Nothing spectacular occurred on yesterday’s ride; no bakeries appeared magically on the horizon; no charming red farm stores offered me pies or cider. Instead, it was just a solid day of riding through beautiful lake country. And guess what? I wasn’t the only one who thought it would be a good idea to explore this neck of the woods.
Even as I got on the road at dawn in Traverse City, people were flying along the strip, so I was happy to get off right away, and to take backroads as long as possible. The early morning hours, as ever, were golden. I rode along roads lined with pine trees arcing overhead and sunlight filtering through.
On the first highway, 131, I opted for the business route, and that kept me away from the stream of vehicles for a few more hours, winding my way through small towns like Manton and Cadillac. These were more like the towns I had ridden through across the Midwest—the show seemed to have moved on; the action seemed to be elsewhere. The shops weren’t closed, but they weren’t bustling, well other than Big Boy Burgers whose parking lot was full. Not sure if anyone remembers Big Boy, but I am pretty sure we used to have one up north, and that my dad took me to it after picking me up from camp in Honey Harbour. Did I dream that? Can anyone confirm the presence of that cherubic figure hoisting a burger on a platter?
Suffice to say, I have yet to visit one on my travels, as I suspect they don’t include veggie burgers on their menu.
South of Cadillac, I got on the 115; turns out everyone else thought that was a good road choice as well. I felt safe enough (thank you Michigan for your wide shoulders), butI grew increasingly irritated by the roar of the engines. Drivers seemed to be going faster than usual, and I was thinking how aggressive they were, when it dawned on me that it was because I didn’t have my earbuds in. They aren’t noise cancelling, but they certainly muffle the sounds of the traffic to a good degree. The control pad on the earbuds had stopped working a few days ago, so I hadn’t been wearing them, which is why, in hindsight, I was so frazzled by the traffic when coming into Traverse City, and why my nerves were wearing thin on this road.
At the next little side road, I got off, dug the earbuds out of my pack, and put them on. The difference was marked. I could still hear every vehicle rumbling past, but they no longer felt so predatory. I had to laugh at myself, at how easily sometimes I can fix a problem, or at least ease it a little, but I keep on hammering on. I will definitely wear them for the rest of the trip even if I no longer play music or listen to an audible book.
I came into Clare at the north end, where the Quality Inn is, so I have yet to see the town which I will ride through today. The young woman at the front desk gave me a nice quiet room, with a view onto the wee forest area no less, and I was able to do a laundry at the inn, and to buy groceries at the Save A Lot grocery store next door. It was short on charm, but had all I needed for a good salad, and it even boasted my favourite boxed Cab Sauv, so life was good.
I have two days from here to Algonac, where I will take a small ferry to Walpole island, then ride across the island to Wallaceburg, ON. From there it will be a two day ride to Guelph! Hard to believe, but yes I am getting close. For now, though, I will enjoy what Michigan has to offer. A follower on Instagram has suggested that the nutty donuts in Michigan are very good; for a vegetarian that might prove to be better option than Big Boy’s best cheeseburger in the world.
