Day 37. Mt Pleasant, MI. 113 miles. 2,410 ft climb

The last time zone.   The last 1,000 miles.  The last of the century rides, and a spectacular day for it.  Zippy says it was the most pleasant 113 miles he ever rode.   All the riders seem to agree. It never became a drag. They needed an early start to cover the distance, but everyone was cheerful and in good moods all day.

A Route Sheet On Rider's Bike--Read This For 113 Miles

The weather was cool and clear at the start and was a beautiful 80 degrees throughout the day-- sunny and clear but never hot or humid, gentle breezes all day, often tailwinds, lovely scenery through the Manistee National Forest, lots of shady lanes, dozens of lakes, pretty towns, and much fewer corn and soybean fields.    It was still agricultural, but more varied crops.  I think that got to the riders more than anything else throughout Wisconsin---the endless fields of corn & soybeans.  I wonder if they'll develop aversions to ever eating these again!

Shady Lanes

Wheat--Not Corn!!

Mt. Pleasant, itself, is a college town, but also part of the Chippewa Indian Reservation.  That must be interesting!

Rider Matt said this part of Michigan really reminded of New Hampshire or Maine and Terry  really liked it.  He said the locals they spoke with were all friendly, interested in the tour, and cheerful.  That impressed him as he really felt for them as Michigan is having real troubles these days.

Riders Brake For Klondike Bars

The worst part was losing the hour, and hence sleep, as they crossed into Eastern Time Zone but the jubilation at crossing that milestone made up for it.  It was a 3-SAG stop day and a long one.   With long days like this, dinner is always a little late as they wait for everyone to arrive.   Today, they had to shuttle people in shifts to the restaurant.  Terry went with the first batch, and was able to still get to bed at a reasonable time.

Two more days in Michigan and then on to Ontario, Canada!