Saturday July 30th - Day 6 - The Ride Home

NOTE: Click on any highlighted items below for more information


We had bid Sally adieu last night after dinner, but Joe was stopping by the motel this morning to drop off some maps and info before we left.  Prior to his arrival, we got the bikes loaded and had a cup of coffee.


We said good-bye to our friend and personal tour guide before heading to the office to check out.  By 10:00 a.m. we were on our way south.  Our route home took us through the rural, farming towns of Hillman, Hawks, Mio and Rose City before picking up Interstate 75 about 10 miles north of where we left it on our ride up to Rogers City five days ago.


A ten mile stretch of construction on I-75 added about 45 minutes in the blazing sun, but when we got moving again, it was all good.

Seventy five miles further down the interstate, we exited toward the town of Frankenmuth.  Michigan's "Little Bavaria", it was schnitzel from end to end.  At the far end of town was Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  Several football fields long, I was sure it contained millions of Christmas decorations.  More than you could ever want in holiday cheer:  Ornaments, garland, lights, Santas, sleighs, trees and more.  Everything from the exquisitely beautiful, to the downright tacky.  They even had a Hanukkah Christmas ornament!


After making a few small purchases, we rode over to the Bavarian Inn Restaurant for an early dinner.  Judy had the German sampler with pretzels and cheese dip, potato pancakes and ham and cabbage balls.  I went with their "famous" fried chicken served with potatoes and stuffing.  Both were excellent selections.  We were rather full afterward, but shared a mini slice of the Apple Almond Cheesecake.  OUTSTANDING!


On the road again, we first decided that we would ride until about 9:00 p.m. before looking for a hotel.  Then after calculating a bit more, we realized that riding until 9:00 would put us near Youngstown, Ohio, only about  two hours from home.  At that point we agreed to ride through to the finish.


As the sun set, it cooled off considerably and we stopped to put on jackets and gloves.  Nearing the end of the Ohio turnpike, we were greeted by not one, but two separate fireworks displays off to our right, about ten miles apart.


Shortly before midnight, we pulled into the garage.  Home again with memories to add to our collection.  We are truly blessed to be able to do what we do.


Again, I can not thank Sally and Joe Cercone enough for encouraging us to visit Northern Michigan and the U.P., and for being such wonderful hosts and tour guides.


If you haven't made plans to visit that area, you should!  Visit these sights for more information:
http://www.us23heritageroute.org/
http://www.rogerscity.com/
http://www.presqueislecounty.org/

Friday July 29th - Day 5

NOTE: Click on any highlighted items below for more information

After coffee and a bagel, we pulled out of the parking lot under a cloudless blue sky, headed over to get Sally and Joe for a ride that will take us over the Mackinac (pronounced: Mack-in aw) Bridge into Michigan's U.P.

Heading north on U.S. Highway 23, also know as the Huron Shores Heritage Route, we passed through Cheboygan (The one in Wisconsin is spelled with an "S") and onto Mackinac City where we would cross the bridge to the Upper Peninsula or U.P.  The unofficial dividing line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, the bridge opened in 1957.  The 5 mile long roadway rises almost 200 feet over the Straits of Mackinac and her towers, another 250 above the deck.

At the north end of the bridge we went through the town of St. Ignace (pronounced Ig-ness) on our way to Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced Soo Saint Marie and referred to as "the Soo)(Yeah, they talk funny up here).  There we went to the Soo Locks where we watched as a 1,000 foot iron ore freighter, belonging to U.S. Steel, was lowered 22 feet from Lake Superior to Lake Huron.

During lunch at a local restaurant in the Soo, Judy enjoyed what she called the "Best F*%$ing Chowder Ever" which was made with locally caught Whitefish.  I had to try a local traditional item, the Pastie (pronounced: pass-tee) which is sold in almost every restaurant and in many Pastie shops along the road.  It is a meat filled turnover served with brown gravy on the side.  It was o.k. but nothing to get excited about.

Leaving the Soo we traveled west and north as we rode around the edge of Whitefish Bay on our way to Whitefish Point.  During the ride, two Bald Eagles were spotted.  One nesting in a tree, the other soared within a few yards above our heads.

Bell from the Edmond Fitzgerald

Arriving at Whitefish Point, a former Coast Guard Rescue Station, it is now the home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.  Here, you will find the history of the ships that went down around this point over the centuries.  Artifacts from the wrecks, along with maps and stories, educate you on the perils of traveling the Lakes.  The most prized item in the collection is the ship's bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald.  The Fitzgerald was made famous by Gordon Lightfoot in his 1976 ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

After sticking a boot in Lake Superior, we left Whitefish Point and traversed to the southern side of the U.P.   We rode through dense forest until we reached the shores of Lake Michigan for a ride back to St. Ignace along the Lake Michigan Scenic Highway.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge brought us back to U.S. 23 for the remaining 60 miles to Rogers City.

