Days 18-26, July 9th-17th (354 miles)

Northern Wisconsin/Michigan Upper Peninsula

Mural on the Upper Peninsula


I’ve had a difficult time staying current with my blog on this leg of the trip, so I’ve decided to forego my usual format and do something a little different. I’m going to summarize my last week and rather than write very much, I’ll post pics of my trip.

I spent the weekend of the July 9th and 10th resting up at my friend’s home in Milwaukee. To my sheer delight, my buddy, Chris, decided to take a week’s vacation and join me on the road. Chris’ father-in-law has a travel trailer in Fremont, WI. Chris’ wife, Sarah, drove us to Fremont on Sunday evening, and Chris and I left early the next morning on our trip.

Blue Velvet at Lake Michigan

We decided to ride up to Northern Wisconsin and make our way up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The weather was beautiful. It stayed in the low 70’s for almost our entire trip. We had no flat tires, and it never rained on us. Mote than that, it was so gratifying to have someone with whom to share the sights, especially after having ridden for 17 days solo.

We originally considered going around the entire lake. We soon realized that we simply would not have enough time. We decided to had south, but rather than cover previously traveled territory, we worked out something else. We hired a local sport fishing vessel to ferry us the 25 miles from Cedar River, MI to Door County, WI, a county above Green Bay, WI which forms it’s own peninsula into Lake Michigan. I feel accurate in describing it as the Cape Cod of the Midwest. We pedaled along the Green Bay side of the lake, passing charming little lakeside towns as we went. We ate well; we took lots of pictures; we had fun. Door County was the highlight of our trip.

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Blue Velvet at Cedar Creek Harbor (Where we hired the fishing boat to take us across the lake to Door County, WI)

Relaxing at the Winery

Mural on the Upper Penisula

Sometimes it's difficult to find two trees to sleep between!

Smoked Trout, Bread, Provalone, Wine, and Fresh Tomatoes (Some of the simpler campsite meals are the most enjoyable!)

Calming Scenery (This pic was taken by Chris. I like it.)

Blue Velvet on the Black Pearl (The boat that ferried us across the Green Bay to Door County.)

Capt. Dave (on the left) and Chris, posing with Blue Velvet

Wisconsin Farmland

Chris, loaded up and ready to go.

Riding down main street in one of the many towns I've passed through.

A nice bike path is always welcomed!

Day 17, July 8, 2011

Mural on Southside of Chicago
Dune State Park, IN to Highwood, IL (84 miles)

I had a long day of urban cycling. I rode through Gary, IN, the Eastside and Southside of Chicago, and right past downtown Chicago. Chicago has some good dedicated bike lanes, even in the less desirable parts of town. Of all the type of riding, I think I like urban cycling best of all. One would be tempted to think that biking in a highly urban environment is the more dangerous than pedaling in less concentrated population centers, but, in my experience, I have found it to be untrue for a few important reasons.

Firstly, in an urban environment, cars generally move more slowly when compared to less populated areas. There are more stop lights located at more frequent locations which serves to keep cars moving at lower speeds. The pedestrians, drivers, and other cyclist also seem to move more deliberately; they’re decisive. While one certainly has to keep his head about him, the fact that there’s so much going on, forces one to pay attention. I’ve noticed that drivers, for example, don’t typically text while driving in urban traffic. How could they? One must be engaged actively, not passively--as in the type of driving I witness in suburbia (the absolute worst environments for bike riding).

I stopped for lunch at the beach in Chicago. Chicago has a wonderful stretch along Lake Michigan where people can swim and eat at the various outdoor food vendors. There’s a nice bike path that runs for about 10 miles between the lake and Lakeshore Drive. I met a nice couple from Charlotte, N.C., Tom & Martha, who were spending a long weekend to enjoy the sights of Chicago. They had asked me to take a picture of them together. I, of course, obliged them. We got ourselves into a conversation, and they asked me about my trip. As we started talking, we found we had some things in common. Tom’s brother for instance, had taught high school English for 35 years. One of their sons had attended Hampden-Sydney College, my Alma mater, before transferring to another school.

