Lake Michigan Circle Tour by Motorcycle: Day Two
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Today we woke up around 6 am and realized we were still in Muskegon. Argh! We showered and I repacked my gear so it fit better, but forgot one essential thing that came back to bite me later in the day. I'd brought a garbage bag to protect my clothing, since the pack I bought was listed as "rain resistant" and not "rain proof." There's a big difference between the two, as I found out later.
Russ' in Muskegon, Michigan
We fueled up and a person who was admiring the Can-Ams tipped us to a decent place for breakfast, so we headed over to Russ', a local diner. Russ' is one of those old-time a-frame style places with the big lofted ceiling that serves a wide range of food. If you can't find something to eat in a place like this, you're just not American.
Russ' is also the kind of place that retired pensioners flock to because of the bottomless coffee and cheap eats. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there. I have to admit, the food was good, and cheap. I had the "special," two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two sausage links, two pieces of toast, with orange juice for a total of just over $5.00. They also had free wi-fi. Picture four fortyish bikers with their various iPhones and other electronic devices sitting in a restaurant full of silver haired 60+ retirees, and it'll be just like you were there in person!
Tim mapped out a nice rural route on his GPS the night before, so we hit the road. It wasn't long before we found ourselves on some great stretches of winding, hilly country roads and got in some great riding. It was overcast and cool, but the rain was holding off. In other words, it was perfect.
We passed through a picturesque little town called Pentwater, nestled against Pentwater Lake and right up against Lake Michigan. The bridge we rode across the lake on gave a great panoramic view of the town, with it's church steeples and old lakeside buildings. I didn't get any pictures, as we were just passing through, but I'd love to visit the place again.
Roadside dunes stop, Western Michigan
We passed through other little lakeside resort towns like Ludington, Manistee and Onekama. We rolled into another small town (Empire, I believe) and experienced our first roundabout. We stopped at a local eatery and grabbed a coke, stretched our legs, and took the opportunity to take some pictures of the nearby Sleeping Bear sand dunes, which we could see up the road a bit.
We took off on another great stretch of winding, hilly road headed towards Glen Arbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes, but soon ran into light rain. We pulled off to change into rain gear, but since I wasn't getting very wet, I unwisely decided I didn't need mine. Bad choice. Not five miles down the road, the rain really started coming down and soaked me. By then there wasn't much point in stopping to put the gear on. We had about 30 miles to go to reach Glen Arbor, so we toughed it out and pushed on.
The roads were getting a lot slipperier and those hills and curves we'd enjoyed muscling through earlier were now getting more perilous. We had a scare coming into a banked turn at the top of a hill when Mike, riding directly in front of me on his Victory, started sliding and ended up riding onto the unpaved shoulder. He handled the bike well and managed to slow it down enough to get back on the road without any problems. I almost followed him off the road as my back tire started sliding as well, but just managed to keep it on the road and finish out the turn.
Needless to say, we were a little more cautious after that.
Sign for Art's Tavern, Glen Arbor, Michigan
We pulled into Glen Arbor and parked the bikes on the street. There was no real cover anywhere, so the packs had to stay out in the rain with the bikes. By now, the rain had eased up a bit, reverting back to a drizzle. We walked half a block to Art's, a local bar and restaurant, to get out of the rain and, for me, to change clothes. Turns out my boots weren't the least bit waterproof. My feet were soaked and water was sloshing around on the insides. Luckily I brought an extra pair of shoes, so I hit the bathroom at Art's, used their hand dryer to dry my feet and hands and changed into a new pair of socks and dry shoes. My shirt was also wet, since some water had gotten through my leather jacket as well. I threw on a pullover to warm up and that was that.
I ordered a Green Olive Burger and a beer, both of which were great. I'd highly recommend the burger. Mike ordered us a plate of fried smelt as well. I'd never had smelt, so I tried it and was surprised that I liked it, since fish really isn't my thing.
While we were eating, it really started to pour out. While waiting out the rain, we decided it'd be best to call it a day and find a motel in Glen Arbor. Tim used his iPhone and located a nice little inn just a few blocks away. We called and made reservations, then, after the rain died down a bit, headed out to the bikes, fired them up and rode the two blocks to the Lakeshore Inn.
We unpacked the bikes and hauled everything inside. As I opened my bags, I realized water had managed to seep into the lower, larger bag, where all my jeans and shirts were. Most of the shirts made it unscathed, but my jeans and my Indian Motorcycle sweatshirt got wet. The Inn didn't have a washer/dryer, and there was no laundromat in town either. Bummer. Currently, my wet clothes are hanging on hangers and I hope they dry out enough for tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the boots aren't going to dry anytime soon, and I suspect my leather jacket will also still be damp tomorrow, along with my riding gloves. All I can say is, lesson learned. I'll be spending some money on waterproof riding boots and luggage after this.
Inside The Cherry Republic, ordering lots of cherry goodness, Glen Arbor, Michigan
Since it was only 3 pm, and the rain had stopped finally, we took a walk around the little town, checking out shops. We ended up at The Cherry Republic, which, you guessed it, serves only cherry foodstuffs. The cherry pie looked great, but I opted for a Double Dark cookie, which turned out to be a home made cookie with chocolate and cherry chunks in it. I also had a Dark Cherry soda. The place was great, and I'd recommend stopping in if you find yourself in Glen Arbor.
We walked down to Lake Michigan, just two blocks away from the Inn, and took pictures of the boat dock, islands and the sand dunes. The water was very cold; I stuck my hand in it; but beautifully clear. Seeing the dunes off in the distance, we decided to try our luck on the bikes again. We headed out of town on the West Harbor Highway towards Sleeping Bear Dunes, about 5 miles back the way we'd come, and of course a light rain started falling on us again. Sheesh! Can't win! Undeterred, we headed into the park and climbed the dunes, which was harder than it looked, especially since I'm still recovering from the knee surgery I had last year. Still, we made it up, and turned for a great view of Little and Big Glen Lakes.
Boat dock overlooking Lake Michigan, Glen Arbor, Michigan
We rode back into town and headed back over to Art's again for dinner and a beer to cap off the evening. All in all, it was a mixed day. The morning ride was fantastic; some of the best riding I've done. Riding in the rain wasn't a lot of fun. We handled it well and no one ditched a bike, so can't complain too much about that. I'm definitely not happy to have a motel room full of wet clothes, and especially a pair of riding boots I won't be able to wear come tomorrow. Next time, I'll know better and be better prepared!
Tomorrow, we'll be doing a little canoeing/kayaking on the local river before heading further up the lakeshore towards the Tunnel of Trees and then onward to Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge. The weather is supposed to be overcast, but not rainy. Let's hope! I'm really looking forward to more riding like this morning's, as well as the Tunnel of Trees and the five-mile long bridge crossing from lower Michigan to the Upper Peninsula!
(For more, visit www.tirespeed.com, Dean's trip blog. If you're on Twitter you can also search for posts using the hashtag #MI360)
Related posts:
