The Lovely Miss Celest and I left Thursday evening to try and get a few miles down the road. We were wearing rain gear and it did rain on us, sometimes hard. Parking the bike at a truck stop in Hancock in about 2 inches of water we decided to call it a night. Next morning after a hearty breakfast at the Park-N-Dine we headed out of Maryland, through the tip of West Virginia's eastern panhandle, through the south west corner of Pennsilvania, through Ohio and into Michigan. Twelve hours on the road and 5 states, almost 500 miles was enough for a Friday, we stayed in Ann Arbor. Saturday we rode up to the lake and joined Jeff and crew for the picnic. I got to meet a lot of the FF members but missed a few, I think I elbowed Rav out of the way when they started serving burgers and sausages. I will commit a criminal act for a sausage! We enjoyed the CCC displays and the log skidder turned fire truck was very impressive. Twards the end they were drawing numbers for a big fuzzy bear, I thought they ment Jeff! I personally won a jar of brown stuff called the bomb , black bean dip with cheese and jalipinos, oooof. After the picnic Jeff invited us to stay at their cabin in the UP, how could we refuse ( Jeff had just beaten me at the shooting contest). We got the directions and said we would meet them there. The last leg of the directions said turn right and go 3 miles we are on the right. I turned right and had just reached crusing speed of about 70 when I see 2 fuzzy bears beside the road flagging me down, Jeff and Pete. Well I was able to apply maximum breaking technique and haul 720 lbs of bike, 260 lbs of me and "just you never mind how many lbs of the Lovely Miss, down to a reasonable turning speed. We had arrived! Now I like rustic and the cabin is a very nice combination of modern convieniance and old timeyness ( is that a word?) It has indoor plumbing but no running water. They say they are going to get to that some day. In the evening I brought out a pound of spicy elk jerky I had bought down the road and between the jerky, the bomb and some very nice chilly well lets just say if Jeff could sweat any harder he would have looked like a lawn sprinkler! We helped them put away some blue beers and they introduced me to the Michigan mosquito. I am amazed how frantic they were to get at the new blood.
In the morning Pete fixed a great breakfast and we were on our way north.
Jeff, Tammy, Pete and Linda. Let me get serious and thank you for inviting me into your home and making us feel warm and welcome.
Celest and I headed north stopped by the Soo to see the locks, crossed into Canada and turned right. We spent the night on Manitollin Island in Lake Huron at a bed and breakfast then took the ferry south and east to Bruce peninsula. We stopped in Niagara Falls to view the Botanical Gardens and have lunch at the Hard Rock Café, spent the night in Rodchester, NY. The next day we made our way home through the finger lakes, took 15 south through PA, south through Baltimore and home. We logged almost 2,000 miles went through 6 states and 2 countries. My butt hruts.
Sounds like you had a GREAT TRIP!
Love those touring motorcycles. 8)
It does sound like a great trip. It was good to meet you and the lovely Miss Celeste at the picnic. That stop and turn around at the cabin must have brought back memories of teaching the motorcycle safety course - I trust you kept your head up 8)
Yea, I became a MUCH better rider by teaching the motorcycle safety course. I miss teaching it but I do not miss working for the DOT. Don't get me started!
WS