Tom is a CEO of a software/technology company that assists large companies and corporations who deal with the public from inadvertently allowing terrorist or other illegitimate entities from using a service with the intent of committing a criminal act. I asked Tom some questions about his work. It was quite interesting. It is simply overwhelming when one stops to think of all the components and players enlisted in the war against terror. The less obvious organizations and people who’s jobs also protect us often go unrealized. Tom insisted on paying for my lunch. I thanked him and Martha and wished them well. I was still miles from Milwaukee and needed to get moving.
Later in the day, I arrived in Milwaukee! My old friend from my soldiering days at Ft. Ord, CA, Chris Robles, lives in Milwaukee. He’s been expecting my arrival.

When I got to Highland, IL, I called my buddy, Chris. Chris offered to drive the 50 miles or so from Milwaukee and take me to his house. As I had already ridden 84 miles, I welcomed his offer. We ate dinner when he came to pick me up. I hadn’t seen Chris is nearly 25 years. Aside from a slight bit of gray, he had aged very well, and still looked very much like the young guy I knew back at Ft Ord, CA. He weighed about the same as he did in 1985. After a few minutes of conversation, it was difficult for me to grasp the idea that it had been two and a half decades since we last talked face-to-face.

When we arrived at Chris’ home, he introduced me to his wife, Sarah, a very attractive woman with a pleasant smile and exceedingly friendly demeanor. I liked her immediately. We all chatted until midnight and went to bed.

I’m looking forward to just relaxing for a few days and catching up with my old friend.

Day 16, July 7, 2011

 
Nappanee to The Dunes State Park, IN

It felt good to have slept in a bed last night. I woke up early and began my day. As get closer to Milwaukee, I find myself pedaling with more enthusiasm. I’m really looking forward to a couple of days off.

I arrived at The Dunes State Park at about 8:00 or so. It’s a state park, and I found out when entered that it would cost me a $10.00 entry fee plus a $26.00 camping fee. What??? Twenty-Six bucks to sling my hammock between two trees until 5:30 the next morning? No thanks! I decided to stealth camp.

Day 15, July 6, 2011

Butler, IN to Nappanee, IN (62 miles)

                Nice wide shoulders, free of road debris are always appreciated.

As I had written in my last post, I decided to treat myself to a motel this evening. I arrived in Nappanee at around 7:30. I stayed at the Shamrock Inn. It wasn’t the Hilton, or even the Best Western (actually, it didn’t even rise to the level of Econo Lodge). It did, nevertheless, offer a shower, WiFi, and a bed. I slept well.

I met an interesting fellow cyclo-tourist at a service station. Charlie, a young post-college guy who was in the process of riding his bike from Portland, OR to NY, shared some of his trials and tribulations of coming east of the higher elevations out west. He started out with a buddy, but his friend left in Minnesota to go on a kayak trip (Oh, to be young, again). Charlie was a prime example of the adage, necessity is the mother of invention. Let me explain.

Charlie had an interesting set-up. He converted a mountain bike into a touring machine. He took off the flat bars and installed drop bars (more hand positions for long rides), and he installed Kevlar strips inside his tires to protect against flats (some touring tires come with Kevlar within the construction of the tire, itself.). What I was most impressed with, however, is the panniers (saddle bags, for all intents and purposes) that he had fabricated to carry his gear. He took square, plastic bins and installed some basic hardware (nuts, bolts, etc.) on the sides so that he could attach the containers to his rear bike rack. On top of his rack, he fastened a simple milk crate. While his “poor-man’s rig” was not pretty, it was practical an effective. (My panniers, for example, which cost about $150.00 a pair, while water resistant, are not water-proof. In severe weather, I would actually be better off with Charlie’s set-up than my own. With the tops on the containers absolutely no water could get in).

                                   Charlie and his "Poor-Man's Touring Rig"
                                         It might not be sexy, but it works!

