The Circle Tour

[the Ferret]

I agree with Tahquamenon Falls. The UP is a special place...another planet on this one. Very Cool.

You look very happy offroad (but you always look happy). I think touring agrees with you. Love the train pic with you and Sea. (love all the pics actually) and I agree with your wife about the yellow slicker lol.

Wish I could have made this one.

[Cormanus]

And why wouldn’t a man on a bike on a tour look happy?

Go offroad. Loving it.

[use2b_imp]

Loving all the photo's and salivated like pavlov's dog looking at the blueberry pie. , photos are worth so much more than words = thanks

[Offroad]

That does look good!

I thought for a long time that I should spend my retirement years riding around the U.S., sampling and rating local steakhouses, writing a tour book about them, and then writing off the cost of my journey as a business expense. But boy oh boy, does that pie look good. Perhaps I should consider a second volume, "Motorcyclist's Guide to the Best Pie in the U.S."

Great Idea Long Ranger! You write it, I'll buy it!
Day 4....Technical difficulties with my phone made GPS and pictures end about mid day. I should have brought a small camera like Ferret and Empty Sea keeps around their necks.

I actually had to break down and buy a paper map and tape it to my gas tank with gaff tape like Empty Sea did in Berea.

Luckily I had my Garmin, not as friendly as Google Maps....but I'm learning. It does keep track of my route.

Here is my route....424 miles



H58 was the high light of the trip....thanks Allen K!

I thought I could pick it up early and took 407 north to deer park but it ended up being a 40 mile round trip dead end. A sign just said pavement ends.....and to think 2 weeks ago I was disappointed with the chip and seal on the BRP.....I would have gladly ridden on chip and seal today LoL

I did get a picture of the mackinac bridge....pretty impressive engineering.





A local restaurant had a unique stove....they are serious about logging and burning wood up here. I've never seen so many trees on relatively flat ground. Saw lots of logging truck with about 20+ wheels on them.



I made it up to Whitefish Point on Lake Superior.





After that phone died....I have to get a GPS tracker like the "Spot One" Empty Sea has.....my family was pretty worried when my dot stopped moving about mid day.

I think I'll make another loop tomorrow from Mackinaw City before I move south on Thursday.

[SCCBrider_imp]

Looks like a good time. Ride safe. In other words, lookout for the fools in cages.

[emptysea]

Some points of interest (they are plentiful and this is not a complete list):

Legs Inn
Tunnel of Trees
Petosky
M22
Hop Lot - micro brewery with outdoor seating.
VI Tavern - Sutton’s Bay
Leelanau State Park
Art’s Tavern - Glen Arbor (M22 store across street)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - take M109 through, rather than M22 around (or do a loop that includes both)

[the Ferret]

Hey I've been to Whitefish Point. Very Cool. Also been to Copper Harbor but not sure that was worth the ride lol.

[Offroad]

Had technical difficulties with my phone the rest of the trip.....would only charge wirelessly at night so the battery didn't last long during the day. I stopped using Google Maps and just tried to save it for pictures.

Day 5

I slept in....I was going to go to Sault Ste. Marie just to say I went to Canada, but the bridge was backed up like 2 miles, so I went SE along Lake Huron.



It was nice and cool along the lakes, but I could actually see the water only about 5% of the time so pictures were few and far between.

I woke up to seeing people standing in line for the Mackinac Island Ferry from the balcony of my Days Inn hotel in Mackinaw City.



I had lunch at a restaurant recommended by locals called Toast A Go-Go. They had hand dipped and fried mushrooms....the breading is carbs but couldn't resist.



The road side parks were nice.....all the state parks wanted like $10 just to go in and look around....I'll need a season pass next time.





Hammon Bay Harbor was nice.





Went to the 40 Mile Post Lighthouse but it was closed.



This was the longest stretch of open water I could see.

[Cormanus]

Danged, new-tangled gadgets!

Good to hear from you offroad. Those lakes look amazing. Anything with that much water and a horizon in Australia would be the ocean.

[the Ferret]

They are amazingly large lakes Cormanus. My son and his wife run mini marathons on Mackinac Island. Cormanus, Mackinac Island is closed to motor traffic. Walk, bicycle, horse drawn carriage are the only means of transportation allowed.

Looks good offroad. Ahh the life of being free to point your front wheel anywhere and just go. How are you liking the new Michelins.