Lake Michigan Tour Day 8: Escanaba to Manistique, MI
The day started out breezy – in a good way – there was a brisk 15-20mph wind from the west. Since I was heading east, this would be a tailwind day.
I crossed the Escanaba River, and headed out on Hwy41/Hwy2. This was a double-lane highway with a median and large shoulder.
I wasn’t aware, but the first few miles there was a nice trail between the highway and the lake. This made for very pleasant riding as long as I avoided the goose poop (same as Denver trails).
At Rapid River, the highways split, and I followed Hwy 2, which went due east. For most of the day, I didn’t see the lake much.
The tailwind had me rocking along at better than 20mph at times, making the miles go quickly.
This osprey didn’t like me being close to her nest and kept screaming at me.
I stopped and talked to two other riders going the other way. One was a 20-something kid making a trip around the lake, but in the opposite direction. He was from Chicago. The other was a 30-ish lady making a full coast-to-coast trip from east to west – heading for Seattle.
Eventually, the road moved closer to the water, making for some very nice scenery.
A few miles before Manistique, I stopped and checked out a long beach. This is nearly as far north as Lake Michigan goes.
I got to Manistique about 1:30 – this was so early, I considered trying to jump ahead 20 miles or so to make tomorrows ride shorter, but couldn’t find an available motel. It’s probably for the best, as Manistique had restaurants and stores, and if I stayed at somewhere more remote, food would be harder to get.
Manistique has a cute downtown, and I found a pub with good food. Had a bluegill meal, which was a first for me. As a kid, I pulled bluegill out of local ponds in Iowa and Indiana, but always considered them too small for eating. Turns out they are worth the extra work – very tasty….just watch for the tiny bones.
One last look at the lighthouse in Manistique – this was taken at almost 10:30pm and the sun had just set. That’s how far north I am!
Best song today: Straight Shot by DeVotchKa…just went with the beautiful lake views.
Stats: 54.7 Miles, 948 vertical feet, 15.3mph average (tailwind!)
Tomorrow is the day I have been most worried about completing. 88 miles to St. Ignace – last stop in the upper peninsula. The winds won’t be as favorable as today, but will help more than hinder – I was worried about fighting the whole way with a headwind, but I don’t think that will happen now.
Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 516 miles (830 km)
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