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Petoskey

June 10, 2015 By Rolf Stengl

North Country Trail

North Country Trail

The southbound ferry from Mackinac Island dropped me at Mackinaw City (same pronunciation), and after a few city blocks I was on the North Country Trail. If you like long distance hiking, you can look this trail up, because it’s a big project in these parts. It took me right to the lake.

Lakeshore on Wilderness Park Drive

Lakeshore on Wilderness Park Drive

After the long main highway stretches of the Upper Peninsula, the LMT is now back to back roads and trails, lake views and forests, with few cars and bird songs and, essentially, cycling nirvana.

I was overtaken by James Pabell, riding a recumbent trike because he has back problems on a regular bike, a story I’ve heard before. He’s from Indiana, on an 8-day trip with his wife driving the car.

James Pabell on Cecil Bay Road

James Pabell on Cecil Bay Road

There’s a stretch of about 30 miles on the bluff above the lake, through woods, a part of which is officially signed as The Tunnel of Trees. It’s on some kind of national list of scenic routes, which just shows you how desperate people are to have a list of things to get out and see. 🙂 I’ve therefore included two pictures for you to see for yourself.

Tunnel of Trees, on Hwy 119

Tunnel of Trees, on Hwy 119

Tunnel of Trees

Tunnel of Trees

Any dense forest on Vancouver Island or near you, if there are any left, will give you the same effect, and let’s face it, if you’re confined in your car it’s all just a blur anyway, even at a speed limit of 25 – 35 mph. So no need to feel like you’re missing out there at home.

On the other hand, and it’s a big other, to roll through this on a bicycle under my own power, was cool. Thirty miles (about fifty km) of winding road, trees, birds, silence and cool air, made my day.

I missed what I’m told is a great restaurant, and had hot cheesy potato soup at the Good Hart General Store instead.

Good Hart General Store

Good Hart General Store

After this, there were more populated areas with cabins, if buildings listed for sale at $600 – 950,000 can be called cabins. They are up a bluff and across the road. And they need steep stairs of 100+ feet for their private lake access.

Cottage on Lower Shore Drive

Cottage on Lower Shore Drive

Stairs to access the lake

Stairs to access the lake

Usually my brain is blank and in the moment out here, but I wondered about so many people who would want to be on their own out in the woods, isolated from neighbors. A local woman later told me that these are summer places, that most are empty all winter, and rich people from afar like the woods, and have the marina, golf course and restaurants as their social contact. The population of the lakeshore communities triples in the summer, and this entire eastern shore of Lake Michigan is vacation country.

Summer makes up for the two months of minus 20 F they had last winter, starting in November.

OK, back to my ride. I had a snack in the first of the lakeshore towns, Harbor Springs.

Snack in Harbor Springs

Snack in Harbor Springs

Another solo self-supported rider on a 4 week tour from Minneapolis, through Mackinaw and back to Columbus, Ohio, stopped to talk. She travels light and mails herself special foods (like the Nuuns tablets I use) to local post offices along the way.

Lynn Haas on a 4-week solo tour

Lynn Haas on a 4-week solo tour

Leaving Harbor Springs, I got on the Little Travers Wheelway, 23 miles of path that links three towns on the bay, and keeps cyclists amused and off the highway.

Great riding. Did I mention that before? 🙂

the trip today

Mackinaw City to Petoskey

Acme
Tourist on Mackinaw Island

Filed Under: Lake Michigan Trail Tagged With: Little Travers Wheelway, North Country Trail, Petoskey, The Tunnel of Trees

long distance, self-supported bicycle trips

riding the Mississippi River Trail
from New Orleans to Lake Itasca
. . . and then home to Canada

riding the Lake Michigan Trail, from Chicago around Lake Michigan

along the LMT

Buckingham Fountain Burnham Greenway Trail Chesterton Chicago Chicago Lakefront Trail Duck Lake State Park Erie Lackawanna Trail Gary Indiana Glen Arbor Grand Haven Hart-Montague Trail Holland Jackson Park Kenosha County Path Kohler-Andrae State Park Lake Michigan Little Travers Wheelway Long Beach Ludington Mariners Trail Michigan City Muskegon New Buffalo Nuclear Energy sculpture Oak Leaf Trail Oak Savannah Trail Old Grand Haven Road Ozaukee Interurban Trail Pentwater Petoskey Point Beach State Forest Prairie Duneland Trail Rapid Transit Cycle shop Robert McClory Bike Path Saugatuck Sleeping Bear Dunes Snug Harbor South Chicago River St. Joseph The Bean Three Sisters University of Chicago Washington Park Willis Tower Wrigley Field

Lake Michigan Trail (LMT)

