Tour of Lake Michigan 1987

Bicycle with rear rack carrying red panniers and blue camping tent

Prologue

Recently I've been digitizing documents from several boxes of memorabilia and found some journal notes and photos related to a bike trip I took in 1987.

I thought it would be fun to use the notes and photos as source material for a travel blog post, and have added maps for additional context.

Although the actual bike tour began on August 3, 1987, the planning and preparation began earlier that year in the spring.

[Journal entry - Wednesday, March 31]

I am in Evanston, Illinois at college, talking on the phone with my mom who lives in Michigan. She wants to buy a new bike for me on Saturday. I think it's a good idea.

[Journal entry - Thursday, April 2]

I am looking forward to getting a new bike.

[Journal entry - Saturday, April 4]

My mom calls me on the phone. She is at the Alfred E. Bike store in Kalamazoo and checking out the bikes. She asks me which one I want. I think about it and then ask her to wait. I tell her I will come to Kalamazoo next weekend and we can pick out the bike then.

Evanston and Kalamazoo

[Journal entry - Friday, April 10]

Something good is going to happen. Tomorrow I'll be driving to Kalamazoo to get a new bike. I am very excited.

[Journal entry - Sunday, April 12]

Yesterday I drove home to get a new bicycle. It's a Miyata 712 and it's red and yellow. Today I'm taking it for an inaugural ride with my roommate Bryan. We are riding up Sheridan Road for about 10 miles, then making our way back along Green Bay Road until we reach Wilmette, and finally reconnecting with Sheridan Road and returning to Evanston.

From Evanston, route north on Sheridan Road approximately 10 miles to the Chicago Botanic Garden , returning south on Green Bay Road

Throughout the next few months of the spring and summer of '87, I continued to ride in the Evanston area, going to Fort Sheridan , the Lake Forest College campus, and other places along Lake Michigan.

Lake Forest College, Fort Sheridan, Evanston

In early July, after returning from a weekend visit to Michigan, I began to think about taking a longer bike tour. This would be a vacation from my summer job at the chair factory in Evanston. My plan was to ride either from Evanston to Kalamazoo, or in the reverse direction from Kalamazoo to Evanston.

By mid-July, I had decided on the route.

I would ride north from Evanston up through Wisconsin, then take a ferry boat from Door County, Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Next, I would ride across the Upper Peninsula, over the Mackinac Bridge, and then south along the shoreline of Lake Michigan until I reached Kalamazoo.

Route from Evanston, Illinois to Kalamazoo, Michigan via Door Peninsula of Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Preparation

On Thursday, July 16 I went to the local Sportmart sporting goods store to pick up some bike travel gear.

That weekend I went on an overnight camping trip as a trial run. On Saturday I went from Evanston to Lake Geneva, Illinois and spent the night at a campground there, and then returned to Evanston on Sunday.

Trial run, bike and gear at campground near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

The trial run was a success. When I returned to work that week, I met with my boss at the chair factory to schedule some vacation time. I was set to begin the trip in two weeks.

Tour of Lake Michigan

Day 1 of the Tour (Monday, August 3)

Bike loaded and ready to ride

[Journal entry - Day 1]

It's the first day of the bike trip and everything is going well. I leave Evanston around 8 am, heading toward Lake Geneva.

Along the way, I stop at a town to have lunch at a White Hen Pantry. A lady approaches me and asks if I can hold her dog while she goes into the store to cash a check and get a pop. She is nice and we chat about how she is going to breed her dog and raise litters to sell.

Next, I am making another stop at Powers Lake to go for a swim. I am astonished by the warmth of the lake water. After swimming, I go across the road to air conditioned lounge and have a pizza for $1.50 and two beers at $0.25 each.

There is an old man bartender and a couple in the lounge, and two men sitting across from me. It's a mellow atmosphere and all the people are pretty laid back.

Lake Geneva is not far away. My legs begin to feel heavy as I finish biking these last few miles of the day.

Route from Evanston to Lake Geneva, with stop at Powers Lake

[Journal entry - Day 1, continued]

I roll into the town of Lake Geneva around 5 pm and stop at a drug store to get toothpaste and soap. When leaving the store, I chat with three girls who are sitting next to my bicycle. As it turns out, they are from Chicago and are staying at the Big Foot Beach State Park, which is where I am staying as well. We talk about getting together later in the evening.

I'm now at the campsite. I'm feeling positive about the prospect of meeting up with the girls.

