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Foggy day to Arcadia

June 14, 2015 By Rolf Stengl

Lakeshore Motel, Glen Arbor, 8:10 am

Lakeshore Motel, Glen Arbor, 8:10 am

I’m sitting in the Big Apple bar in Arcadia, a town of maybe 16 blocks of houses in the usual grid, beside the lake. It opened two weeks ago by a 63-year-old retired guy. His son and an older gentleman are jamming acoustic guitar. Nice.

Morning dawned with fog, after overnight rain, so the motel turned out to be a good thing. Smelled fresh, and felt good outside.

Glen Arbor in fog

Glen Arbor in fog

The 8 galleries, 33 retail stores, and 7 of the 8 restaurants were not yet open to take your money. But the signs were ready.

unexpected delights

unexpected delights

Being a cyclist, I turn to the road for my unique delights.

Got on the Heritage Trail, which runs along the shoreline park. In the fog and early morning, all was silent, except for the birds and the sound of my tires. Deep silence. Awesome. I extended my photo stops to soak it up.

Heritage Trail

Heritage Trail

Heritage Trail

Heritage Trail

There were some other cyclists and walkers. Two women rode toward me and passed into the fog behind. I heard “Wow” and “Wow”. Exactly right. I’ve had a lot of mornings on this ride, and this one was outstanding.

The National Park protects shore and sand dune habitat.

Group camp

Group camp

Reflections

Reflections

Sand dunes

Sand dunes

Park sign

Park sign

I got on Hwy 22, and had fog and overcast all day. Very quiet riding. Had my first ice cream of the trip at the Platte River, which has a big canoe and kayak rental place.

Platte River canoeing

Platte River canoeing

Americana

Americana

I’ve been slowly getting tired, probably because I haven’t taken two rest days in a row. I want to travel when the travelling is good, as you never know about wind and weather.

And it’s addicting to move on each day. I reach a place and am glad to be done for the day. Next morning, I want to move on.

So I’m moving at a steady easy pace, legs tired, wondering how to handle the Three Sisters, which are three hills notorious to cyclists in these parts. I expect them tomorrow.

I hit a walking hill. Then I hit this steep long mother of a hill. I switch to my usual walk and take it easy mode, enjoy the zoom on the other side.

I’m expecting Arcadia, and instead I get another, bigger, longer hill. I’m tired, but I’m in the zone by now, so up I go, pissed off at Bob for not mentioning these extra hills. Gotta project the hate somewhere, you know?

I eat at the top and begin a glorious descent.

That’s two hills like the Cochrane hill, maybe higher. I pull in to a scenic view point to find a church group with 22 kids and 10 adults, all touring by bike for a week.

I discover that I’ve done two of the Three Sisters, so I’m fine for tomorrow.

No glorious view, which I’m assured exists, because fog is fog, no matter how high you are.

Rolf with cycle tour kids

Rolf with cycle tour kids

My tent has found safe harbor beside the harbor, for only $10.

Arcadia harbor in the fog

Arcadia harbor in the fog

And I just got to sing House of the Rising Sun with these guys.

IMG_20150614_183123sPain is just weakness leaving your body.

Glen Arbor to Arcadia

Glen Arbor to Arcadia

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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