9/21/12 Montreal River Harbour, ON to Sault Ste. Marie, MI USA

Our final day, there's light at the end of the tunnel.  The rain did stop, we had our final breakfast of bagels that we got back in Minnesota, finish off the peanut butter, freeze dried granola, freeze dried scrambled eggs, oatmeal, hot chocolate and an orange.  We've been carrying all this food for 24 days and finally used some of it the last few days.  We packed a couple of sandwiches each, used up the Gorp, took just what we need for the day, packed up the Bobs which we left at the office and headed out.  After climbing the first hill, most of the day was "flat" as we went around Pancake Bay then Batchawana Bay.  Getting closer to the Soo there's more "resorts", small communities and restaurants.  There's one rest stop on this day at a tourist trap about half way.    By the time we left there it was starting to rain.  It rained on and off most of the afternoon.  Throughout all of Canada probably the most common road sign is moose danger at night.  Approaching the "mile hill" there's a big moose sign.  We didn't see any the whole trip but I'm sure they're out at night.  We made it up the big hill, slow but sure.  If I had my Bob I may have had to walk part of it.  There is one part that is pretty steep.  Getting to the international bridge is easy, just follow the signs.  Once on the bridge I wanted to shift my front derailleur and wouldn't you know it, it wouldn't shift.  I had to laugh because our very first quarter mile out 24 days ago Tom's wouldn't shift.  I wasn't worried because I could still ride over the bridge or walk if necessary.  We were at US Customs at 3pm and there wasn't much of a line.  We waited just like the cars, good thing it wasn't raining now.  The customs officer didn't know how to code bikes so he had to call,  It's funny, here we are with the bare minimum and took longer than a car to get cleared.  The toll for a bike is $1.50/bike.  We rode to the Holiday Inn Express to pick up the car.  Now the long haul of the day... drive back 80 miles to get the trailers, going through customs two more times and then to home.  At 8pm we left the US Customs again and headed south on I-75, had dinner in Mackinaw City at the Keyhole Bar and Grill then home.

What a great trip.  Lots of memories and good thing I have a selective memory, forget the bad situations and remember the good times.

9/20/12 Wawa to Montreal River Harbour, ON

I heard the rain all night and thought maybe we should take the ride to the Soo.  We discussed the situation, so close to the finish, would we ever finish at a later date, the road isn't too hilly, the weather is warmer, in the 50's, wind in our face, no Bobs, rain all day.  We decided to go for it and left the Bobs with Tom and Tim and jumped on our bike.  Riding we were warm enough but got cold every time we stopped.  A couple hours out the guys drove by and waved.  Good thing they didn't stop because I would have jumped in and called it a day.  The hills weren't bad but the rain made it a miserable day and somewhat dangerous.  This day was riding through Lake Superior Provincial Park and with the bad weather we didn't even want to stop and enjoy the views.  We met a guy riding west towing a trailer with his cat in it.  He's from Montreal, lost his job and is headed to Winnipeg to hopefully find a job in a poultry processing plant.  All he had was a trailer that didn't have much in it other than his cat and a tent on a rack on the back of his bike.  He looked down on his luck.  There was a sign on the back of his trailer asking for food and/or money.  After talking to him I put all my cares to the side and felt like a million wet dollars.  We stopped at the Agawa Visitor Center to see how much farther we had.  This is where we were originally going to camp.  Good thing we didn't because it was cold and rainy and nothing would dry out.  Much to our surprise, Montreal River Harbour was another 12 miles east, so our short day came to 64 miles.  The good news is now we can finish the trip tomorrow with only 80 miles to go, otherwise we were going to split it into two 45 mile days.

We arrived at the Twilight Resort on the Montreal River looking like drown rats.  Our Bobs were waiting for us.  This "resort" isn't the kind of resort I'm used to.  It's rustic cabins, no TV or internet and old furniture.  But like all the other places we stayed, he was full that night.  There's also a campground there but the bath facilities are pretty bare, no heat in the building.  Good thing we didn't camp there.  Dan's the owner for 26 years and has it up for sale for 2 years now.  In the winter he goes to the Soo and does tax returns.  We stayed here because he also has a restaurant, Taters.  There used to be a restaurant across the river but it closed 4 years ago.  He started losing business then because guests didn't have a place to eat, so he opened his little diner.  It's not much but did the job.  This time of year not only does he run the office, he cooks and cleans.  In the summer he has hired help, same as most of the places.  We turned up the heat in the cabin to dry our clothes, I even had my hairdryer going.  Everything did dry out by the morning.  We made the decision to leave our Bobs here while we ride the 80 miles on our final day.  After talking to so many different people over the past week, we knew we had two final hills to climb, one out of here and the "mile long" hill before the Soo.  That hill is steep, but once you're up there, it's all downhill to the finish.

