Playing Catch-up

Several days.  Lots of progress.  Not so many photos to hide the lack of entertaining or meaningful narrative.  Which will be even more lacking, even if it is difficult to imagine such a thing.

Build it, and they will come

Beautiful, but long day to Appleton, WI.  En route, a bolt removed itself from one of the pannier rack's struts.  The other saved the day, but after 74 miles, I wasn't completely thrilled by adding a couple more to get to the local Menards.  

Oh, and a slow leak in my back tire.  Fifteen minutes to fix, which was about one fewer than the job really needed, as I pinched the tube putting it back together, thereby replacing a slow leak with a fast one.  Added that needed minute the second time around.

The hotel had a fancy restaurant, which Susan somehow preferred to Subway, even though it was just across the street.

Another 76 miles down, 1,102 to go.  (The particularly attentive among you may have noted a disturbance in the force.  I calibrated the distance remaining against the route plan, as opposed decrementing by day.)

Getting to the Dock on Time

The task was to get from Appleton, WI, to Ludington, MI.  Despite that pesky little thing called Lake Michigan in between.  Fortunately, the SS Badger is still around to deal with that.

We still had 54 miles separating us from the ferry, and winds that, while not hostile, weren't inclined to aid us, either.   At our typical speed of just over 14 mph, that's not quite four hours.  The Badger sailed at 2pm. 

We are of the persuasion, when being on time *really* matters, that it is far better to wish we had left two hours later, than ten minutes sooner.  We pushed at 7am, set up a pace line, managed 15.7 mph, and got to Manitowoc before our chosen restaurant opened.

The Wharf, 11:01 am

Biker fuel, featuring cheese curds, and a G&T

Perhaps there's a pattern here?

Sigh

One hundred fourteen more miles.  Fifty-four under the wheels, 65 under the keel.  Nine hundred eighty eight to go.  We are triple digit midgets. 

Not great, but it could have been worse

From Ludington to Evart, MI, the forecast was for rain and antagonistic winds.  Thankfully, we missed most of the rain, and the winds were merely slightly disdainful.

The scenery has changed dramatically compared to WI:  from rolling hills and pleasant views to the road being a slot between trees without end.

Perhaps not an undecided voter

Sounds like fun.  How can we get invited?

Sixty four miles closer to the Atlantic.  Nine hundred twenty four to go.