It's Not Fluorescent Orange, It's Tangerine

A farewell dinner with Mark and Jeff at The Galley in St. Ignace after loading their bikes in our van.They would take a bus from St. Ignace to Holland where their car was parked; Michelle would carry on alone from Trout Lake, 30 miles NE of St. Ignace on around the Lake to finish in Wilmette.

We had been looking forward to our night's stay in Trout Lake at the Birch Lodge and Motel. Pre-arrival conversations foreshadowed a memorable night most notably when Bill, the co-proprietor, proudly told us that people from all over the country came to the Motel for its vintage mid-century furnishings and Tangerine colored walls, which should not be mistaken for fluorescent orange.











Bill and Deb had bought the Birch Lodge and Motel not too long ago and were looking forward to turning it into a bed and breakfast.








The mosquitoes were resplendent and very large.

The Lodge looked quite elegant on the outside but on the inside was memorable in a 1940's sense.





The vintage microwave was located in the Lodge's kitchen, which I believe was their personal kitchen, too. It took 3 minutes to heat a 6 ounce cup of soy milk.





Bill had worked in forestry for many years in the UP so knew the area well. Michelle and I were reviewing the next day's routes with him and he brought us to the map on the wall in the great room. It was vintage 1940, parchment brown and featured the best places to hunt and fish. Didn't want to hurt his feelings, but we stuck with the 2011 Cycling Map of the UP. :)