9/19/12 White River to Wawa, ON

For this 57 mile day, we started with the sun shining and 35 degrees, wind in our face still.  It was an easy ride but the wind is getting old.  We thought for sure the Canadian part would be wind at our backs.  Unlike hills that go up and down, the wind blows whatever is pleases.  And, don't forget about the rain.  Even though I had booties on, my feet were cold and wet.  I had full fingered gloves and riding my hands were warm but every stop they got cold again.  Next time I'm wearing some waterproof gloves.  We're upgrading our lunches to surf-n-turf.  Tuna fish and Spam, sounds good, eh?  There we were, eating our surf-n-turf on the veranda(under the overhang) of the now closed, for sale, decrepit Lakewood Motel overlooking Catfish Lake in the middle of nowhere.  Sounds great, wish you all were here.  We have to make fun of the situation.  In fact, lots of motels are like this.

We arrived at the High Falls Cabins just outside of Wawa right off the highway.  The owners, Anna and Zenon are from Poland and have been in Canada for 23 years, 5 years running the cabins.  Absolutely wonderful people.  Like most of these cabins, they're seasonal and in the winter the owners take other jobs or travel.  Anna and Zenon travel all over the world.  After getting cleaned up and things drying, Zenon drove us to the Best Northern Lodge down the road a mile for dinner.  We had a nice Polish dinner, talked to several of the other diners there and then he picked us up.  It's so fun to be able to strike up a conversation with anyone.  One man told us that north of Wawa is the badlands and diamonds have been found in the rocks.  DeBeers has since bought that property. These lodges/cabins have guests that keep coming back for years.  This is truly what we came to experience on this trip.

The weather is scheduled to be wet for the next few days.  Tom asked Anna and Zenon if they had any guests that were going east and could take our Bobs to the next stop.  Our original plan was to camp at Agawa Campground but with the weather Tom found the Twilight Resort at Montreal River Harbour just east of there right off the road.  Sure enough they had a couple of guys, Tom and Tim, that were up canoeing and would be willing to help out.  In fact, they could take us all, bikes, gear and us to the Soo if we wanted.  Very tempting.

Surf -N-Turf for a gourmet lunch, yum.

9/18/12 Marathon to White River, ON

We had big plans to leave the Travel Lodge early because rain was in the forecast but first we decided to make lodging arrangements for the next two nights.  We had no idea lodging would fill up like it does.  Every night every town seems full and this is after Labor Day.  It must be packed during the summer.  There aren't any big chain hotels like the US has.  In fact, lots of these places, hotel, gas stations, restaurants don't want you to use their restrooms unless you're a customer.  The lady at the front desk was very helpful and made several phone calls for us.  We made reservations at Paws Cabins in White River and High Falls Cabins(Dave and Kristina's recommendation) in Wawa.  At least we're set for now.

The weather started out cold but sunny, so far, so good.  As the day went on, the rain and wind appeared.  What would the trip be without our dreaded wind?  The road was much flatter today, a welcome change.  About half way, 28 miles or so, we pulled over at Gloria's motel to get off the road and eat our PBJ.  The owner came out to chat with us, told us he's booked solid because it's half way between Toronto and Winnipeg.  The truckers have to stop after 12 hours of driving.  The other guests are the various contractors getting things ready for the mines and hunters.  Bear hunting is a big thing up here.  Like many of the hotels, he has a restaurant that people from Marathon, White River and Manitouwadge, to the north, come to.  Food must be okay, we didn't try it.

By the time we got to White River, it was snow, sleet and hail all at once.  Good thing we only had 100 yards or so to go to get to Paws Cabins.  From the outside they don't look like much but the inside was very nice, 2 bedrooms, small but complete kitchen, dining table, TV and updated bathroom.  Peggy, the owner, told us she and her husband are from the Soo but came to White River to work at the lumber mill 20 some years ago.  The kids in town would finish high school and go right to the mills.  When that closed down a while back the kids went off to college and the other employees had to get retrained to work at the mines.  Now many of the men work in the oil sands and are gone for 20 days, then 10 days off, working 12 hour days.  Not much of a life.  She's running these cabins.  After a hot shower and hanging our clothes up to dry inside, we walked "downtown" to the Rivers Cafe for a sandwich.  Fortunately it rained while we were eating then cleared up for the walk back.

