Day 4: Lazy days of summer

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
38.38 miles	10.58 mph	317 ft	03:36:51	1982 cal

Best sleep Ever!:

All I can say is wow! This was the most comfy mattress and bedding set I've ever slept on! Granted, the cool room and darkening curtains were also a plus. :-) we quickly got dressed and headed to the lobby for our free continental breakfast. It was 9:30 so we only had a half hour to dine! Swatz got two bowls of chex cereal, fruit and oj. I ate one bowl of fiber one cereal, fruit, small Danish, oj, grapefruit juice and coffee! We finished right at 10 so prefect timing! We only have about 35 miles today so we can take our time and enjoy! We checked out, let our panniers at the hotel and headed to our main attraction.

Windmill Island Gardens:

The morning was actually quite nice weather wise as there was an overcast protecting us from the sun. We made quick work of the paltry 1 mile to get to the island. On the island is street made to look like one you would find in the Netherlands. The was about 4 shoppes each selling imported products and a small scale city scene depicting life back in the day. It was mainly geared for children but was still educational for us!

As we headed to the main attraction we got distracted by a huge antique music making machine. I don't recall the Dutch name for it but you feed it sheets of music and the machine plays it. It was pretty impressive sounding and looking!

The Windmill tour was quite informative as they led us up to each floor where they explained what occurred there. Essentially, this Windmill was used to produce flour from raw gain. The farmer would pull his horse cart through the lower level where the operator would lift his raw gain up to the grinding level (I believe the 4th floor). Here the Windmill would turn a giant stone which would grind the grain into a powder and force it through a chute to the packing floor below. There, the fresh flour was "bagged" and lowered down directly into the farmers cart. It was literally the first real drive thru! The town of Holland still produces flour in this way as the Dutch government would only allow the export of the Windmill if it's main function was preserved indefinitely. In fact, this was the last Windmill to ever be exported as the Netherlands declared the remaining as historical sites.

Good Earth:

Swatz was informed by a friend that she should visit a local vegetarian sandwich shop while in Holland. By this time it was after noon so we decided to pay it a visit. It was easy to find as it was literally across the street from the hotel. Swatz got a vegan wrap and I, all not very hungry, got a bagel with cream cheese. I must admit Swati's wrap was delicious (I had a nice a nibble). We collected our bags and waved goodbye to Holland.

Coffee. Tea. Or me?:

We had a relatively uneventful 22 mile ride to Grand Haven. I believe 8 of which were on a paved path parallel to the road. This nature filled path took us off the street and out of harms way. However, it wasn't as flat as the street and thus we had more of a rolling Hill type of route to deal with. I would have been on the street in no time had I been alone but Swati was enjoying it too much for me to suggest a change. Ultimately our average speed suffered as a result. The things I do for my wife! ;-)

Once in town we decided to explore a bit for a coffee shop snack. The town is a cleaner version of new Haven which may explain why they call it "grand"? Like Holland it too bad that college town feel only a bit more touristy. We found a nice coffee shop on the main strip which also had vegan treats so Swatz could" fuel" up. We enjoyed some free Wi-Fi but kept the visit short as it was approaching 6pm and we still had 12 or so miles to Muskegon.

Meh... Muskegon:

We chewed up the miles and found ourselves entering the not so awesome town of Muskegon. Earlier, in grand haven, we searched for hotels within 5 miles of the ferry and the Travelodge was the only one with a review greater than 3.5 which, based on the photos, wasn't very promising. I'm not really sure how to describe the sections we rode to get to the hotel other than it was reminiscent of the South side of Chicago. Boarded up houses and vacant strip malls. Gary Indiana looked like Lincoln Park compared to this.

As we rolled up to the hotel I was a bit alarmed at the number of people loitering in the hotel parking lot. Especially considering we just past an empty looking ginormous red roof Inn 1 block earlier. I envisioned it as some sort of crack dealer distribution center/hotel. Troy, the friendly hotel clerk, initially recommended the room with a hot tub stating "why not enjoy some time together in the 'tub'?" I kindly declined and he gave us a discounted rate for a floor level room. Our accommodations were musty but adequate. Hey, it had a working a/c unit, a shower that wouldn't drain and an old 25" SD TV! The free Wi-Fi was a shocking bonus... ;-) Despite, the rather drab hotel we were a mere 1 mile away from the highest rated restaurant in Muskegon "Hearthstone Bistro". We switched on our lights and off we went.

