most humorous item that we spied among the cornstalks.
We arrived in Madison and spent the afternoon riding around on various bike paths and roads. We saw a good chunk of Middleton and Madison and a great deal of the University of Wisconsin. A wonderful dinner with Sarah and Pete was followed by a walking tour of downtown. And then we went down to the edge of Lake Mendota and watched the evening sky. It was the perfect ending to another great day on the road.