Michigan West Shoreline Tour
By Gary Gilbert
Friday, September 03, 2004
I rode with a group of cyclists that I met on the Lighthouse Tour in Nova Scotia and other rides.
The official web site of this tour is http://www.lmb.org
The Michigan shoreline is quite beautiful. The route took by the beachs, through forests, through lake front communities, with plenty of opportunities to stop at several fresh fruit stands. I managed to find fresh picked blueberries, raspberries, and of course cherries to eat along the way.
The group photo below is courtesy of Jim. We are exploring one of the lighthouses that dot the shoreline.
Cal, Bill, Gary, Rich, Joe
Anna
Bill, Lee, Jim, Vicky, Nancy, Anne, Sherri, Verlynn
Most cyclists missed this giant hand hanging between a couple of pine trees.
Most days the sky was clear blue. Here I'm at one of the many beaches.
Another lighthouse. Later I walked out along the pier. It was a great place to relax after the days ride.
Cyclists are not the only creatures on the constant search for something to eat.
Despite the fact that the route followed the coast, I wasn't always at the beach but had some fairly steep climbs. The climbs were well worth the effort since they led to great views and of course a terrific downhill. This is a view looking south.
The LMB requires all cyclists to mount a 5 foot fiberglass pole with an orange flag on bikes. It is a real annoyance that riders put up with to enjoy the scenery and the rest of the tour. It only took a few tries to learn how to mount the bike by swining my right leg over the handlebars.
I never get tired of looking at these views.
One diversion is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The walk from the parking lot to Lake Michigan is about a mile and a half from the parking lot.
The dunes just keep on going.
A place to search for Petosky stones. For more about Petoksy stones visit http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/petoskystone.html
The northern most towns are favored by artists. Here Joe, Rich, Vicky, Bill, and Anne examine local art.
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