Folks, what has become as traditional as the bike trip itself, I crawled into bed around midnight the eve of departure, only to emerge three hours later. At 4:00 a.m. I met up with Stewbert, who fared worse: "Yeah, I never actually made it to bed last night."
Despite lack of sleep we turned onto Highway 69 north at precisely 4:26 a.m. - four minutes ahead of schedule.
So begins my and Stewbert's 2009 motorcycle journey. Thanks to excellent weather and an early start we made good time, stopping for lunch on the shore of Lake Superior at Munising, Michigan.
Folks, there is something profound that I realized about Michigan's Upper Peninsula: It appears to have stopped in time right around 1992. All of the vehicles we passed were at least 15 years old, there were no big-box stores to speak of (just locally-owned IGA), and get this: a movie rental store proudly advertised "New Release VHS." Seriously. And, the speed limit never exceeded 55 mph.
Our first sightseeing break took Stewbert and I to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior. In an age of instant social gratification and stupid MTV stunts, I cannot tell you how therapeutic it was to get out and enjoy the quiet, serene, natural beauty of my home country. At the park, skillfully crafted boardwalks direct hikers to various lookout points, the views at which rival any oceanic shoreline anywhere on Earth. It was enjoyable, but almost sad, that we were among only a handful of visitors at the park.
After an effortless border crossing (no need to show ID or remove my helmet) Stewbert and I stopped for the night in Ontario. After only 581 miles, sleep deprivation finally took its toll. And on that note good night - join us again tomorrow!
- Dan Wegmueller writes a weekly column for the Times, and an annual journal from his summer motorcycle trip. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net
Despite lack of sleep we turned onto Highway 69 north at precisely 4:26 a.m. - four minutes ahead of schedule.
So begins my and Stewbert's 2009 motorcycle journey. Thanks to excellent weather and an early start we made good time, stopping for lunch on the shore of Lake Superior at Munising, Michigan.
Folks, there is something profound that I realized about Michigan's Upper Peninsula: It appears to have stopped in time right around 1992. All of the vehicles we passed were at least 15 years old, there were no big-box stores to speak of (just locally-owned IGA), and get this: a movie rental store proudly advertised "New Release VHS." Seriously. And, the speed limit never exceeded 55 mph.
Our first sightseeing break took Stewbert and I to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on Lake Superior. In an age of instant social gratification and stupid MTV stunts, I cannot tell you how therapeutic it was to get out and enjoy the quiet, serene, natural beauty of my home country. At the park, skillfully crafted boardwalks direct hikers to various lookout points, the views at which rival any oceanic shoreline anywhere on Earth. It was enjoyable, but almost sad, that we were among only a handful of visitors at the park.
After an effortless border crossing (no need to show ID or remove my helmet) Stewbert and I stopped for the night in Ontario. After only 581 miles, sleep deprivation finally took its toll. And on that note good night - join us again tomorrow!
- Dan Wegmueller writes a weekly column for the Times, and an annual journal from his summer motorcycle trip. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net