I had a strong headwind all day, and the road from Montague to Muskegon was pretty unfriendly to cyclists, so that I was tired and discouraged when I got to town. I tried to get info about the trail to Grand Rapids, which would have shortened the distance to Kalamazoo, but what info I could find just pointed me more toward my original plan, to continue south.

[posted to the Wheeled Migration Yahoo Group on August 25, 2004]

Hi folks! On Tuesday afternoon I took the ferry from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan. I'm now on my way down the Lake Michigan coast, hoping to reach Kalamazoo by Friday. Here are some reflections on my two weeks in Wisconsin.

Local produce I sampled, buying most of it directly from the farmers: apples, beer, bison, brats, cheese, corn, cream, eggs, fudge, ice cream, melons, milk, peaches, pears, peppers, tomatoes.

Favorite place I visited on purpose: Tunnel #3 on the Elroy-Sparta trail.

Last night there was a serious downpour that plastered my tent and bike with mud, but nothing got damaged.  I woke to the sound of foghorns in the harbor but didn't see any fog until after I had finished errands in town and hit the road -- then the fog was thick enough I felt I had to turn on my taillight.

I was on the road at 7:30 this morning, anxious not to miss the ferry.  As it was, I got to Manitowoc 2 hours early, though very tired from yesterday's ride.

I stopped for a snack at a local place and wound up buying a full lunch plus dessert, the deal was so good.  Got to the ferry in plenty of time and checked the whole boat over before it set sail.

As soon as the boat left harbor, I wished I had skipped the rich food on shore...  I was queasy for about half the trip.  But it was still very enjoyable.

[posted to the Wheeled Migration Yahoo Group on August 23, 2004]

Hi, folks! I had a great visit with my friends this weekend, in spite of record-low temperatures and a bear on the loose. They let me sleep indoors. ;-)

I'm at a Kinko's in Appleton now on my way toward the Lake Michigan coast. There's a headwind this morning but it's been very easy going so far; I'm going to have to resist the urge to go all the way to Manitowoc today because I don't want to wear myself out like I did after my last day off.

It was a long haul east from Hortonville through Appleton and an assortment of small towns, due to a headwind and my taking the weekend off.

I used my filter mask for the first time today, to pass a field where they were applying liquid manure.  It worked better than I expected.

Stopped for the night at Rainbow's End campground on the west side of Reedsville, within easy striking distance of Manitowoc.  It's a nice enough campground, except the showers are coin operated!  Humph.

Plans are coming together well for Michigan.

Total distance: 38.29 mi

I spent the day on the 21st with the Coffeens.  I used their Internet connection in the morning and then helped Steve move sand for four or five hours, partly to the front steps and partly to Lynn's new zen garden.  Last night a bear walked through the zen garden, so we left the tracks intact and I got some photos.

In the evening I got the autoharp out and played a few songs for Steve and Lynn and then a few more when Chris and Becky got home from work.

The ride into Hortonville via New London was uneventful, and I got to the Coffeens' around 4:00. A friend of Chris's from near Milwaukee is visiting until tomorrow, and his girlfriend lives here too, so there were six of us for dinner.

Total distance: 37.98 mi

I got up nice and early this morning and rode into The Village of Plover, just south of Stevens Point, around 9:30 AM.  I toyed with the idea of visiting the recumbent shop in Stevens Point but decided I probably didn't have the time and might not have the energy.  I did swing by the public library but found it closed, so I headed on out of town.

Yesterday's longer-than-expected ride took a lot out of me.  The prevailing southwest wind blew me into Wisconsin Rapids, but it also blew by a succession of different types of weather, including a dramatic rainstorm that hit just as I pulled into town.

The road into town was so quiet I was able to listen to an entire tape, stopping it only when the occasional car went by, but it looks like I won't be able to avoid heavy traffic tomorrow.