The Longest Day

After finishing our rousing dinner at 10:00 at Johnny Carino's capping off our first day's ride to Holland, Vikki and Craig headed to Ann Arbor (155 miles) while Dale and Susan headed to Homewood, IL (140 miles). Mark and Jeff had actually driven from Michigan City to Saugatuck after our Gathering of the Scattered dinner at the Sahara in Michigan City on Sunday. They would take two days to ride from Saugatuck to Ludington meeting Michelle and Bill and the SAGGER team in Ludington at the end of Day 2.

Our departure time from the Super 8 in Michigan City (Day 1) was to be 7:00, but by the time we captured all the photo ops, etc., it was 7:30. Ten miles into the ride we moved into Eastern Time so in actuality departure was 8:30.

Day 2 to Ludington would be 119 miles so we were aiming for a firm 7:00 departure. At 6:50 no one had seen Bill. Kirk knocked on his door and found him in the middle of a reverie. Needless to say we did not leave by 7:00. It was more like 7:50.

Ten miles into the ride we received our first text of the day from Michelle: she had flatted. Second text of the day: she had flatted a second time, this time a pinch flat while changing the first--a foreshadowing of a long day.

The bike trail through Muskegon had been finished since my last ride through there and I hear it was lovely. Would like to have ridden it with them since I have such fond memories of riding in, around, and through the Haven's Muskegon, Pentwater, Ludington with Denise, Ken, Don, and my Chicagoland bent buddies pre-completed bike trail.

A few more miles down the road we hit our first unrideable stretch of road construction: not even a bike could get through. Kirk and I hung out waiting for the riders to plan the re-route. When they arrived, their elapsed riding speed was another 8 mph, a foreshadowing of seeing the moon rise on the road.

We drove ahead to Montague (18 miles), parked and read for nearly 3 hours waiting for their arrival, until we were run off our parking spot because a local said our car wheels were on her Aunt's grass. Whatever.

By the time the riders showed up it was after 3:00. At this rate they would not pull into Ludington till 9:30 p.m. at the earliest. Time to bump them up 30-odd miles to Pentwater. I tell you what, we were one, stuffed van with 4 people, two Bacchettas, 3 large shopping bags of Hammer Products, 6 people's luggage, extra wheels, an ice cooler, a water jug, and a bunch of other smaller miscellany.

Dropped the riders off in Pentwater; from there they had a WONDERFUL ride on into Ludington.

Hooked up with Mark and Jeff at James Port Brewing Co. for dinner in Ludington, toured the Badger Ferry Dock with Michelle and Bill wrapping up the second day.