After some much needed rest, we left Frankfort. It was a comfortable town and we had to push ourselves out the door. (We had to pull Charlie out the door.) However, we were treated to another tree lined 10 mile trail that skirted Crystal Lake as we left town. The lake lived up to its name as you can see in the picture.
All of the towns we passed through were very welcoming although there was quite a distance between them. Small town America... Very nice and very much our style. Everyone was helpful and pleasant whenever we asked directions for travel or food.
Pushing 50 miles we entered Traverse City. Thank God the final hill was downhill because it was about 1 mile in length. Fyi, whenever we saw the steep grade signs with a truck on them... they were sure to be doozies. Depending on which way we faced them, we either dug in deep or held on tight.
Its a small world and we are all connected. We smiled and were very pleased to see our 3 biker friends from Manistee in Traverse City. No conversations this time. They just gave an energetic wave and shout out as they passed by us heading North. Must be nice to have that early twenty-something energy. We wonder where the journey of life will take them. Good luck and safe travels guys.
We have decided to call Traverse City our final destination. It is clear that the trip would take much more time than we had planned. Also, there were some scary moments and I have a nagging injury that was not going away. Instead of making it worse, we made plans to return home.
We are not disappointed. To the contrary, we are proud and completely fulfilled. Just shy of 300 miles, this trip did exactly what we had hoped. On the way home we were trying to find the right words that would convey the non stop hills and the length of some of them from a bikers vantage point. We couldn't! At times even 1 mile seemed like an eternity with legs burning and lungs consuming every bit of oxygen they could find. Add 60 pounds of gear behind each bike and well, nuff said.
It was an amazing trip and is without question the hardest and most rewarding thing we have done in our 47 and 10 years, both physically and mentally. There is no question that 100 miles per day of flats would have been so much easier. But then again, turning all those corners only to find another hill waiting is where the mental strength surfaced. A lot like life, wouldn't you say?
We all had our moments of doubt, but we pushed through it. We may not be aware of it but I am sure we will use this strength in the future for other life struggles. Charlie will for sure and that was a big goal for the trip. We are very happy to have taken this on. We're grateful to God for the health he has given us and even with our life struggles we are very aware of those less fortunate. We will try to live each day simply and gratefully. It is a short journey on this earth.
This was a shorter blog than intended but we hope you enjoyed it. We are now home and resting. Funny, a day later as we enjoy a coffee looking out the front widow we are already looking back with fond memories. The trip took laughter, some tears and lots of encouragement toward each other to keep going. We wouldn't trade it for anything. We will do more of these.
We were so fortunate. The weather was amazing. The sky was so blue the entire trip that you could almost see eternity. We looked over wide open pastures of green dotted with cattle and horses. And the air... crisp in the morning, warm and grassy in the afternoon. Pure and quiet.
Thanks for coming along. We are now heading out on a ride. Life is a bike. Simple and grateful.
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