I chatted with Charlie a bit. He was excited to meet another touring cyclist. His having ridden almost across the entire country, I was the first cyclo-tourist he had met. He was an engaging conversationalist and told me about his plans to go graduate school next year. He plans on visiting relatives who don’t know he’s coming, let alone by bicycle. Charlie is traveling on an exceedingly limited budget, sustaining himself with canned ravioli and brownies. He’s devised a way to acquire free boxes of brownies from a rather large national retailer through a kind of loophole in the product guarantee. While I would not necessarily advocate his approach, I couldn’t help but laugh. (Way to stick it to the Man, there Charlie, $1.19 at a time!) He wants to become a teacher and told me about his plans to go to graduate school under the “Teach for America” program. I wished him well, and we parted ways, he to the east, and I to the west

Ron

Day 14, July 5, 2011

Bowling Green, OH to Butler, IN (78 miles)

I made it to Indiana! I wanted to put Ohio behind me. Now, it’s not like all of a sudden the topography changed just because I crossed the state line, but the roads did start to curve a bit, and offered gently (very gently) rolling hills the closer I rode towards Indiana. It was a welcome change from the grid-like arrangement of Ohio roads.

My trip has had psychological highs and lows (as have all my other trips--it‘s just an unavoidable part of the overall experience). Sometimes, when I’m pedaling, listening to the hum of the tires on the pavement, I feel almost one with the machine. My body feels strong; I don’t feel tired; and I’m just taking in the moments. It’s a feeling, for me, bordering on elation. The simple pleasure of coming across as country diner or store, just in time for a break, becomes exaggerated. Food taste better, and I feel satisfied that I am simply existing.

Other times, however, I feel a sense of despair. Today was one of those times. After pedaling nearly 80 miles, there was no campground within 20 miles without my going well of my course. I didn’t feel like stealth camping, and I wanted a shower. While I’ve a gone a few days without a shower on this trip before, I just didn’t want to do so right now. The joy of crossing into Indiana an hour earlier was diminished instantly. I felt lonely, and I missed having my riding buddy, Shelton, with me. I was have difficulty finding a place to camp. Everywhere I looked seemed unsuitable. I finally found a stand of trees on the side of the road that I thought would work. The last thing I wanted to happen was to be kicked-off someone’s land for trespassing, so I needed a place that I felt was stealthy. One of the nice things about my Hennessey Hammock is that it hides itself well. It’s Army green and blends into a stand of trees imperceptibly, provided there are enough trees. I set-up the hammock. I hid my bike and equipment under the rain-fly to my hammock. (My bike and bags have so much reflector tape on them that they light-up like Christmas trees if any headlights happen to shine on them.)

At about 9:00 or so, I crawled into my hammock, safe from the plentiful mosquitoes, and started reading a book on my Nook (I’m in the process of reading the original Dracula by Bram Stoker. It’s quite fun). Before long, feeling that I was well-hidden, no longer sweating, and reading comfortably, I began to feel better again. I felt content lying in my little cocoon somewhere in a small stand of trees in Indiana between Route 6 and a railroad track. That’s the funny thing about these trips. The gloom doesn’t last. Given the proper attitude, soon all will be well. Life is good!

In any event, tomorrow night I’m treating myself to a motel!

Ron “Always Keeping His Chin Up” Occhiuto

Day 13, July 4, 2011

Norwalk to Bowling Green (62 miles)

                                Ohio, yep, that's pretty much it for mile after mile!

I didn’t get an early start as I had intended; I overslept, but I probably needed the extra sleep. I had a quick granola bar breakfast, broke down my campsite, and got on the road. Riding in Ohio is, well, boring. While the roads are flat (but there is wind to with which to contend), they just go straight off into the horizon. There’s nothing much to see but cornfields and such. There’s no shade between towns and taking a break in the hot sun is not much of a rest at all--might as well keep pedaling until one arrives at a town.

Just when I was about to find a place to stealth camp (stealth camping: to camp secretly on a piece of land without prior permission from either public authorities or private owners.), I came upon a travel trailer park. I went to the office and spoke to the owner, and asked if I might camp there. He does not typically allow “tent camping” but makes an exception for motor cyclist and bicyclists. I was very pleased since I was in dire need of a shower (an amenity that stealth camping seldom provides). I was not preparing my campsite for five minutes when the nice folks in a travel trailer next to me invited me to come over to their site for a 4^th of July picnic. I, of course, said yes. I stayed and chatted for about an hour or so. They insisted that I take a bottle of Gatorade with me. In the morning, I noticed that they had left another bottle on my picnic table. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I’m constantly meeting generous and friendly people about every day.