9/17/12 Terrace Bay to Marathon, ON

Again at breakfast we ask the locals about the road and hills.  Sure enough, more hills today.  Good thing it's only 48 miles.  The rain had stopped by the time we left but it was cold.  We bundled up but after the first hill we had to take off our raincoats.  The wind was very strong, out of the east.  We had to pedal downhill just to maintain 10-12mph.  Dave and Kristina drove by taking pictures.  The Jet Stream has dipped down right over us so now we're in for cooler wet weather.

 We stayed at the Travel Lodge, getting one of the last rooms.  There's new mines that will be opening so the mine companies bought 3 hotels to turn into bunk houses.  These mines are copper, gold and palladium, used for catalytic converters.  Again the town is very excited to have the mines.  We went to the restaurant a mile west of town on the highway because we didn't want to ride down and back up hills 4 km to get into Marathon.  Also down that road is Penn Lake Campground.

 I talked to some guys and they said from Marathon to Wawa is relatively "flat", nothing like the cliffs we just did the last 2 days.  It's pretty incredible all that we've done, from 2 wks ago in the 80s feeling like I was in the Caribbean, swimming in the lake to now, wearing my heavy clothes, actually thinking about my down jacket and hat.  This is probably the hardest riding I've done, harder than the Big Ride which was a piece of cake now that I've lugged a trailer.

9/16/12 Nipigon to Terrace Bay, ON

Breakfast was at the Esso gas station restaurant.  Don't forget we're in Canada where they use the metric system, kilometers and Celcius.  We became very good at converting the numbers.  We talked to a man there who confirmed the two big hills we had coming.  This area has cliffs that go right down to the lake so there's no getting around them, it's up and over.  The longer hill was a good 2 miles and of course, the wind that was out of the west shifted to be out of the east, another headwind.  Most of the trucks did turn off on highway 11 right at the start so the traffic wasn't bad.  Strange thing about this highway, the shoulders range for nothing to 6 feet, they go from one size to another without any logical reasoning and it may be for only a few yards at a time.  Go figure.  One thing for sure, it's when there's a very narrow shoulder is when there's an oncoming and passing truck at the same time, and there we are.  Scary.  I rode up the hills at 4mph or less, but at least I didn't have to walk up.  Coming downhill I have to be careful because going too fast my trailer starts to wobble and I feel like I'm losing control.  Of course that's when a truck goes by too.

We stayed at the Norwood Motel, $70/room.  We got one of the last rooms in town because the pulp mill is reopening and the contractors are taking the rooms.  Actually an Indian(from India) company bought the mill and is going to make rayon there.  The town is very happy about this but there isn't much to the town to begin with.  Drying our clothes outside we met several other guests.  Dave and Kristina were visiting family over in Minnesota.  They had a pickup and towing a powerboat.  They offered to take our gear to the Marathon if we wanted, but we didn't know what we might need riding during the day.  Another couple was there to go to the Amesyth mines and find some stones.  Everyone was so friendly and had a story to tell.

9/15/12 Thunder Bay to Nipigon, ON

Now we're off onto the Canadiana part of the tour.  Gone are the bakeries but we still had some treats tucked inside our Bob bags, including the rum and brandy cakes from the Jam Pot up in the  Keweenaw Peninsula.  Being a Saturday morning there wasn't much traffic in town so we took the most direct route to the Trans-Canadian Hwy., east on Arthur St and follow it around through the old downtown as it changes directions and names then head over to Lakeshore and take that to the highway about 20 miles total.  The Great Bakery Tour is now the White Knuckle/White Line Tour because this part of the Trans-Can Hwy is the only east/west route, there's no shoulder, it only 2 lanes wide and full of trucks.  By the time we got to the highway the trucks were in full force coming so close to us I could reach out and touch them, instead I was holding on tight trying to keep upright on the white line.

This highway doesn't have rest stops or roadside picnic tables like the US.  It does have cross roads and snowplow turn-arounds.  Much to Tom's surprise I pulled onto a cross road, still standing over my bike a declared this is our lunch stop.  He wanted a place to sit down and take a little break, but that's not an option.  After this rude awakening he became used to our new lunch stops.

We made it to Nipigon about 3:30pm and stayed at the Northland Motel.  These motels are mom and pop places and the owners take great pride in their property.  They were all clean, most also had a restaurant or one very close by.  We had to ride into Nipigon for dinner at the Nipigon Cafe, the only place open.  There we met a couple in the road construction business.  They said that section of the road is being made into a 4 lane highway, unfortunately it should have been done years ago when the government had the money and there were more trucks on the road.  More info was the trucks take highway 11, just a little further east of here because it's flatter, so even though they drive further, they save a lot of fuel.  Highway 17, which we're on gets very hilly, more so than in the US.