Bicycle at campsite, Big Foot Beach State Park , Wisconsin

[Journal entry - Day 1, continued]

After I finish setting up my tent, clouds move in and it begins to rain. The rain continues. I consider taking a nap until it stops.

I begin to think about tomorrow and how it's going to be a long day of riding. I think about various route options I might take along the way.

I am feeling peaceful. I hear thunder rolling in the distance and the pitter patter of raindrops on my tent.

I go to sleep.

Day 2 of the Tour (Tuesday, August 4)

The next day I rode from Lake Geneva northward up to near the Little Switzerland Ski Area, and then camped at Pike Lake Beach . The day started off fine, but I quickly ran into some problems.

Day 2 turned out to be the most difficult day of the trip.

Route from Big Foot Beach State Park to Pike Lake Beach at Kettle Moraine State Forest

Rolling hills of Wisconsin

A field of freshly cut hay, Wisconsin

A long day in the saddle, Wisconsin

This is where the painted lines end, Wisconsin

[Journal entry - Day 2]

I have not followed the maps well and have taken a roundabout route from Lake Geneva. There is a constant headwind the entire way, and the hills continue to get bigger as the day goes on.

A large Rottweiler dog begins barking as I ride past a farmhouse. I turn to look, and the dog is suddenly chasing me. I'm not sure if I can get away and am a little bit worried. A woman walking down the road begins yelling and the dog is distracted. I pedal away.

It's a cold night at the Pike Lake Beach campground.

Day 3 of the Tour (Wednesday, August 5)

[Journal entry - Day 3, morning]

Good morning! Today should be a long but hopefully flatter ride up to Point Beach State Park. It's 9 am and I'm getting a late start. After yesterday I am feeling tired. Because yesterday was so hilly, today I am heading closer to Lake Michigan where the terrain is flatter.

Route from Pike Lake Beach to Point Beach , traveling through Manitowoc

[Journal entry - Day 3, continued]

It doesn't look like I'm going to make Thursday's ferry on the Island Clipper , so I need to call and change the reservation to Saturday instead. This is due to my inaccurate map reading and the unexpected hills and wind yesterday.

It's not a big deal, I have built in room on my itinerary for a few extra days.

Now, it's time to ride.

Panel 1 of 3, panorama of rolling Wisconsin countryside

Panel 2 of 3, panorama of rolling Wisconsin countryside

Panel 3 of 3, panorama of rolling Wisconsin countryside

Unknown location in Wisconsin, TBD

Same unknown location in Wisconsin, TBD

[Journal entry - Day 3, continued]

I call the Island Clipper to change my reservation on the ferry from Thursday August 6 to Saturday August 8 because I am not going to be at Gills Rock by tonight.

Reaching the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

Downtown Manitowoc, Wisconsin at the corner of S. 8th Street and Washington Street, along the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway. The Budweiser silos have since been rebranded.

[Journal entry - Day 3, evening]

I am lying upon the foam pad inside the tent. I'm in Wisconsin, at the Point Beach State Forest camping grounds. The ranger has put me in the overflow camping area and there's no one else here.

I can hear the crickets chirping and the rolling of the waves of Lake Michigan. An occasional owl hooting. It's nice.

Reflecting on today. It was a long ride, 105 miles from 10 am to 8 pm. I'm glad I made it to this State Park. It's nice and has a warm shower, which feels great after 2 days of bathing in cold water splashings from a faucet.

I'm finding that a big breakfast of complex carbohydrates (pasta, fruit, etc.), followed by lots of candy bars and Mountain Dew throughout the day, and then a big dinner of more complex carbohydrates, is helping to give me good energy to ride.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's ride. I'll be traveling closer to the lake, where it's flat and there will be a cool breeze.

My plan for tomorrow is to ride to Potawatomi State Park near Sturgeon Bay, and then Friday ride to Newport State Park . That will be two short rides, giving me some extra time to recover.

Recorded mileage for the first three days.

Day 1 - 85 miles

Day 2 - 80 miles

Day 3 - 105 miles

Looking forward to a couple of shorter days. I'm going to do some reading now, then go to sleep.

Day 4 of the Tour (Thursday, August 6)

[Journal entry - Day 4]

It's a casual 60 mile ride today from Point Beach State Forest to Potawatomi State Park. The shorter distance is making for a mellow day, leaving me with more energy for relaxing. (I wonder if that sounds right?)