There were no trees to set up my hammock. Since there was no risk of rain and few mosquitoes, I just slept on my sleeping pad under the stars.

Ron "Watchin the Stars" Occhiuto

Day 12, July 3, 2011

                                    
                                         Town Square in Medina, OH
Akron to Norwalk (62 miles)

Refer to photo above: Medina is a quaint little town west of the Akron suburbs. Unfortunately, this photo does not do the town justice. The town square was beautiful. I stopped and had a cup of coffee at a pleasant shop across the street from the square. The square was tastefully decorated for the Fourth of July celebration. I noticed a board that announced events such as Jazz in the Park, string quartets, art festivals and various other attractions. The town had the look of a middle American town of the late fifties. All the shops surrounding the square were occupied by businesses that appeared to be in operation. The town had such an authentic and uncontrived feeling about it. I would have liked to have stayed for a bit.


I woke up early and ate a few granola bars with peanut butter. I was on the road pedaling by 6:30. I had ridden 50 miles by 11:00 am and was making very good time. As much as I wanted to go on and cover a greater distance, I quit pedaling at about an hour after I eaten lunch. I had found a campground with laundry facilities, and wi-fi and just couldn’t resist stopping for the day. I did my laundry and relaxed for the rest of the day and spent the evening commiserating with some fellow campers, Mary & Austin, a local couple who just wanted to camp for a change of routine. They were kind enough to offer me burgers and beer. I took them up on both offers. As the night progressed, they became even more generous with their beer. I, of course, practiced moderation concerning the beer, since I wanted to wake up fresh and prepared to pedal. After politely declining the continued offer of more beer (about every three to five minutes or so) by my less moderate fellow campers, I thought it better that I go to my hammock to read for a bit and go to sleep. I thanked Justin and Mary for their generosity and wished them well.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Ron

Ron

Day 11, July 2, 2011

Salem, OH to Akron, OH (52 miles)

Today was uneventful. I would have liked to have gone more miles, but I had stopped to make some blog entries, and the threat of severe thunderstorms inclined me to stop at a place that that offered extra protection from the rain. I stayed under a small pavilion behind a hospital in the suburbs of Akron. It was located a two hundred yards or so from the hospital. I had stopped at a grocery store in Akron to re-supply, so I had some food to cook. I used my portable Primus burner and made some rice and beans.

I plan on getting up early tomorrow and get some miles in before noon, so I can make my blog entries and still have time to cover some distance. Also, I’m getting to the point where I really would like a proper shower.  I intend on finding a campground convenient to my route and clean up a bit.

One more thing: My good friend of many years, Brenda, (She is so sweet that she asks me to text her in the mornings so that she knows I survived the night, unmolested by man or beast; it's nice to know someone worries about you, although her fears are misplaced.) was upset (only moderately so) that I "plugged" McDs in some of my posts. Brenda, you see, is a Vegan. To make amends to her, I promised to do something on my blog to balance out my pitch for McD‘s being a convenient place to charge one‘s electronics and purchase cheap protein when on a bike tour. And, hey, I love vegetables too! I've certainly eaten my share of South Carolina peaches and California plums on this trip. Also, while not an ethical vegetarian, I am opposed to any unnecessary pain caused to any animals we kill in order to eat. I'm more of an animal welfare kinda guy, but I digress.

So, in the spirit of the 4th of July, the day of independence that resulted in the creation of the greatest nation ever conceived in all of world history, whose wealth, power, and achievements have only been rivaled by its unprecedented benevolence, I implore all of you to………………………………..