9/14/12 Grand Marais, MN to Thunder Bay, ON, CN

We left Terry and Janet's and headed up the road to Naniboujou for breakfast.  It's now a resort but was originally planned to be a private lodge back in the 1920's but the stock market crash killed that idea.  Continuing north we stopped at the Pigeon River park and hiked to the high falls.  These are the highest falls in MN that carved out a deep narrow gorge.  The Pigeon River is also the US-CN border.  Next stop was Canadian Customs, no problem, we were the only ones there, and then the visitor center.  We spent quite a bit of time there trying to get lodging in Thunder Bay.  Several of the hotels were booked so we ended up at the Comfort Inn on Arthur St.  The easiest way to get there would be ride up route 61 and turn right on Arthur, however bikes aren't allowed on 61 in town.  We had to take the business loop-Chippewa- to James St., over a train/car bridge to Arthur and turn left on Arthur.   We were there during rush hour, busy traffic but made it safe.  Dinner was at Naxo's, a mediterranean restaurant within walking distance.  The temperatures are cooling down and I wore my thin down jacket which felt good.

Temperance River State Park to Grand Marais, MN

This was a nice short day, only 38 miles to Tom's friend's,Terry and Janet, house just north of Grand Marais, MN.   We broke camp and then hiked up to the Temperance River Falls.  Down at the mouth of the river a guy was fishing, catching salmon where they waited in a pool before continuing their upstream travels.  We rode part of the Gitchi-Gami trail where it parelleled the highway.  Once back on the highway the shoulder does get narrow but the traffic wasn't bad so it wasn't a big issue.  Wait until Canada when there's no shoulder.  Once in Grand Marais we stopped for lunch at the Angry Trout.  Terry and Janet joined us.  Tom felt something unusual with his chain and so we stopped by the Superior North Bike shop to have it checked out.  Sure enough one link was coming apart.  Good thing he had his spare chain.  The guy put it on for free.  Tom left him a nice tip.  Next stop was the grocery store to get more raisins, nuts and M&Ms for the GORP mix.  A few miles up the road we made it to Terry's house, right on the lake.  It was wonderful to sit back and relax, get the laundry done, a nice hot tub, a wonderful home cooked dinner complete with homemade wild blueberry pie and wonderful hosts.  Thanks so much Terry and Janet.  This was our last stay in the USA.  Look out Canada, here we come!

Made it to Grand Marais, MN

Tonight's our last night in the states. For the next week we're in Ontario along the Trans-Can Highway. Unless the place we're staying at has Internet I won't be posting anything until I get back home.

Sent from my iPhone

Superior North Bike Shop Grand Marais, MN. They replaced Tom's broken chain

Grand Marais, MN harbor

Gitchi-Gami Trail. It follows 61 for a while

Temperance River Falls. Tom & Jan in the shadow

Schroeder Baking Company only open till 4pm

Gooseberry Falls

North of Duluth to Temperance River State Park, MN

Today was another 70 mile day but much nicer as the roads were just rolling hills and the wind at our back. What a difference turning the corner of the lake makes. Even though it was overcast the weather was good for cycling. We got up early and had a quick breakfast in our hotel room of raisin bread, cheese and and orange, food that we've been carry with us for times like this. About 12 miles north was Two Harbors where we pulled into the McDonalds for another breakfast We talked to several folks who asked us about our journey. They seem to love to hear about this adventure. Of course we wanted to know where the bakery was but the bakeries have since closed down. Fortunately just up the road was a coffee shop with baked goods. Knowing that we're camping tonight and need breakfast we picked up some muffins and other goodies. Then even further up route 61 were two pie shops. We didn't stop at those, our bags were already full. Staying on 61 we stopped at Gooseberry Falls St Pk. The water in the rivers is low now. We saw pictures of the falls in May 2012 after a big rainstorm and the falls were huge with water flowing over the steps leading to the viewing points. From there at the visitor center we got on the Gitche-gummi trail that follows route 61. Its a well maintained bike path for about 15-20 miles to Beaver Bay. It passes Split Rock Lighthouse where we pulled in to check it out. It's a lighthouse and to see it there was a fee. We've seen plenty of lighthouses so far so we decided to skip this one. We were talking to the guy,Jason, at the concession stand about our trip then as usual more people want to know about it. So our quick stop turned out a bit longer than planned. In keeping with the whole "people are good" theme, Jason gave us a sandwich for lunch. We'll have to pay forward that thoughtful gesture. The trail ends at Beaver Bay and we're back on 61. The road is good and for most part has a wide shoulder. However the shoulder does narrow down to 3 ft just south of Little Marais. That's another thing, looking at the map theres a bunch of towns but sometimes they're not much, maybe just a lodging place and nothing else. Our destination was Temperance River St Park in Schroeder and there's no place to get dinner so PBJ or freeze dried was on the menu. Three miles up the road is a resort that we could stay at but I was determined to camp. We arrived in Schroeder at 4:10 and saw a bakery( surprise)/pizza/sandwich that just closed at 4 pm. Tom peered in the window and the gals must have felt sorry for him so they opened up. We got a sandwich for dinner and some more baked goods for tomorrow. Don't forget what we already bought earlier. Our bags are loaded. No wonder this is the great bakery tour around Lake Superior. Then Tom saw the malt machine and of course we had to have one. I figure today I burned about 5000-6000 calories so I can splurge. A mile up the road was the campground and we got a spot overlooking the lake. Yes another lakefront property for the night. Can't beat it. Tom rode and got a bottle of wine and some cheese for another gourmet dinner sub sandwich, wine, cheese and a piece of rum cake that I've been carrying since Copper Harbor, MI. As we were enjoying dinner the skies cleared and the stars are out. Cold and crisp. The down bag will feel good. Can't beat it

