Day 121: Milwaukee, 0 miles
Day 122: Milwaukee to Grand Rapids, 50 miles
Day 123: Grand Rapids to Lansing, 63 miles
Day 124: Lansing to Ann Arbor, 73 miles
Day 121: 7/11/14
My Milwaukee adventures included a tour at Clock Shadow Creamery with cheese curds so fresh they squeaked in your mouth as you chewed them, ride through the Arts District and Brady Street (a famous street for bars/restaurants/shops), some huge slices of pizza at Ian's Pizza (a Madison/Milwaukee stay), and a tour at the Lakefront Brewing Company ($7 included 4 6oz. pours and a free Lakefront Brewing Glass). Called it an early night before my 6:00 a.m. ferry ride across the Michigan to Muskegon, Michigan and East Coast Standard Time again!
Day 122: 7/12/14
Up at 4:45 a.m. Got my gear together and packed up the bike and just as I was about to leave I check the front tire and it is flat! Quickly pull out my little hand pump and frantically pump it up hoping the pressure will be able to hold for my 3 mile jaunt to the port... Thoughts of a late arrival where the ferry is pulling away and I tear through the security checkpoint without stopping and the guards running after me race through my mind with each grueling blast of air I desperately push into my poor ailing tire. PUMP, PUMP, PUMP, check tire still squishy, PUMP, PUMP... I go up onto the 15% graded ramp that is already seperated from the departing ferry at 45 m.p.h.
and fly off the raised edge 50 feet over the snapping jaws of none other than the actual JAWS, who contrary to popular belief didn't die in the movies and retired to his home in Lake Michigan not being able to take the celebrity and fame he'd attracted in his heyday, and land to a skidding stop into the crew member who just happened to be a former Miss Wisconsin herself and a bike-enthusiast at that and we marry and live happily ever after.... PUMP, PUMP, PUMP, check.....????? And the pressure is finally up! I can ride! I make it down to the port without further problem and my romantic dillusions of grandeur and my great escape from the Port of Wisconsin are thwarted. Another time....
Got off in Muskegon and hopped on the Muskettawa Trail and rode that most of the way into Grand Rapids. In Grand Rapids I stayed with Meghan and Alex and their awesome little kid Max and it ended up being a really great night hanging out with them.
Day 123: 7/13/14
From Grand Rapids I had a 63 mile ride to get to Lansing. I also was sure to arrive there by 3:00 p.m. so I could get to a bar for lunch/watch the Germany v. Argentina game.
After the game I rode the last few miles to meet Emily and Greg, two young professionals living and working in the area and we went out for dinner and got some delicious burgers and beers near Michigan State University, after my guided tour through the giant campus (of which they both attended and where Greg currently works). After dinner we hit up another bar where we got some 24 oz. beers for $1.50. Got to love college towns... After a few of these bad boys we were all ready to go home and crash... Some people had work in the morning.
Day 124: 7/14/14
After an awesome omelet made by Emily and some coffee I headed out on the bike and rode straight through to Ann Arbor to my college friend/former teammate/fellow '08 XC bike trip compatriot, J. Keil and his fantastic girlfriend Christie's house where I'll be spending the next few days hanging out with them.
After a few days of chilling here with Jay and Christie I will be meeting back up with the family and riding the next 500-600 miles back home with my pops.
Until then I'll be enjoying some days off and seeing what's up in Ann Arbor!
Clock Shadow Creamery, 2nd and Bruce Street, Milwaukee
City Hall, Milwaukee
If you keep riding to the coast stop in Portland and see us. Everyone rides here maybe Cacey could come up.
ReplyDelete