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!