Sent from my iPhone

Ruxy's cottage cafe

Old Windill That Was Used To Grind GrIain

Port Wing, WI to 10 Miles North of Duluth, MN

Today was a good 65 miles of fairly flat roads and some SSW winds. We got up early, packed up and headed to Ruxy's Cottage Cafe (the only place open) for breakfast It was full of locals so we joined Bucky, Faye's husband and then Larry joined us for coffee and quiche. Larry's a retired dairy farmer from east of minneapolis that has a summer home in Port Wing and does odd jobs to keep busy. There was a table of ladies in the corner chatting over their coffee. When we left I asked the ladies about the road and so far they gave us the most accurate information Once we got to where route 13 crosses US2 we jumped on the bike path to go into Superior, WI. Only problem, it was hardpacked small stones for 2 miles. Then it became an old broken up paves trail followed by large stones. If we didn't take the trail we would have been on US2 which is a busy highway in that area. After some pushing the bikes and lifting them over train tracks we finally made it to the paved trail. From there we had to get over the Bong Bridge into Minnesota There are two bridges but only the Bong has a sidewalk. That bridge is very busy now because the other one has constuction on it. Once in Minnesota we followed the bike route heading north that took us onto the Lakewalk path. When that ended we rode on old 61 to our night's location, Cape Superior Inn. It's and old mom and pop place. Does the job. There's a restaurant next door for dinner but we're on our own for breakfast. Fortunately we have food we picked up along the way, raisin bread and fruit Two Harbors is about 15 up the road and we'll stop there for a real breakfast

Sent from my iPhone

Newago Fish Market. Bayfield, WI

Tom filling bottles at artesian well Cornicopia, WI

Port Wing, WI marina and campground

Sunset in Port Wing, WI

Washburn,WI to Port Wing, WI

I woke up at 5 AM and looked outside my tent to see a clear sky filled with bright stars that reflected on the lake. I found it ironic that the lake was so peaceful but I could hear the sound of the heater from the camper a couple sites away. With my down sleeping bag there's no need for heat. Being in the central time zone we can get going earlier. First stop was back to Coco's for breakfast and also picked up some raisin bread, scones, cookies and a sandwich for lunch. Twelve miles up the road in Bayfield we stopped at Newago Fish Market and bought some smoked whitefish and trout. The son and grandson catch the fish and the mom and wife run the shop. Next we visited the Info center where a couple of men were trimming the small trees on the city property to keep the town looking nice. Bayfield once had a population of over 2,000 but now it's about 1,200. It's a natural port on the lee side of the land and Apostle Islands and was busy in the "old days". Once again we ask about the roads and they say not too hilly, but they've never biked those "flat roads" towing 50 lbs. I was definitely at my limits today with the hills and head winds, questioning why am I doing this. We stopped at a park that's part of the Apostle Island Lakeshore for lunch. The park ranger, Aime told us about the artesian spring up the road in Cornicopia. Sure enough we stopped to filled up our bottles with cold clear clean water. Only 15 more miles and we thinking just over an hour more of riding. The wind got stronger and the hills longer while the road had expansion cracks. It made for a long 15 miles. Arriving in Port Wing we planned to stay at a campground at the marina. We got there and there's no campground and the marina office was closed. This was the icing on the bad day cake. However since we're in a tiny little town we asked a marina neighbor about camping there. Turns out that Faye is a relative of the marina owner. Faye called the owner left message that she made the execute decision to allow us to camp there. The bathroom facilities were all locked up but that's okay because there's a basic vault toilet down at the park and we can take a bath in the lake. Fortunately the lake is still warm. As we were drying off the owner came by and gave us the key to the restrooms and told us about how they want to keep this a small personal campground. We had our best dinner of smoked fish, wine, cheese, raisin bread and a cookie right at camp. We're the only ones here. So for after a very trying day it turned out perfect. What a great trip. This is truly Americana at our best! And to think people say "Why do you do this?" or what was your best and worst day? Today is the answer. Gotta love it.