This was 240 miles of sheer motorcycling bliss.  Tomorrow we head back to the 'Burgh.

Once again, We have to thank Sally and Joe Cercone for being the consummate hosts and tour guides.  Joe and I went to elementary and high school together at St. Joseph's in Mt.Oliver.  His college, work and love of a woman brought him to northern Michigan, where today, he is Executive Director of Presque Isle County's Economic and Tourism Development Commission.   It's nice having friends that can show you around the area they love.

If you haven't been to northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, you should go...SOON!  Check out the website developed by Joe and officials from other counties along the Huron Shores Heritage Route  http://www.us23heritageroute.org/.

Thursday July 28th - Day 4

No riding today but a very good day.

Joe and Sally picked us up in their car at our motel and we headed north to the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse.  Beside the lighthouse, there was the wheel house from the Steamship Calcite.  It had been beautifully restored to it's original state by the local volunteers.  The Calcite was, in it's day the largest limestone freighter on the Great Lakes.  It was owed and operated by US Steel, who operated the limestone quarry here in Rogers City.  The limestone, a critical ingredient in making steel, was then shipped to Conneaut, Ohio where it was loaded on trains and sent to the Mon-Valley steel facilities.

Soon we were headed further north to Mackinac City where we had a lunch of locally caught whitefish.  After lunch we boarded the catamaran ferry to take us over to Mackinac Island.  The island is a beautiful lush mound in the Straits of Mackinac, which joins Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

The Island was first settled by the British and then signed over the the United States after the Treaty of Ghent.  More than 80% of the island is a Michigan State Park.  The area that is populated is dominated by stately Victorian homes built in the 1800's.

The island allows no gasoline motorized vehicles. All transportation is by horseback, horse and buggy, horse drawn carriage, bicycle or walking. The only exceptions are Fire, EMS and electric mobility scooters . Even the police are only on foot, bike or horseback.  There are over 600 horses on the island during the summer and only 500 permanent, year round residents.

The locals call the tourists, "Fuggies" because one of the major attractions on the main street are the fudge making shops.  The big "Tourist Trap" is the Grand Hotel.  It boasts the world largest covered porch and is overly exclusive.  With room rates ranging from $300 to $1500 a night, they have the nerve to charge tourists $10 to come onto the property to look around.

Our first stop was at the butterfly display where hundreds of the colorful winged creatures were flitting around.  If you stood still, there was a very good chance that one or two would land on you somewhere.

A Victorian summer "Cottage"

Later, we opted to take a carriage tour that allowed us to see all of the exquisite homes, including the Governor's summer home, the modest homes of the locals and the dense forests covered with cedar, birch and oak trees.

After about six hours of walking, touring and shopping, we boarded the catamaran for the cruise back to the mainland.

Another terrific day in Northern Michigan.  I could get used to this place!

Wednesday July 27th - Day 3

The Old Presque Isle
Lighthouse

We met Joe this morning for breakfast then headed to his house to pick up his wife, Sally.  By 9:00 a.m. we were on our way to the old Presque Isle Lighthouse.  (Just a note for the Pennsylvanians out there:  There are several Presque Isles in the U.S.  In fact, there are several in Michigan.  The word Presque translates to "almost", so Presque Isle means Almost an Island.  Another note:  Here Isle is pronounced EEL.)

New Presque Isle Lighthouse

Any way, the old lighthouse was built in 1840 and operated for 30 years before the trees grew and blocked the light.  So, in 1870 the "NEW" lighthouse was built a little further north.
Our next destination was on the northwestern side of the state where we rode through Michigan's Tunnel Of Trees.  Almost 30 miles of narrow winding blacktop, Michigan Route 119 travels through birch, maple and oak trees that line both sides of the road.  The tops of the trees have grown together forming a leafy tunnel roof.  Through the trees on our left as we proceeded north, was Lake Michigan.

At the end of the tunnel there is a restaurant called Leggs.  Leggs specialty is Polish cuisine, but the decor is worth the trip.  Everything in the place is made from logs and driftwood.  Bar tops, benches, tables, doors, sculptures.  It was an amazing display of creative, artistic talent.

A more direct route back to Rogers City got us back to Joe & Sally's house with a total of about 225 miles clocked today.  A great day for a ride, the temperature was around 72 degrees and cloudy.  The predicted rain never appeared.  For once it was nice that the weather man got it wrong.

This evening Joe proved that being half Italian was a good thing when the half he got was the cooking side.  Pasta with sausage, pepper, onions with aglio et olio (garlic and oil).  Molto bene!  Grazie Mille!

Tuedsday, July 26 - Day 2

After a good night's sleep, we woke up around 9 O'clock to sunshine and blue skies.  As we loaded the gear back onto the bikes, I noticed that the lobby and parking lot was crawling with polo shirts and walking shorts.  More evidence that the PGA was in town.