It's now 11:30 am and I'm having an awesome brunch in Kewaunee. There, I meet a man who tells me he lives in Ludington, Michigan and offers to let me stay at his house when I pass through there in a few days.

I reflect on metaphysical and religious questions, and the importance of being kind to others.

I arrive at Potawatomi State Park around 3:30 pm. The forecast is for rain tonight. I'm really looking forward to another day of easy riding tomorrow.

Route from Point Beach State Forest to Potawatomi State Park, traveling through Kewaunee

Day 5 of the Tour (Friday, August 7)

[Journal entry - Day 5]

Today I stop at Ecology Sports in Sister Bay. I pump up my bike tires with their air compressor and am pretty psyched about that. 60 miles today and I'm feeling very recovered.

Route from Potawatomi State Park to Newport State Park

[Journal entry - Day 5, continued]

My plan is to stay at Newport State Park, which is about 5 miles from the ferry at Gills Rock. But when I arrive at Newport, the ranger tells me they have no vacancy, and that I should try the next closest campground which is about 9 miles from Gills Rock.

Deciding to take my chances, I go directly to Gills Rock to see what might be available. Gills Rock is located at the northernmost tip of the Door Peninsula and it turns out there really is not much there. A small "tourist-boat" marina, a gift shop, a restaurant, a motel. A boat field.

That's it. I'm camping at the boat field.

It's evening now and I'm at the Gills Rock Shoreline Restaurant , having a dinner of broccoli cheese soup. With a beer.

Tomorrow I will be taking the Island Clipper ferry to Fayette, Michigan . This is a big milestone in my journey around Lake Michigan.

There is a great view out the window from this restaurant seat. I can see the waters of Green Bay and the Door Bluff. The sun has been slowly setting toward northernmost tip of the green and wooded bluff, and there are shadows shimmering on the waters of the bay.

The music in the restaurant is peaceful and reminds me of something from Windham Hill , maybe George Winston. It seems to match the scenery.

There are gulls floating and soaring in the air, filling the horizon, silhouetted against the water. Clouds begin to haze across the fading sun. There are a few people out on the docks, fishing and whatnot. Others are relaxing on their boats.

I'm hoping to make it to the Straits State Park in St. Ignace by Sunday.

The sun is just now at the horizon surface of the water. When it gets dark, I'll have another beer.

There is only one other person in the restaurant, a woman talking with the owner. She is going to be taking the ferry tomorrow. The owner confirms that she needs to be at Charlie Voights in the morning in order to catch the ferry.

I have a piece of pie and stay until the restaurant closes. Then walk over to the boat field and set up camp.

Day 6 of the Tour (Saturday, August 8)

Ferry route from Gills Rock, Wisconsin to Fayette, Michigan

[Journal entry - Day 6, morning]

It's a fresh new morning. With the wind blowing and the waves splashing, the Island Clipper forges on to Fayette, Michigan from Gills Rock, Wisconsin.

There are many other boats out on the water today, and it looks like it might be a good day to be out on Lake Michigan.

It sounds good, doesn't it?

Today we should land in Fayette around 11:00 am. Then it will be time for breakfast. Afterwards, I will take the M-183 highway north to up to US Highway 2 and then start heading east.

I'm not sure yet whether I'll stop at Indian Lake State Park or just keep going until I get tired.

Tomorrow night, if possible, I'd like to be at Straits State Park.

For now, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the rest of this ride.

The Island Clipper docked at the Fayette State Park Marina in Snail Shell Harbor, in Fayette, Michigan.

There are some interesting sights in Fayette, which I briefly toured before beginning my ride for the day.

Iron smelting furnaces at Fayette Historical State Park, Michigan

Once I leave Fayette and begin riding, some incredible tailwinds pick up on the Upper Peninsula, and instead of stopping at Indian Lake State Park near Manistique which I had thought I might do, I ride an additional 50 miles and make it all the way to Naubinway.

A beautiful sight in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Flat road and a smooth, wide bike lane. You can't see the tailwinds, but they're there!

[Journal entry - Day 6, evening]

After reaching Naubinway, I see no signs of a campground. I visit a little ice cream - buffalo burger store to ask someone if there is a campground nearby.

The kid behind the counter says the closest campground is about 7 miles from town, and he really is not even sure about that.

I look through the phone book and find nothing.

The kid and I chat for a while. Some people come in for ice cream and then leave. The kid suggests I just go camp out in a field somewhere nearby, and I decide to do that.

