Me and Princess Ont to Michigan and back

[kiley]

Because of my work I get a week of every month.
So this summer I am planning on doing a lot of traveling.
May was a bust cause all it did was rain.
June would be better
Now I had drawn up this map over the winter.
Turns out its a pretty popular bike route....this I did not know.
You can see the route here.
Leave Friday come home whenever.
These to me are the best trips

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en...7232132507207070794.000498a9cb15bcce613b5&z=7

Day One Friday.
Depart 12:00 noon
Waterloo to Tobermory
About 275km 4.5 hours
Cool day when I left and became cooler as i Got to Owen Sound.
pulled over for some gas and put on the chaps.
thank God for chaps
I like the scenic route from Owen Sound to Wiarton

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0814.jpg

I arrived in Tobermory around supper time.
I had already booked the Ferry for Sat morning and a room for the night
I stayed at the Harborview

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0830.jpg

Its nice enough....its the blue building across the harbor.
its dinner time so I decided to eat

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0816.jpg

Fresh Whitefish and it was good

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0817.jpg

Went for a ride after diner and took a few pics of the sunset and the harbor

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0827.jpg

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0821.jpg

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq47/MrKiley/Ont and Michigan Road Trip/IMG_0820.jpg

That's the new Crows Nest
After diner i settled into my room to watch the hockey game.
Bruins lost
Sorry all but I have watched Vancouver a lot these playoffs and with the way they play I just cant cheer for them.
after the game I hit the sac....big day tomorrow

 

[kiley]

 

[kiley]

Ya sorry about that all.
Guess i was grabbing the wrong link from Photobucket
Anyway on to day 2
Tobermory to Sault Ste Marie Michigan
400km
Up at 7am to get the ferry.
I got in line then went to grab a coffee

Decided to have breakfast on the ferry
Not bad for 5 bucks

We got off the ferry and its raining....go figure
Drove to Espanola and stopped for something hot to warm up

Man does it ever stink in Espanola.
You couldn't pay me to live there.
But the rain stopped.
sorry didn't take many pics on the way but its a nice ride.

My plan was to make it to Mackinaw City but it started to rain again when i got to the Sau.
I crossed the boarder into SSM Michigan and started looking for a room for the night
its now 7pm

I couldn't be too picky with diner but Guido's was really good

The motel was great.
It had a heater in the bathroom so that's where my boots and gloves went
5 hours later they were dry.
my Blackberry was dead but the girl at the front desk had a charger so all good.
Kinda tricky shutting the data off but i got her done

Saving Private Ryan was on so i watch that a crashed.
it was a long cold day.
Tomorrow would be better

 

[kiley]

Saturday Morning up 7am
SUNSHINE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Day 3
Sault Ste Marie Michigan to Bad Axe Michigan
700km
what a great day for a ride.
I was on the road by 8am
only a small breakfast.

Loaded up the bike and was ready to go

Took a quick pic of the bridge to Michigan then headed out

This is the Mackinac Bridge leading into Mackinaw City
Man this was a real hoot to cross.
When crossing it if you look down you can see water

After the bridge i headed west over to US119 and Cross Village.
On the way i saw this deer.
Many deer in Michigan....too many

Legs Inn was closed
Dam i wanted to have breakfast there.

US 119 is Michigan's version of the Tail Of The Dragon.
They call it The Tunnel Of Trees.
Its longer than the tail...about 22 miles
The road is flat.
it doesn't have any hills and there isn't any banks in the curves.
its thinner that the Tail.
its only about a lane and a half wide and has way more trees than the Tail.
if you fall off the road you either end up in someones yard on one side or Lake Michigan on the other.
Either way your eating a tree.
Beautiful scenery on the way
Lake Michigan is breathtaking with it colour

I stopped in Harbor Springs for breakfast at this little Cafe.
Sat right outside on the sidewalk.
Harbor Springs is a beautiful little town.