Until next time,

Ron "Eatin His Veggies" Occhiuto



 

Day 10, July 1, 2011

Darlington, PA to Salem, OH (31 miles)

I had another day of covering less mileage than I had anticipated. As fate would have it, I began the day with some irritating mechanical problems with my bike. My bike would not allow me to shift to the smallest front chain ring. The smallest chain ring has the lowest gear range. Since I knew I still had lots of climbing hills ahead of me, I really wanted that lower gear ratio. I tinkered with the front derailleur for a bit, and after some trial and error, I finally got the gears operating as they should. (I had put new cable on my bike in preparation for my trip. I suspect cable-stretch might have been the culprit.) All this caused me to leave much later than I’d intended.

I crossed the state line into Ohio, and celebrated by treating myself to a big country breakfast. I had a serious craving for some protein, so I ordered two extra sides of bacon and sausage along with my three eggs. It’s important to keep one’s body fueled on an extended bike tour since you’re burning lots of calories all day long. According to my bicycle computer, I’m burning about 1200 calories per day on average. This is a low estimate. I had to input the variables of my age and weight into the computer to get calories burned data. The problem is that the computer does not take into account the extra 65 lbs. of gear I’m carrying on my bike. It takes much more energy to move a “loaded” bike at any given speed that it does to move an unloaded bike. Although I can’t be sure, I’d estimate that I’m burning upwards of 2000 calories on a 75 mile day.

At about noon, I stopped at McDs in Columbiana to get eat a couple Mcdoubles. (Hey, at a buck a piece, that’s a lot of calories for the money --390!) I also wanted to update my blog. I had pics to download, and I needed to charge my cell phone and GPS. I ended up staying there until nearly 4:30. At this rate, I’ll never get to Milwaukee! I need to start pounding those pedals to make up for lost miles.

I stayed at a motel in Salem, OH. I was disappointed that there were no laundry facilities. I’ve been rinsing some of my clothes out, but it’s about time that I give my riding shorts a good washing. I chatted for a bit with some of the “long-term” customers of the motel who pay by the week. They were an interesting bunch. They were generous with their beer as well. Knowing, however, that I wanted to make up for lost time, I politely declined the offer of a third beer. It was the first time I slept in a bed since day 2 when I stayed at my Buddy, John’s house in Winchester. It was not the Hyatt Hotel, but I slept well.

I’m sitting in a McDs in Akron, OH as I write this entry. All McDs have a hotspot, and they are good places to recharge one’s electronics. The ubiquitous nature of McDs makes them very convenient when on the road. They typically have large glass windows, making it easy to keep an eye on one’s bike and equipment. I also must confess that when I’m not actually cooking my food at a campsite, McDonalds has been providing many of my calories at exceedingly reasonable prices. A few burgers and some fries really charges my batteries, and I feel like I can go for miles. I typically don’t eat a lot of McDs food because it is high in calories, and if I’m not burning it off, it’s a surplus that I don’t need.

Well, I really must run (ride) now. I’m going to load up on a couple of Mchicken sandwiches and hit the road; I’ll have the calories burned in two hours! (In your face, Morgan Spurlock!!!)

Ron "McDouble Eater" Occhiuto

Day 9, June 30, 2011

My Campsite in Crawford's Park & Camp

Pittsburgh to Darlington, PA (30 miles)

I got up as soon as it was daylight. I just wanted to get up the road and away from that lousy spot where I had to camp. It was the loneliest night I’ve had since I started. Today was a short day, and, boy, did I need it. I also needed a shower! (I hadn’t had one since Frostburg, PA). I still had some more hills to climb, and I just wanted to find a good place to stop and rest until the next day. I found a campground (Crawford’s Park and Camp). It is owned and managed by an elderly couple, Mr. & Mrs. Crawford. The campground is primarily designed to accommodate long-term campers, basically people who keep their travel trailers there and spend the summer or weekends. After climbing some hills for a few miles, I arrived at the campground to find out that it is “cash only.” I had not been to an ATM and only had $12.00 and the price for a site was $20.00. I had planned on using my bank card. I certainly was not in the mood to ride back to a town and find an ATM, so I asked Mrs. Crawford how much she would charge me for a shower. She laughed and told me to just go ahead and grab a shower and don’t worry about it.