As I'm getting on my bike, an older couple and their little girl start talking to me about my bike trip. I explain that I had been looking forward to camping in Naubinway, but I couldn't find a campground. They suggested that I try a little park down by the marina. They tell me it has a small restroom and picnic tables, but warn that it might be cold because it's right on the lake.

I thank them and ride to the marina. There is no one there. The bathroom has hot running water, and a hot shower! I am psyched about this. The park also has a great view of the Naubinway harbor and Lake Michigan too, so this is a big plus.

Route from Fayette to Naubinway

Day 7 of the Tour (Sunday, August 9)

Naubinway Marina , the northernmost point of Lake Michigan

[Journal entry - Day 7]

I wake up at the Naubinway Marina and take a nice long hot shower, and shave for the first time in a week. I feel great.

After breaking camp, I am on US Highway 2 again. I stop at a local grocery store for a bite to eat.

Riding again, I soon spot a bicycle lying along the road in the grass. I look over to my right and see a few people sitting in a front yard at a picnic table. A man wearing bike clothing waves me over, so I stop to chat for a bit.

The man's name is Ritt and the bicycle belongs to him. It turns out that he is on a bike trip too. As we are both going east, we decide to ride together to St. Ignace, which is where Straits State Park is located.

As we approach St. Ignace it begins to rain, and we opt to split a motel room for the night ($10 each, not bad).

Ritt has a load of stories to tell. He has been riding around the perimeter of the Upper Peninsula and tomorrow is the last day of his trip.

In addition to his stories, Ritt has a lot of good bike traveling ideas. One of them is to not pay for a place to sleep if you don't have to. I'm giving it consideration. I have been trying to stay at State Parks so far.

We watch a show on T.V. and I fall asleep.

Route from Naubinway to St. Ignace

Day 8 of the Tour (Monday, August 10)

[Journal entry - Day 8]

Ritt and I go to a truck stop in St. Ignace for breakfast, and decide to visit Mackinac Island for the day, traveling there by ferry.

Ritt is a retired Jr. High history teacher, and enjoys stopping at the interpretive signs on the island. He explains the French and Canadian trader history to me, including the story of Dr. Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin .

Ritt at Mackinac Island, Michigan

[Journal entry - Day 8, continued]

We ride our bikes around the perimeter of island. A dude on a racing bike pulls up alongside of us and says he is staying at the Grand Hotel . He is on some sort of a business trip vacation and invites us to visit the hotel as his guests.

Ritt says we should go, otherwise we will need to pay an extra fee to visit the hotel.

The dude's room is at the top of the hotel, with an incredible view of Lake Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge . His girlfriend is down on the Great Lawn having a drink.

After visiting the hotel, it's time for Ritt and I to bid each other farewell and continue our respective trips.

Ferry 1 route from Upper Peninsula to Mackinac Island, Ferry 2 route from Mackinac Island to Lower Peninsula

[Journal entry - Day 8, continued]

I take the second ferry of the day, this time from the island to Mackinac City on the Lower Peninsula.

Upon arriving in Mackinac City, I chat with a pretty girl for a while and then start riding toward Petosky.

Instead of staying in Petosky, however, I find a place to camp amongst the pine trees along U.S. Highway 31 somewhere between the towns of Pellston and Brutus.

Route from Mackinac City to pine grove campsite

The Missing Days

I have found no additional written or photographic record for the remainder of the trip. I don't recall the number of days I continued to ride or where I stayed each night.

There is an image in my mind of a white lighthouse. There are three along that part Lake Michigan:

Manistee North Pierhead Light

Big Sable Point Lighthouse

Ludington North Breakwater Light

At some point I may have camped at or near Silver Lake State Park .

My mom recalls me telling her that I had camped in someone's front yard.

This part of the report is still in progress.

I eventually arrived at the north side of Muskegon, where I learned that a large thunderstorm system was moving in. Instead of getting caught out in the storm, I called my mom, and she drove from Kalamazoo to pick me up.

Route from the pine grove campsite to Muskegon

Why No Record?

The final journal entry for the trip was made on the evening of Monday, August 10, 1987 (day 8) while camped in the pine grove.

The next journal entry after that was made a little over two weeks later.

On Wednesday August 26, 1987, I wrote: "Realizing that I have not written in a while, I will give the explanation that I really didn't feel like it. [..] I guess I was busy doing other things. Biking for a while, and then doing a lot of reading."