Lake Michigan Trail Summary

July 2, 2015

Touring Chicago Part 2

June 23, 2015

Touring Chicago Part 1

June 22, 2015

Riding into Chicago

June 21, 2015

Riding to Chesterton

June 20, 2015

Good day to St. Joseph

June 19, 2015

Holland

June 18, 2015

Muskegon

June 17, 2015

Ludington, tourist town

June 16, 2015

Fog to Ludington

June 15, 2015

Foggy day to Arcadia

June 14, 2015

Glen Arbor

June 13, 2015

Acme

June 11, 2015

Petoskey

June 10, 2015

Tourist on Mackinaw Island

June 9, 2015

Naubinway & St. Ignace

June 8, 2015

Indian Lake State Park

June 6, 2015

Ford River

June 5, 2015

Good road to Menominee

June 4, 2015

Green Bay

June 3, 2015

Egg Harbor

June 1, 2015

Cold Air

May 31, 2015

Rain

May 30, 2015

North to Point Beach State Forest

May 29, 2015

Milwaukee to Kohler-Andrae State Park

May 28, 2015

Milwaukee

May 27, 2015

Illinois Beach State Park

May 25, 2015

Boating in Chicago

May 24, 2015

Chicago

May 23, 2015

A New Ride Begins

May 22, 2015

Coming soon…

May 6, 2015

Recent Posts

  • Lake Michigan Trail Summary
  • Touring Chicago Part 2
  • Touring Chicago Part 1
  • Riding into Chicago
  • Riding to Chesterton
  • Good day to St. Joseph
  • Holland
  • Muskegon
  • Ludington, tourist town
  • Fog to Ludington
  • Foggy day to Arcadia
  • Glen Arbor
  • Acme
  • Petoskey
  • Tourist on Mackinaw Island
  • Naubinway & St. Ignace
  • Indian Lake State Park
  • Ford River
  • Good road to Menominee
  • Green Bay
  • Egg Harbor
  • Cold Air
  • Rain
  • North to Point Beach State Forest
  • Milwaukee to Kohler-Andrae State Park
  • Milwaukee
  • Illinois Beach State Park
  • Boating in Chicago
  • Chicago
  • A New Ride Begins
  • Coming soon…

Mississippi River Trail (MRT)

Mississippi Slim

July 16, 2014

Dog River, Saskatchewan

July 11, 2014

Into Saskatchewan

July 10, 2014

Leaving nothing behind

July 9, 2014

Wind & rain to Velma

July 7, 2014

Headwind to Harvey

July 6, 2014

The straight & narrow

July 5, 2014

Heading into North Dakota

July 4, 2014

From hills to flat in 30 miles

July 3, 2014

Mississippi Headwaters

July 3, 2014

Update from Suzanne

July 2, 2014

Bemidji in the rain

June 29, 2014

To Bimidji with a tail wind

June 27, 2014

A dam site closer

June 26, 2014

Andy Griffith Kind of Place

June 25, 2014

Simple ride to Crosby MN, 54 miles

June 24, 2014

Bugged in the great outdoors

June 23, 2014

Moving on to St. Cloud

June 23, 2014

Mill City

June 21, 2014

Rain & Shine, to Minneapolis

June 20, 2014

The Jackpot

June 17, 2014

A note on summer

June 16, 2014

Tourist in La Crosse

June 16, 2014

La Crosse with a tailwind

June 15, 2014

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Campground

June 14, 2014

Town that time forgot

June 13, 2014

Notes on camping

June 13, 2014

Hills & Headwind to Galena, Illinois

June 12, 2014

Liver & onions in Fulton

June 11, 2014

To Rock Island, Illinois

June 10, 2014

To Great River Campground south of Keithsburg

June 9, 2014

Rest in Nauvoo, Illinois

June 8, 2014

Riding in the rain

June 7, 2014

Hannibal, Missouri

June 6, 2014

Pleasant Hill, Illinois

June 5, 2014

“Meet me in St Louis”

June 3, 2014

Chester to St. Louis

June 2, 2014

We are here

June 1, 2014

When you’re hot, the trip is not

May 31, 2014

Riding in the pain

May 30, 2014

Rain

May 29, 2014

to Reelfoot Lake State Park, 80 miles

May 28, 2014

to COVINGTON, 58 miles

May 27, 2014

Takin’ a lickin’ in Memphis

May 25, 2014

To Tunics Resorts, 85 miles

May 23, 2014

I swim in the Mississippi!

May 22, 2014

Tourist Opportunity

May 21, 2014

Roy’s Store is a town

May 21, 2014

To Roy’s Store, 56 miles

May 20, 2014

To Chotard Lake, 48 miles

May 19, 2014

T’Beaux’s

May 18, 2014

To Vicksburg – 60m/100k

May 18, 2014

To Natchez State Park – 44 miles

May 17, 2014

To Red Deer Lake, 62 miles

May 17, 2014

Camping in Morganza

May 16, 2014

To Morganza – 46 miles/76 K

May 15, 2014

Sitting on the levee

May 14, 2014

To Baton Rouge

May 14, 2014

In Paulina

May 12, 2014

On the river

May 11, 2014

Bourbon Street

May 10, 2014

New Orleans

May 10, 2014

Depart Calgary Airport

May 9, 2014

Louisiana

2014-05-15_125927SFW

Mississippi

Mississippi River Trail

Tennessee

Kooky Canuck, Memphis

Kentucky

Mississippi River Trail

Illinois

Mississippi River Trail

Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri arch

Iowa

2014-06-07_182832sfw

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Minnesota2014-06-19_083135s

North Dakota

North Dakota

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

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