We hit the road and within minutes we were heading up U.S. 23 in Michigan for Ann Arbor and then Flint.  All along the ride the sky was mostly a pale blue, dotted with cotton ball clouds.  Temperatures were in the upper 70's.  You couldn't have ordered a better day out of a catalog.

About an hour north of Flint, U.S. 23 turns east toward Lake Huron and then north again along the coast line.  For the next 150 miles, we went through little towns and villages filled with an endless variety of lake side homes.  Towns like Omer, which bills it self as "Michigan's Smallest City" and Au Gres.  Each occupied by residents living in everything from the simple bungalow to the sublime mansion.  But regardless of the owner's station in life, they all shared the same spectacular view of Huron.

In the town of  Tawas, we pulled into the town park on the lake shore.  Our first opportunity to stop and gaze at a lake we had never before seen.  We took a couple of photos and I decided I needed to touch the water.  I walked around the walkway railing and down the rocks to the water's edge.

As my boot hit the wet stone, I slipped into the water and was almost knee deep.  My "waterproof" boots filled with water and my phone went to the bottom.  The crystal clear water made it easy to find and grab, but only time would tell if it would ever work again.

I removed my wet socks and insoles, drained the boots as well as I could, put them back on tied loosely and rode the rest of the way "commando" footed.

View from our room

We checked into the Driftwood Motel about 5:30 and opened the door to the room and were greeted with a view of Lake Huron that could be on post cards for this town of Rogers City, Michigan.  I called my high school friend Joe, (yes, the phone works) who invited us to visit his current home town and we made plans to do some riding in the next few days.

After dinner at the Lighthouse restaurant, we headed back to the motel and took advantage of the hot tub.  A welcome comfort to the saddle sore butts.

We're meeting Joe for breakfast in the morning and who knows from there.

Monday July 25 - Day 1

Well the first day turned out to be a very interesting, and long day!

Up at 4:00 a.m. to put in a shift flippin' eggs at the diner then home by 11:30.  Torrential rains threatened to seriously delay our departure which we planned for about 12:30.  However, around 1:00 p.m. the rain stopped and the sun began to shine.  So we set the timers on the lights, locked the doors and we pulled out of the driveway around 2:00 p.m. 

We hit some rain at the PA Turnpike entrance in Cranberry that lasted about 3 miles, then again about 15 mile before the Ohio State line for about a mile.  After that, it was clear sailing...we thought!

I looked in my mirror and saw smoke coming from Judy's trike.  I pulled over and saw that there was oil all over the right side of the bike and the right side of Judy.  We were close to McMahan's Harley in Beaver Falls, but had already passed the exit.  I called and they said it could be the oil was over filled and blowing out the air cleaner.

We opted to go to Bike Town in Youngstown since it didn't require a turn-around and was just as far.

We got to the dealer, they gave a quick look and said the air cleaner was filled with oil and blowing out the bottom and spraying all over the bike, the hot engine and exhaust (hence the smoke) and Judy.  Suspected causes, over filled oil, or blocked breather tube.  I will NOT be changing the oil on the bikes again.

Around 7:00 p.m. we were presented with a bill for $40.00.  They cleaned the air cleaner, the breather tubes and verified the oil level AND washed the bike.  We wished we knew there was a washer and dryed in the shop...Judy's oil splattered clothes would have gone in.

So in FIVE hours we made about 75 miles.  Now that's moving!

After a quick stop at Wendy's, we were on the road again. 

Our plan was to make it to, at best, Flint, Michigan...at worst, Ann Arbor.  We were only able to add another 200 miles putting us in Toledo, about 100 miles short of our planned stop.  Finding a hotel was not as easy as we expected, thanks to the U.S. Senior Open Golf tournament being held here.  But, at 10:00 p.m. we checked into the Toledo Hilton and hit the shower then to sleep.

Tomorrow WILL be a better day!

Kickstands up on Monday

Prologue

As stated in our previous travel blog http://rvnhogs.blogspot.com/ we're not sure anyone is really interested in what we do, but as we accept the 21st century, we realize these are nothing more than old fashioned "Diaries".  The big difference...there is no lock on the cover.

That being said, here is what you can expect.  We can't promise Pulitzer quality writing, but we'll do our best to describe the wonderful places we see and the things we do.  Rest assured, we are not sharing this journey to "show off".  Rather, we are trying to create a journal upon which we can reflect and remind ourselves how blessed we are to be able to do this.  Anyone wishing ride along is more than welcome.

If no one other than us enjoys this venture, that will be fine.  Hopefully, our Grandson, Demetri, will be inspired to develop his own traveling "bug" and enjoy the world, or whatever parts he cares to see.