Fine dining - take two:

Typically I don't lock my bike when it is in view but after tonight's ride through town I figured why risk it. I even took my helmet with me just to be sure. The restaurant was fairly busy for 9pm but we managed a nice outdoor table. The staff was very knowledgeable and were able to assist Swati in creating a vegan dish. We ultimately decided on the two pasta dinners for $22 Wednesday special. She had spinach pasta with grilled Vegis while I had the local favorite Mamma's meatballs and spaghetti. In honor of my Dutch peeps I washed that down with some Heineken.

As we were wrapping up dinner we decided to double check the ferry times and purchase the tickets using their on line system. Turns out the 10:30am ferry has sold out! WTF! The restaurant staff said they usually sell out Thursday mornings. The next available ferry was 4:30pm! (insert slang word here). No way we want to spend Thursday in Muskegon! We decided to wake up at the crack of dawn Thursday morning and get to the ticket office ASAP to see if we could pull some strings... Fingers crossed!

Day 3: Hallo from Holland

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
51.02 miles	11.15 mph	475 ft	04:38:25	2606 cal

Alternate Plan:

OMG. Falling asleep last night was nearly impossible due to the ridiculous level of humidity. The sweat poured from pores as I tried to contort my body into positions that would minimize skin to anything contact. It was miserable... I must have eventually dozed off cause the next time I opened my eyes it was day light. I reached for my phone to see what time it was and to my horror it was already 9am!  We should have left by now! Fortunately Swatz was just waking up as well. My voice had a sense of urgency as I told her the time. Swati was clearly suffering from her allergies as her eyes were bright red and from the look of it she didn't get much sleep either. We pulled ourselves out of the tent and over to the picnic table to plan today's strategy.

We were scheduled to cycle about 58 miles through the town of Holland and ultimately to Lake Macatawa campground in Holland State Park. The town of Holland was one of the highlights of this trip given our past history with a past employer Philips.  Furthermore, it had the only working Dutch Windmill in the United States which would be cool to visit. Given Swati's allergy problem, the number of miles and lack of available time to spend in Holland I suggested we stay at a hotel smack dab in the heart of Holland. This would reduce the total miles by 7, allow us to get a nice dinner in town, and most importantly get a good night's sleep in a climate controlled room (allergens be damned) !  I called and secured a room at "Cityflats" hotel in downtown Holland thanks to Google maps!

As a bonus, we would also be shaving off some miles from tomorrow's route as well since the campground was kind of out of the way.  I estimate that reduces tomorrow by about 5 or so miles. This should afford us more "Smellin the roses" time. Even with this new plan we needed to get out of dodge and fast.

Morning "Mad"ness:

New plan put in place Swati headed to the bathroom to get ready and clear out her sinuses with her neti pot while I began packing up the camp site. I packed up as much as I could and headed to the bathroom to get ready. I returned and swati still wasn't back so I waited. And waited. Eventually she returned but was still wearing her sleeping clothes. Huh!? Apparently she forgot her cycle clothes. I was a bit shocked at how long she was gone and was expecting her to grab her clothes and head straight back to the bathroom. Especially considering how behind schedule we were. Without any sense of urgency she slowly went through her things and seemed to lolly gag.  Mind you, all my stuff is packed and my bike is fully loaded ready to go. I am just waiting for her. Without thinking of the fallout I mentioned this to her. Whoa! She did not like that at all. I tried to explain that the more time spent here reduces the amount of time spent checking out the site along the way. Sorry, but the KOA isn't really all that exciting! She grabbed her clothes and stomped off to the bathroom.

Minutes later she returned eyes welled up with tears. I immediately reached out and gave her a ginormous hug and apologized for how I handled the situation. She too apologized and stated that she was likely just dreading all the physical work ahead her. I told her she was doing great and that we could take our time since we already had the hotel booked.  Another hug and kiss later and we were off.

Cancelled at Clementines:

The 22 mile ride to South Haven, where we intend to stop for lunch, encapsulated virtually every terrain/situation a touring cyclist could encounter. We had paved roads, gravel roads, dirt roads, muddy paths, sandy paths, 2 miles of grass path and to top it off were chased by three dogs from the same house! A giant St Bernard, a yapping beagle and a pint sized ferocious chihuahua!  It was pretty awesome and I think Swati enjoyed it as well.  We ultimately reached our destination and asked a few locals for lunch venue recommendations. Clementines was the unanimous winner so we headed there.