Sent from my iPhone

Canoes on the lake.

Coco bakery in Washburn , WI

Welcome to Wisconsin

Ironwood, MI to Washburn, WI

Today was an easy ride of 50 miles. The day started out overcast but ended up to be another picture perfect day in the low 70's. Of course there was the head wind but that's to be expected. I think this was the first day we started downhill and throughout the ride the hills weren't big. Ashland, WI was about 38 miles away on the lake. That was a big iron ore mining town and port with lots of ore docks. We asked a couple about the docks but more important we wanted to find a good bakery. They recommended Cocos in Washburn. The picture is the last ore dock being taken down. We found a bike path through town along the waterfront that we took which went by the marina. Talking to Scott at the marina he first offered us the use of the showers. It would have been nice but we still had 12 miles to go. He said to be sure to stop at the visitor center where US 2 and 13 intersect. We did stop at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center and learn more about the history of the region. Next stop was Cocos where we had a sandwich and shared a piece of raspberry cheese cake. We will go there tomorrow for breakfast. We made our way to Memorial Park Campground with another lakefront site. It's really nice how these small towns have campgrounds right in town There's 3 guys on a 10 day bike tour of the area camped next to us.

Last ore dock being taken down, there used to be 4 of them.

Sent from my iPhone

Indian head carving in Wakefield, MI

Nawadaha falls. Presque Isle. Porcupine Mtn state Park

Ontonagon, MI to Ironwood, MI

All night I could hear the waves and wind wondering what today will bring Riding west is sure to present some west headwinds and today was no exception. Today was a 70 mile ride, the longest so far. Breakfast was again at Lynn's Cafe. Not only does she make pies and soups, she also bakes cinnamon bread for French toast. Our first 40 miles were pleasant. Starting early generally means less wind. We stopped at the Porcupine Mountains State Park visitor center and check out the contour map to see what we had coming for hills on S Boundary Rd It was a very nice incline for 14 miles then downhill to Presque Isle At Presque Isle there are several waterfalls but this year the water is down so the falls aren't as spectacular. Do to time we only walked to one fall and had a little bit to eat. We still had 30 miles to go and the rain was upon us. By the time we got to Wakefield the rain stopped but we were cold especially our wet feet. The day never did warm up. We stopped in that visitor center to warm up and the man told us about the Indian head carving that is in town. He also said the road was fairly flat to Ironwood. Funny how a road seems flat in a car but very hilly on a bike. We're now in the central time zone which means it should be lighter earlier in the morning. Better for early starts. With 12 more miles till Ironwood we decided to push on and get a hotel to warm up and dry out in. Being that the whole day we only ate eggs, French toast and a bacon or ham half sandwich we were ready for a good dinner. Fortunately a good restaurant is next to the Comfort Inn and prime rib was the special. Did it taste good! Good news, our shoes dried out. Putting on wet cold shoes is a tough way to start the next morning. Off to Wisconsin tomorrow

Sent from my iPhone

Sunset at Ontonagon, MI

Looking out our tent at Lake Superior

Hancock, MI to Ontonagon, MI

We got an early start and headed out of town in rush hour traffic. Once we got over the bridge the traffic headed into Houghton so we were in good shape with little traffic and a wide shoulder. The first 27 miles we made good time and made a rest stop at Twin Lakes State Park. The next 27 miles the wind picked up. We had some big climbs with a head wind. Fortunately the rain held off but the temperature was cooler than any other day. The leaves are starting to change color now. From the advise of a man we chatted with back in Marquette, we camped at Ontonagon Twp Park right on Lake Superior. Dinner was at a Lynne's Cafe in town with homemade soup and chicken. We took the homemade pie back to camp for dessert. In camp is another man on a week bike tour around the area. He lives in St Clair Shores and I've probably seen him riding on Lakeshore at home. Checking the weather it's going to be cold in Canada. Good thing I brought warm clothes.