 

[kiley]

I started making my way over to Rogers City.
about a hour before it I felt a little sluggish so i pulled into a pick nick area and layed out on a table for about an hour.
When i woke up i felt great.
Guess i needed a little nap
From Rogers City you take hwy 23 down along the coast.
Lots of little towns on the way.
I stopped in Aus Gres for some lunch.
Leftovers from the night before

Through Bay City to hwy 25 and along the coast.
I made it to Port Austin in time for supper and the sunset.

fresh Perch yum.

Next big town is Bad Axe and its about 20 mins away.
Freekin deer everywhere!!!!!!!!
I found and Econo Lodge just as you come into Bad Axe.
Its go a bar beside it.
I check in at 9:45 pm
Theres a bar next door
Bar closes at 10 and she's already done last call.....what a *****
Doesn't matter.
Yes i do love riding in the sunshine
It was a long day and I rode hard.

 

[kiley]

Day 4 Monday
More sunshine
I love sunshine
Bad Axe to Waterloo
335 km
Woke up with a hell of a headache.
Went outside for a coffee and smoke and it went away in about a half hour
**** shower and shave and I'm on the road.
9am.
Bad Axe over to Harbor Beach then down to Port Huron along the coast.
Gave Princess a bath in Harbor Beach
She needed it.....covered in bugs
I should mention that yes i have seen quite a few bikes along the way.
I think there may of been some kind of rally in Au Gres
The coast is a great ride
its a little cooler but I like it that way.
Stopped in Port Huron at a Chilli's for lunch

Right after i ate i knew i would need a nap.
Lousy sleep the night before.
So right away i found this park down by the beach
Nap time.

Frog Togs make a great pillow

Hour later I make my way to the boarder.
Time to come back to Ontario

Once I was in Ontario I decided i hadn't been in Grand Bend in quite sometime and wanted to see it.

After a much needed Tims coffee in Grand Bend i headed home.
4 days 1710km 1062 miles
Looking back.....
It was tough getting the early ferry.
Too much running around at 7am for me.
next time I may look at a later ferry.
Rain sucks.
I mean it just sucks the life out of you.
But eh what are you gonna do.
Had it been a little warmer the rain prolly wouldn't of bothered me so much.
Rain on the windshield and my glasses made it dangerous at times
This really is a nice ride and hwy 119 is well worth the trip.
Sault Ste Marie Ontario was very disappointing.
For the parts that I was in....that town is in pretty bad shape
Riding along the coast is the way to go.
If its a hot day you get a nice cool breeze off the water and i just loved it
And lastly doing a trip like this is really the way to go.
For me anyway.
Not rushing to get there and being able to pull over and take a nap for an hour really made it a great trip

 

[Zangief]

Great to hear man, sounds like a lotta fun and a lotta new experiences. Keep it up!

 

[suzuki2000]

Looks like a nice ride. I remember driving some of the North Michigan roads.

How was crossing the Mackinaw on a bike? We went over in a car and my wife wasn't very impressed about the idea, not sure I could get her to go over on a bike

 

[Niki]

Nice sounding trip! Glad to hear about Sault Ste Marie...always wanted to check it out...now I know it is not worth it....I'll jsut google view it! :*)

 

[kiley]

Suzuki2000....speed limit is 45 and i'm still ****** because on the way over the lane on my right was closed.
i should of pulled into it and taken some pics cause the view was spectacular.
i did read somewhere that some people dont like riding there bikes accross it and you can contact the bridge and they will ride your bike over for you and give the rider a ride in a truck to get them accross.
Crossing it....bike shakes pretty good so i was glad the speed limit was 45

Niki...i'm not about putting things or people down i was just really surprised by how the Sau looked.
i guess i was exspecting more

if you have a 3 day wkd and dont know where to go i highly recomend this trip.
it was that good.

 

[Marbleboy]

very nice photos and write up!!!!!!!!!