The restaurant was in the center of town which, to my amazement, was full of hustle and bustle. We walked in and were immediately seated. Swati was excited to see they had a special vegetarian menu. The only problem was the menu wasn't vegan friendly. In fact they had a hell of time coming up with something for her to eat. Ultimately it got sorted and they conjured up sauté vegetables with cajun seasoning. She thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the "famous" perch sandwich. It wasn't all that great but I still managed to clean my plate. :)

We wrapped up and I handed my amazon credit card to the waitress. She came back and told me it was declined. What? I apologized and swati took care of the bill while I immediately phoned Chase. Turns out they canceled my card due to potential fraudulence. Apparently they thought I lost my card because of my recent charges in Indiana and Michigan. They are issuing me a new card which could be delivered directly to me tomorrow.  That really doesn't help me as I am traveling by bike! The kind Indian gentleman from the call center was sympathetic to my situation and authorized the use of my existing card through Sunday only if it is hand swiped through a card reader. In other words, no online transactions. Crisis averted!

We are not alone:

We were once again back on the road and heading towards Holland. The roads were pretty good but the temps were hot. Fortunately there were occasional patches of clouds that would provide relief from the beating sun. Throughout the afternoon I could see Swati improving with every pedal stroke. She was chugging up bridges with up to 7% grades with a mildly loaded bike! No complaining and an occasional "woo hoo" at the top! That's my girl!

At some point in the afternoon we pulled aside for a water break in a nice shady spot along the road when off in the distance we could see another touring cyclist approaching from the opposite direction. He was solo and decided to stop and have a chat with us. Terry is a retired gentleman from Minnesota who started from his home, cane across the ferry to Muskegon and we'll work his way around the lake before heading back to Minnesota. Amazingly, He mentioned that we were the first touring cyclists he had seen since he began his trip. He had some artery troubles (stints) a few years back and decided he needed to so something about it. He borrowed a bike and started riding. He immediately loved it and now has a swanky soma with all the bells and whistles. He had amassed over 4000 miles this year alone!  Unfortunately his wife doesn't share his passion and decided to leave the cycling to him.

The perfect cure for the heat:

After our nice chat we continued towards our destination. The heat was still an issue and the air was heavy. We could fit one more break in before the final 8 mile push to Holland. Up ahead we saw a Dairy Queen imposter called Dairy Days. We pulled off and got some much deserved icy treats. Swatz got a mango and pineapple slushy and I ordered a cherry and vanilla ice cream Glacier. This place didn't have an indoor area so we sat at one of the many picnic tables outside and enjoyed. I never had a Glacier before and Damn was it delicious!

Smellin the roses:

We knocked out the remaining miles and entered Dutch country! You could immediately tell by all the Dutch street names that we were indeed getting close.   Holland MI is a modern yet quaint college town teeming with a mix of people on her streets. We checked in, showered, ditched the bikes and hit the streets. It was about 9pm so most shops were closed as we meandered up and down the Ave. Ultimately we found our way to New Holland Brewing Company for dinner and more importantly Beer!

Swatz had a yummy portobello burger while I had a delicious steak salad.  I enjoyed two of of the three craft beers before retiring for the evening. Despite the rocky start this turned out to be the best day yet!

Day 2: Soul Searching

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
62.13 miles	11.1 mph	385 ft	05:34:21	3178 cal

The art of fibbing:

I know we've all been told to never tell a lie...  I know. However some lies do more good than harm. Case in point. I woke up before my wife and went outside to where our phones were charging to see what time it was when I heard her stir and then ask me "what time is it" .  I knew it was only 7am. I also knew today we would be crossing into the eastern time zone and essentially losing an hour. I knew I wanted an early start so....  I told her it was "8am" .  Essentially putting us into the eastern time zone before we were actually there. I then said emphatically "it is time to get up! " as we wanted to stop at the dunes before heading out.   She staggered out of bed and immediately walked to her charged phone and said "it is only 7!". To which I replied "your phone just hasn't updated its internal clock to the eastern time zone ". She switched out of airplane mode and gave me the look. I was busted. Busted but off to the early start I knew we would need a we were scheduled for about 57 got and humid miles...

Before heading out we rolled to the sandy shores of the dunes. The dunes was practically empty as it was only like 8:30 local time. :)  We ditched our sandals and socks and dipped our feet into the ice cold waters of Lake Michigan. Yep... Just as frigid as back home!

