It was a quick drive to Harbor Springs with 2 slightly disassembled mountain bikes in the back of a tiny Mazda 2. They fit, it was efficient... awesome! Harbor Springs, MI is a bike friendly place and they allow parking on the streets and parking lots overnight. We unloaded and left the car in the City Hall/police parking lot. Very safe and convenient.
M119 is a bicycle riders dream and leads directly out of town. Scenic, smooth and quiet. Generally the hills are rolling and with a little digging you're up to cruising speed again in no time. Immediately, we were greeted with scenic views of Lake Michigan and Mary Jean even spotted a bald eagle flying very close by. Unfortunately, I missed the sight as I was viewing the plastic lined porch on a cottage. Let me tell you though... it was some mighty fine plastic. This definitely gave us a good laugh to begin our journey. The smells talked of the approaching Fall season, the weather was sunny and 65... we couldn't ask for more.
Our first notable stop was the Good Hart General Store in Good Hart, MI. It's very quaint and worth a quick look. Although a little pricey, that's what you get when it's the only game in town. Heck, it is the town. We took about a mile detour down a dirt road to stop at a very old church below M119. Well worth the stop as it was truly a peaceful place.
Its only about 20 miles when M119 ends in Cross Village and officially turns into N. Lake Shore Drive. We have to say though, we liked riding this even better than M119. It was quieter, more rustic and had impressive views of the lake and Sturgeon Bay. It was also at a lower elevation so we were able to stop and explore the shoreline on several occasions.
At the end of N. Lake Shore Drive we came to a little planned variety and it was time to mix things up... Wilderness State Park. We immediately jumped into some tough mountain bike trails in the Michigan wilderness that would lead us up to the northern shore of the lower peninsula. With some sandy and overgrown terrain we both rode and walked some parts, but we took the short route and it was only about 8 miles of trails. Eventually, we made it to a two track road which would lead us to the shore and past what the park calls "The Last Cabin". It lies far back into the park and if we were thinking we were getting close... we were wrong. Very cool! Although this added some sweat and time to our journey, it was well worth it. God's County.
From this point it was "easy" travel. We say "easy" because we were already at about 40 miles into the day. Roughly 12 more to go. But this 12 miles was along Wilderness Park Drive which goes from tree lined gravel to pavement directly on the shore along Big Stone Bay, Cecil Bay and Trails End Bay. An occasional sighting of the Mackinaw Bridge certainly kept the enthusiasm alive. Just a note though, it's a big bridge and one can be deceived on how close (or far) it is from a bikers standpoint. Ha!
What an awesome ride. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express at the base of the bridge and after stuffing our hungry selves with a pasty we showered and relaxed. This had to be the most beautiful leg of our journey. Completely rewarding and visual. We have driven some of these roads and it does not do them justice. Through this trip we actually experienced what they pass through.
We won't bore you with the ride back as it was similar except we did skip the wilderness biking. We also took some time to just stop and listen. Awesome silence. Riding just over 100 miles over the last 2 days, we completed the journey and we are totally stoked to experience a new one. We have found a calling in "touring". We are already planning some new touring bikes that will make it easier to carry our gear and make us much more efficient.
We have continued to simplify our lives, budget and spirits... and the freedom is amazing.
Take Care.
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