August 5, 2011
To Elk Rapids: And fantastic new friends
Kim writes:
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This is a very busy weekend in Elk Rapids. It's their four-day Harbor Days Festival and the town is abuzz with visitors and summer residents. We had no success lining up a campsite or lodging in the immediate area. Plus, we rode through two or three miles of muddy gravel where road repaving is in work.
Our hosts for tonight are Steve and Julie and their son, Steven. Originally from Michigan, they now live in the south but have been coming back to Elk Rapids every summer for the past 17 years.
John writes:
The first thing that Kim and I did today was walk down to the Harbor Cafe and eat breakfast. Then we packed up and set off. However, today our desire to remain off of US Highway 31 turned out to bite us in the butt. That was thanks - in part - to pedaling to the end of one map and not having the next map to continue. (Lesson Learned!) Thus, we ended up lost on a hilly, gravel road for 1.8 miles. We doubled back on the gravel and eventually found our way over to US 31, but had wasted about 45 minutes. Then we continued pedaling on 31 until a taking a welcome lunch break in Atwood at the Friske Orchards Cafe.
Later, more pedaling on 31 forced us into a road construction zone just north of Elk Rapids, where we had to pedal through dirt and mud and puddles.
Thus, we arrived into Elk Rapids tired, dirty, and hungry with no place to stay. I was at a Shell Station asking for a hose to clean our bikes when a guy named Steve, who was pumping gas, happened to ask about our trip. One thing led to another, and he offered us a tent spot at his summer rental home - right on Lake Michigan!!! Is this a great country or what?
Kim and I pedaled over there, hosed down our bicycles, and then set up our tent on his back deck. We showered and Kim fixed an evening meal on her JetBoil. Then we just sat and talked with Steve as we helped him finish off their open bottles of wine, as they're leaving in the morning.
Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 842 miles (1,355 km)
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