Breakfast? Anyone? :

The air still had that morning chill as we hit the Calumet Prairie path towards Michigan City. Swatz led the way and was looking crisp as can be. I think she was really enjoying the colorful wild flowers and tall brush that flanked either side of the path almost creating a crevasse filed with nature for us to traverse our bikes through. After 12 tranquil miles we arrived and began looking for breakfast. We decided to forego camp breakfast in favor of dining in something in town.  After asking a local it was determined that most establishments open their doors at 11am.  It was only 10:15!  Fortunately one local told us about the "Lighthouse Inn" which began serving breakfast at 7am. I enjoyed some scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, white toasted (pretty buttered - love) and coffee.  Swatz had hash browns, oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar and orange juice. We ate like vultures! :)

Tough as nails:

With our bellies full we made our way coast side for some scenic riding as we headed north to Bridgeman which was just 10 miles up the road. The road had some rolling hills but the spectacular view was worth it. At least that is what I thought. Swatz seemed to be lagging quite a bit so I asked if she was okay. I could immediately tell without a word spoken that she was in a bad place. I've always mentioned that these types of tours not only test you physically but are perhaps more mentally draining than one might think. She was in that place and I needed to get her back.

After struggling for the next 5 miles we reached the quaint lake side town of New Buffalo. I immediately spotted a small cafe and we headed inside to chill down and chat.  I figured let's get something cool to drink, relax in some a/c and then discuss her emotional state. My hope was that a small break would do her good and I was spot on. After 5 minutes of sipping her beverage I could slowly see her coming back. She opened up and mentioned her allergies were causing her to lose sleep at night and that she was mentally and physically tired.  I proposed that we cut today's ride short and stay in a nice climate controlled hotel where she could get a full nights rest. We could then plan from there. Essentially we could do whatever we wanted and that there isn't any rules about where we slept at night. The only rule was to enjoy ourselves. That seemed to lift her spirits way up... She then had to convince me that we should stick with the original plan.  That she could so it.   That's my girl! Always a fighter! :-)

Smell the roses:

After several ice teas and warm embrace we continued the scenic ride along the coast. Swati gaining confidence with each pedal stroke. We stopped for some roadside snacks where I could tell she was wavering but nothing some trail mix (with chocolate of course) couldn't remedy.  After some more miles we stopped at a gas station / Quiznos store where swati ate lunch.  I was still satisfied with all the trail mix I devoured 30 minutes prior so enjoyed some cold water while stealing some electricity.

We were on the road and determined to reach St Josephs where we would shop for groceries and I would grab a quick bite to eat for the 8 mile push to the KOA in Riverside. We reached and decided to roll down towards the restaurants. I figured let's jus grab a nice dinner here and forget about camp cooking. Swati seemed to take to that and we decided on a nice Mediterranean place with outdoor seating. The kind of place where you order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Swatz got the spinach rolls and backlava (too lazy to spell check it) and I had a ginormous chicken gyro with fries and a coke. It was really magnificent. The cucumber sauce was flavorful but not to overwhelming. Now this is exactly what I envisioned we would be doing on this trip! Time to relax and enjoy! Hopefully we can build off of this and make the necessary time to smell the Damn roses! :-)

KOA or Bust! :

I knew of we wrapped up dinner near 7pm we would reach the campground with plenty of daylight left to setup camp. The last few miles were a struggle for her but she pulled through and we reached just before they were closing up for the night (8:00pm).  We setup camp, chatted and are now sweating our asses off inside the tent. :-) hopefully we'll get some relief from the heat and Swatz can get a sound sleep.

Over and out!

Day 1: Better late than never!

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
54.8 miles	10.87 mph	350 ft	05:02:30	3060 cal

Late Departure:

I had a rather rigid plan to leave our house no later than 9am. I figured the more day light the better. As I was setting my alarm for 8am Swatz stated she would like to sleep in a bit more as she has been getting up at 5:30am for marathon training runs. Fair enough I thought. I need her at 100 percent so if more sleep is needed the so be it. W I layed my head on the pillow and fell fast asleep.

We both stumbled out of bed around 9:30 and each ventured to their respective bathrooms. I was the first out around 9:50 and began loading up the bikes. Swatz came down around 10 or so and we contemplated breakfast. We had a few garden tomatoes that we didn't want to see spoil so we sliced them up and chowed down!

Last week Swatz attempted to learn how to use toe clips. I swapped out her standard pedals for some with toe clips. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to practice enough so she decided to stick with what she knows best. Smart decision. However, as we were just rolling out she realized her bike still had the clip pedals so we headed back into the yard where I did a 6 minute pedal swap. My fastest time yet! Officially, at 11:06, we embarked on our journey!