Sent from my iPhone

Jam Pot bakery

Along the east shore of Keweenaw peninsula

The bar in Gay, MI

Hancock to Copper to Hancock, MI

When we left for Copper Harbor it was cloudy but not too cold with the wind at our backs. Our route took us up the west side because Doug told us there's a big hill to climb at Mt Bohemia by Lac La Belle. We followed route 203 to Calumet. There we stopped at the visitor center which had a nice display of the mining history in town. Since it was starting to rain we took our time inside. Next we went just down the street to Cafe Rosetta for lunch of soup and sandwich By this time it was pouring. We waited around for a while but the day was moving on and there were many more miles to go. Out came the rain jackets and off we went up to Ahmeek and turned onto Five Mile Point that goes to Eagle River where we had dinner the night before at Fitzgerald on the lake. Then going north onto Route 26 we passed Jacob Falls and there was the Jam Pot bakery that's run by monks. It came highly recommended and we bought some cookies, carrot cake muffin and two 1# loaf of rum cake and a brandy cake. We're saving those cakes because they last for up to a year. They'll be good when we really need some warming energy later on. By this time the sun was out. We finally made it to Copper Harbor and Fort Wilkins State Park about 6:30. Once camp was set up and we showered it was getting dark. We headed back into Copper Harbor for dinner at the Harbor House but it closed at 8:30, it was 8:36 so we ended up at the only open place. Food was ok. Made it back safely in the dark to camp where we could hear the bell on the channel buoy clang. What a great sound.

The southbound route took us out of Copper Harbor on US 41 up a big hill while still on a full stomach from breakfast at the Pines. Then we turned east on Lac La Belle Rd and down the big hill to the Lake Superior shoreline. We rode through Gay, MI and onto Lake linden and back to Hancock. Tom needed a new pair of sunglasses so we went to The Bike Shop in Houghton. My brakes were looking bad so I picked up some new brake pads. We had an early dinner at the Library Restaurant then had to ride back uphill to Shawn's house. There sure are a lot of hills in this area. We got the bikes cleaned up as we are riding on a paved sand dune and sand gets into everything. Time to finish the laundry and pack it in for the night


Sent from my iPhone

Baraga, MI to Hancock, MI

This was a short 30 mile day to my friend's house in Hancock. We continued on US 41 for most of the way until we found a paved trail that took us into Houghton. Along the way we met an 84 year old woman on her bike She told us about her kids that did a tour around the UP Tom needed a haircut so we stopped at the library and asked where a barber is. While he got his haircut I talked to two gals that worked at the library. They both know Shawn, whose house we are staying at. Once at Shawn's the first thing was to dry out the tent and do laundry. For dinner we drove up to Eagle Harbor for lakeside dinner at Fitgeralds. When we returned home it poured. Good thing we weren't in the tent. Next stop is Copped Harbor at the tip of the Keewanau Peninsula. No cell service there.

Sent from my iPhone

Good morning from Baraga

Lunch at Lake Ruth

Ishpeming to Baraga, MI

Today was overcast and damp but not cold when we left Ishpeming. We stopped about half way at Lake Ruth for lunch and could hear rumbling in the clouds. We pulled out the rain gear to be ready for the storm. Continuing on it started to rain. Fortunately we could pull over at the Cozy Inn which is closed and for sale but had a large canopy where we waited out the short rain storm. After that the day heated up and ended being another blue sky day. We are camping at Baraga State Park along the lake. Our dinner choices were pizza which was closed, the drive-in, or the Comfort Inn Restaurant. We elected the Comfort Inn and I had fresh lake trout. Very good. Back at camp it's still in the 70s and the Mosquitos are hungry. Hopefully it cools down tonight for a good night sleep after riding 58 miles.

Sent from my iPhone

On the way to Marquette, MI

Munising to Ishpeming, MI

Another perfect day on the road to Ishpeming The road wasn't busy and the shoulder was wide along M28. There were plenty of scenic turnouts to view the calm Lake Superior. We went through Marquette where there was a blues festival. We were hoping to find some smoked fish but the only shop was closed on Sundays. Continuing to Ishpeming was rather busy. The road was busy without a shoulder for several miles out of Marquette and uphill. Once the traffic cleared it wasn't too bad. We're camping at the RV park. Fortunately we're back in a corner away from the big campers. Dinner was in town at Bucks for some good fresh whitefish. Other than Bucks and the bar the town was closed up. The night is cooling down so it will be good sleeping after a 60 mile day.

Not only can I ride, I can hula-hoop with the college kids in Marquette, MI.

