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First camp site: North Higgins Lake

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 6:44 pm - Location: ,

I’ve arrived at my first night’s camp site, about 8 hours after I set out. It was about 170 miles, which is… a long ride.

The site is at North Higgins Lake State Park. I actually passed a couple other state parks on the last leg of the ride, but this one had looked best of the parks on the area based on the web site. For example there’s a park practically in downtown Harrison. But it’s practically in downtown Harrison. Another appeal is that it’s fairly close to Cheboygan, so it’ll be a short ride tomorrow, allowing time for an afternoon side trip to Mackinac.

That last leg was a pretty nice ride. It was all on Old 27, the highway before they put in the expressway that parallels it. Like M-61, it’s just two lanes, and everyone who’s just trying to get from Point South to Point North is on the expressway. Unlike M-61, it feels more inviting, with big trees right off the shoulder.

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The pause that refreshes

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 4:58 pm - Location:

Just a short stop in Harrison to stretch my legs. I just spent a week on M-61, a two-lane 55mph highway with a whole lot of long, straight stretches. My speed was 35-40mph, but there was little traffic, so no one had any trouble just zipping past me in the opposite lane.

I came to M-61 by an unplanned route. I’d found a nice road that ran akin the river (sorry, I don’t know which one), but it abruptly turned into a dirt road. I didn’t feel like goin several miles in wet sand/gravel, so I turned around and made my way to M-61 earlier than I’d planned. You know, if your going to pave part of a road, why not just finish the job? Or at least put up a sign like they do for “no outlet” subdivisions, letting you know before you head down them?

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Big rapid lunch

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 1:23 pm - Location:

I’ve stopped for lunch in Big Rapids, home of Ferris State University. I have mixed feelings about the place. I am technically an FSU alumnus, having graduated from their art school in GR. When I later worked for them, the main campus in Big Rapids was the source of usually-indifferent but sometimes-helpful IT support. It was also the source of no help whatsoever with the unfair labor practices of the art school. Not that I’m bitter or anything.

The ride from GR has been pleasant enough, considering the weather. I’d forgotten how hilly it is NE of town, with my speed bouncing between 25 and 45 mph depending on which side of the hill I was on. It’s been mostly overcast, with the wind generally behind me. Not nearly as warm as the forecast threatened. The storm system I saw coming from Wisconsin earlier is passing just north of here, part of why I’ve stopped for lunch here and now.

The restaurant is Cranker’s Coney Island (“an eclectic eatery”) located a few blocks from campus. It’s a family restaurant type place, with sandwiches, full breakfast menu, and so on. I’m having a gyro and fries from their lunch menu: yummy.

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Sand Lake

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 12:08 pm - Location:

I stopped at noon in Sand Lake, a village that’s in a pitched battle for it’s existence… Or not. There’s a ballot initiative to disincorporate, leaving city services in the hands of the county. The current mayor has denounced the initiative as “domestic terrorism”, which at the least calls into question the mental competence of the local officials.

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And he’s off

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 10:29 am

The big two-part storm system that I saw coming over Lake Michigan has nearly passed north of here. There’s another line of showers developing a ways behind it in Wisconsin, but I can’t keep waiting for it to pass and see if it’s the last one. And it’s not so big and bad as the system I’ve been watching, and might even pass to the north of my destination for the day. I’m pretty sure I’ve done everything I need to do before setting out, so…. I’m setting out.

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Wet start… again?

Thursday, 15th July 2010; 5:48 am - Location:

Waking early to the sound of approaching thunder definitely qualifies as “ominous”.

On weather radar there’s a big red blotch crossing the Lake, gradually covering Michigan from St Joseph to the Sault Ste Marie. It will be very wet very soon. That’s the bad news.

The better news is that the whole system looks isolated, so if I can wait it out, I could have a mostly dry ride. Judging by the speed it’s moving that could mean a few hours.

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