There’s a small campground right next to the river here in Palisade. Population is about 167, with one restaurant and a general store.
You can catch fish from the fishing pier by the river, and kids jump off the old SOO Line Bridge in the summer, according to a young man who grew up here, and moved back to buy a house because it’s quiet. He commutes 45 minutes to Grand Rapids to work.
I got up to a cool grey morning, and all 3 of us cyclists were on the road by 7:00 am, going in opposite directions.
I had planned a short 37 mile ride, and got just that, with the last 8 miles on smooth gravel winding right beside the river with no traffic.
Between the sandy road, the headwind and feeling like a rest after four days riding, I was down to 8 mph on the last stretch, which seemed all right to me.
It warmed up enough to enjoy the afternoon in the quiet, imagining Andy Griffith wandering over to fish.
Dave and Sue (a retired couple) are camping here also, and she just invited me over to share burgers and potato salad. I had a nice little meal in the restaurant earlier, but a bedtime snack sounds good to me.
Check out their trailer. It lowers directly onto the ground, and is insulated for setting up as a weekend ice fishing base in the winter. It has six holes in the floor inside to drill into the ice and drop some lines, while you remain snug and warm. Popular here, with all the lakes.
“Well now take down your fishin’ pole and wander by the fishing hole….”