Old Friends:

Leena, an old friend of Swati's, was in Chicago for the weekend so we decided to meet her at noon at a Starbucks on Roosevelt Rd to catch up. The route calls for us to pick up the lake front bike path near Roosevelt Rd so this worked out perfectly. We are a little early so we picked up some subway sandwiches for lunch later and then headed to Starbucks. We quickly spotted her and say outside to enjoy some cold coffee beverages. Turns out she was in town to interview some new tenants for her condo. She currently resides in NY but immediately felt nostalgic when returning. Who knows maybe we convinced her to move back! After an hour of chatting we exchanged hugs and headed toward the lake shore.

Lake Shore Path:

I always forget how awesome Chicago really is. Such a vibrant place with so much to offer its inhabitants. There are a few new beaches along the path that are little slices of heaven. They weren't crowded and we're super clean. I think most citizens aren't even aware these exist... They just think North Ave beach is it. Although, maybe that's the way the south siders want it... All to themselves!

While riding and gawking I recognized an oncoming rider. It was my buddy Allen from our ice hockey team. I knew he lived over here but never expected to run into him! We chatted a bit before continuing on. Always cool meeting up with friends even if by chance.

Welcome to Indiana:

After knocking out a bunch of miles we finally broke into Indiana. I heard a lot of negative things about this area so I sort of had my guard up. Boy was I misinformed. So many people either waved or said hello as we past that it was almost like someone informed them that I was coming and they had to get the word out that this place isn't bad at all! We even chatted with a bunch of elderly men hanging out at a McDonald's. They fought in several wars together as paratroopers and were sharing story after story. These guys were hilariously funny and eager to talk. You just have to be willing to say hello. I suppose that is why I do these tours.. To see for myself what people and places are like in person an not by stereotypes I haven't been disappointed yet!

The Dunes of Indiana:

After a long hot day on the saddle we reached our final destination around 7pm. We found a cozy camp site and shared a hot, albeit, freeze dried meal of chili. It was delicious! A shower later and I'm laying here in bed writing this post while listening to Swatz snore away! :-) After her first big day and with all the miles racked up she needs and deserves a sound sleep. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzz. :-)

Nighty night

It takes two to tango

Bike Distance	Avg Speed	Total Ascent	Saddle Time	Calories
0.0 miles	0.0 mph	0 ft	00:00:00	0 cal

It takes two to tango!

It has been just over a year ago since I completed my first solo tour: 2012 Rockey Mountain Tour. It feels like years ago! :-) This time around will be even more special as my wife Swati (AKA Swatz. AKA Shonu) will be touring with me! "YEAH!"...Wait... "HELL YEAH!!!!". This is is her first bike tour and really her first time riding more than 50 miles in a day! She's a strong willed and determined woman so I am confident she'll do just fine out there on the road. The course is mostly flat and the days miles aren't too large. We will travel at her pace and, as I always say, we will take the time to "stop and smell the roses"!

I have always been a lucky man as she completely supported me throughout my endeavors no matter how selfish they were. Even if that meant I would be seeing some of the most beautiful sites on earth without her. On numerous occasions I had thought "this would be sooooooo coooool if Swatz was here to experience this moment with me!". I am so excited that I won't have to think those thoughts on this tour! I hope she too takes to touring like I have so we can continue pedaling our way around this awesome planet together!

Shons, may have I have this first dance?

Facebook:

For all my Facebook addict friends I will periodically post trip and blog status on my Facebook page. Please keep the comments coming (at Facebook or Blogger)! I will enjoy hearing from you all!

Posting:

I will likely have pretty decent mobile coverage so my postings should be daily. However, since I won't be alone on this trip the postings may be less detailed as my time will be better spent with Swatz! :) Keep checking back or sign up for email status notifications to see when my posts finally "post". :)

Final Thoughts:

As one can expect, these trips are typically an emotional roller coaster. When the sun is shining things are typically up beat and you cannot believe how beautiful this countries landscape is. When it is rainy and cold you just want to hunker down in your tent and question "why the hell am I doing this?". Ultimately, months after you return, you look back at these posts, read all the comments and say to yourself "That was a pretty damn awesome experience!"

Your Friend,
Dennis

P.S. I really enjoy reading all your comments. They brighten up my day and lift me up when my spirits are down so KEEP THEM COMING! :)