Sept. 3, 2012
Sneeches the Wonder Kitten, insisted that we bust it back on the trikes from Munising to St. Ignace to do the Mackinac Bridge walk, so we did. This was an unscheduled event that we simply couldn't pass up, as we are RIGHT HERE AT THE RIGHT TIME, and I'm glad we said yes! And...it was yet another opportunity, to confront my fear of heights...for a whole 5 miles and two hours! How could I resist?
Off we sped on the trikes, arriving in St. Ignace close to sunset to the rip off rate of $300/night at The Voyager Motel, in order to grab the last room there and to be 1/2 mile away from the start of the walk! Note to self: plan ahead for next year. However, not even knowing this walk was happening in the first place, I feel lucky to have done it at all! And it was great fun! We joined thousands of other walkers of all types and situations to cross this bridge in the sunshine with the glistening dark blue water hundreds of feet below us, boaters cheering us on and cars honking and waving at us from the opposite side of the bridge, as we enjoyed two lanes all to ourselves. It went well, and I have now conquered my fear of heights (she says hopefully)! Yay for me. Sadly, no pets were allowed, so Sneeches had to hear about the walk vicariously.
After the walk, we resumed our Harley ride to see the remainder of the U.P. by heading out on beautiful Hwy. 2, running along the beautiful sandy beaches outside of St. Ignace as we sped toward Escanaba. We stopped for a local treat of pasties along the way and ate at a picnic overlook on Lake MI, and then continued the journey toward Escanaba.
About 30 miles shy of Escanaba, we got hit by a thunderstorm so severe that we had to pull off under a rain shelter at a rest stop and wait out the worst of it! Yikes, I hate lightening. Sneeches the Wonder Kitten, didn't like it either, so we waited it out for about an hour, bikes covered and rain gear donned! We met other area riders heading our way, and one woman joined us for the remaining 30 miles to Escanaba in the light rain. We headed to the waterfront in Ludington for a look around and then attempted to find an unbooked hotel that allowed superior beings known as pets! Finally found one called America's Best Inn and got checked in before the second storm hit, and got tucked inside just in time. We ordered pizza and stayed in to relax last night, listening to the rain beat down. Riding in adverse conditions can be tiring, and a good night's sleep feels so good.
Next stop is Marquette and Copper Harbor, but heavy fog this morning is allowing me all the time I need to type up this blog and watch Sneeches nap with a smile on her face, while allowing the sun to do it's job!
Life is VERY VERY GOOD, and I am appreciating this gorgeous first peek at the Upper Peninsula of MI, as well as getting reacquainted with the lower peninsula, too. I left my childhood farm in Eaton Rapids, MI at the age of 18 years old and headed to Chicago and after 5 years there, I have been living mostly on the West Coast for the past 40 years. I came back to MI one year ago and bought a cabin on Townline Lake in Lakeview and am getting to know my old state quite well! Let the big adventures continue!
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