Sent from my iPhone

Miner's Castle

Munising sunset

Hurricane River to Munising, MI

Another meal of pizza for breakfast and an orange and off we went. The weather gods are taking good care of us as there was very little wind and sunny skies. We rode 37 miles to Miners Castle. What a beautiful view of the lake with the change of colors in the water. Then we continued on 10 miles to Munising All the campgrounds were full so we ended up at the Beach Inn. After getting situated we rode into town to get our laundry washed and had dinner at the Dogpatch Restaurant There are tour boats that go out to Pictured Rocks but they too were all full. We also considered kayaking but didn't have enough time for that.

Sent from my iPhone

Newberry, MI to Hurricane River Campground in Picture Rocks National Lakeshore

We had another picture perfect day of riding with the temps in the 70s. It was 23 miles along M28 to Seney where we turned north for 25 miles to Grand Marais. Leaving at 8AM we were in the local "rush hour" traffic for an hour. After that the road was better. Of course the wind shifted to NNW so most of the time we had a headwind. We arrived in Grand Marais at 12:20. I saw a man selling fruit so I got a couple of bananas and asked one of the lady customer where the best place for lunch is. She highly recommended the West Bay Diner a little old diner behind the post office. The waitress Ellen Airgood is an author. We had a large pizza and chocolate malt. The majority of the pizza came with us for dinner and breakfast Continuing on to Pictured Rocks for the night we stopped at the visitor center to inquire about campsites. Being a perfect Labor Day weekend everything was full except for the handicap ones. After 6 pm anyone can use them. It was only 4 when we arrived at the site. Since Tom had a hip replacement he has a handicap permit so we could legally stay. Good thing he had his card with a number on it because it was required for the registration. This CG only has a cold water faucet and vault toilets. We walked to the Au Sable light station then took our bath in the lake. This year the lake is very warm and swimming was a pleasure Back at camp we enjoyed more pizza and our last cookie. It felt good to be camping since I've been lugging this tent around.
Sent from my iPhone

Au Sable light station

Grand Marais harbor

Lunch at diner in grand marais

Tahquamanon lower falls

Upper falls

Tahquamanon upper falls

North Star Bakery

Paradise to Newberry, MI

Another beautiful day in the Upper Peninsula but much windier than yesterday up to 20 mph SSW. Among the trees it wasn't too bad but once we headed south it was tough. We started our day with the first stop at the lower falls and the next stop 5 miles up the road to the upper falls of Tahquamanon falls. We met some wonderful folks at the falls. One mom and 15 year old daughter were very excited about our trip and hope to do something like this themselves Another older couple chatted up a storm while we took pictures for each other. Continuing west was a little bakery that only bake sourdour bread located in the middle of nowhere on our route. Of course we had to stop and get some. It will be lunch tomorrow. Newberry is only 13 miles from the bakery, the longest 13 miles for me. There were 6 logging trucks that went by and didn't give us much room. The headwind was hot, the air was dusty. I was happy to maintain 9-10 mph. We were planning on camping but the clouds were getting thick and gray and the weather tonight is in the 60's so we went to the Comfort Inn. Our sleeping bags are for the 40's and lower. Checking the weather for tomorrow as we head west then north the wind is to shift to the NNW. Oh well all part of the adventure.

Sent from my iPhone

Paradise MI. Wild blueberry capital

Iroquois lighthouse

Sault Saint Marie to Paradise, MI

Today was our first day on the road. We started from the Holiday Inn Express in the Soo and rode 58 miles to Paradise, MI. The weather was absolutely perfect, starting out cool in the morning and quickly warming up to the mid 70's. Lake Superior was calm and gorgeous blue. Tom's front deraileur wasn't shifting so we headed to Soo Pro Sports to get it fixed. After a couple hours delay we left the Soo at 11AM. Our first stop was Iroquois lighthouse. Checked that out then rode another 21 miles for a stop at a beach, had lunch and continued to Paradise. Brown's fish house restaurant was recommended for fresh whitefish. They serve what they catch each day and when it's gone they lock the door. Well we got there too late for dinner and ended up getting a burger at the bar. Being our first day we're both exhausted so we're packing it in early.

Sent from my iPhone

Ready to go

My bike loaded with 45 pounds of gear

Whitefish point

Sent via Google Maps: Janet Rozelle sent you: A Maps link

This email was sent to you by a user on Google Maps:

First part of Lake Superior bike tour

---

Hi, I'd like to share a Google Maps link with you. Link: <https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200095167387574757922.0004c414fcd95792141ad&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=7&vpsrc=1>

Sent via Google Maps: Janet Rozelle sent you: A Maps link

This email was sent to you by a user on Google Maps:

Second part of Lake Superior bike tour

---

Hi, I'd like to share a Google Maps link with you. Link: <https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200095167387574757922.0004c415294c05e63d7f0&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=7&vpsrc=1>

Bike and trailer