After my shower (it felt good, too), I just did not feel like traveling on. I asked Mrs. Crawford if she would be willing to accept $12.00 for a site. She graciously told me to put my money away and just go find a comfortable place to camp. (She must have seen how tired I looked from having pedaled nearly 160 miles the prior two days and took pity on my weary condition). I set up my hammock and took a nap. I woke up a few hours later and made myself some ramien noodles and ate a banana. I read for a while and went to sleep. I’m hoping that tomorrow I can find a hotspot so that I might post my blog entries.

I’ll be somewhere in Ohio the next time I get a chance to post!

Ron

Day 8, June 29, 2011

Connellsville, PA to Pittsburgh, PA (82 miles)

A Section of the Trail in Pittsburgh

I was on the trail very early this morning, looking forward to getting to Pittsburgh. It was a little disappointing. Once one is about 8 miles or so from Pittsburgh he has to take some detours to reconnect to the trail since it is not entirely completed. It would not have been so bad had the detours been marked clearly. I stumbled around Pittsburgh trying to find my way back to the trail. At one point, I was riding along a busy inner city freeway during rush hour and could actually see cyclist on the trail where I should be only a 50 yards or so away from me. The trail was fenced, and I had to ride a good four miles or so along a road I did not want to be riding. I finally gave up on getting on the trail and just found an avenue with slower moving traffic. Since I ultimately had to leave Pittsburgh, it didn’t really make too much of a difference in any event.

Pittsburgh shows the signs of an industrial city that once was and no longer is. While I could see plenty of industry (smokes stacks bellowing smoke, barges in the river filled with coal, etc.), I noticed many abandoned factories and plants that at one time, I’m sure, were exceedingly active. I decided that the prospects of finding a place to camp in the city limits was probably not a good idea. Every decent spot I considered showed signs of people having been there (cigarette butts, empty beer cans, assorted trash, etc.), and I did not want to be bothered in the middle of the night.

Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh, the Ohio, Allegheny, and the Monongahela, so there are many bridges, and it is easy to lose one’s bearings. I used my GPS and finally navigated my way out of town using Route 51 North. It was hilly and there were many steep climbs leaving the city. I ended my day a few miles outside Coraopolis, a town part of the larger metro area. At around 8:30, I found a suitable place off the road and pitched my camp. It was noisy from all the traffic and trains, but I didn’t have much of a choice. It was the worst camping experience thus far.

Ron

Day 7, June 28, 2011

Frostburg, PA to Connellsville, PA (75 miles)

                             This is cafe and inn where I spent my rest day

Since I good day’s rest, I woke up early to get things organized for my return to the trail. I decided to lighten my load (stuff starts getting heavy when you’re carting it for miles). I was pedaling on the trail by 7:30. There was a slight climb out of Frostburg for about 6 miles or so (2% grade, nothing horrible) until I hit the Eastern Continental Divide. Once I was over the divide, the trail worked in my favor; there was a 1% downhill grade for about 25 miles or so.

Later on in the morning I took a break in Meyersdale. I met two very interesting fellow cyclo-tourists, Tom and Chuck from Akron, OH. They were heading in the opposite direction form me, doing the route from Pittsburgh to D.C. We chatted for a bit. Tom and Chuck are two I.T. guys using some vacation time to explore the trails. They looked to be in their mid to late fifties. They were both very inspirational; let me explain.

Three years ago both Tom and Chuck were obese to the point that they required stomach surgery to address their condition. Since then, through a healthy diet and exercise (mostly bicycling) they were able to keep the weight off and are now in superior physical shape when compared to most men their age. They are riding their bikes nearly three-hundred miles and carrying their equipment with them. These guys prove that with enough determination and simple stick-to-itiveness, one can change his conditions. I was very impressed! Once again, one of the most rewarding aspects of my trip is meeting guys like Chuck & Tom.

Tom & Chuck, Two Motivated Guys, with Blue Velvet (My Bike)

I arrived in Connellsville at about 6:00. The town of Connellsville offers a couple of three-sided shelters as one leaves town on the trail heading towards Pittsburgh. There didn’t seem to be many mosquitoes, so I just stayed in the shelter, rather than setting up my hammock. I read on my Nook for about an hour and went to sleep. I’m going to try and make Pittsburgh tomorrow.

Ron