Elberta, Michigan to Free Soil, Michigan - August 1, 2023

Lookout at Inspiration Point

Today proved to be, arguably, the most physically demanding day of our tour so far, due to a variety of circumstances.

We both had a light breakfast at our picnic table at Bestie Lake Campground, including apple turnovers. These taste decent, but don’t provide much sustained energy for cycling. Donald and I fare better when we have a substantial breakfast, and today’s meal fell short, considering the strenuous journey ahead of us.

Grind

The first 21 miles entailed numerous steep uphill climbs, followed by exhilarating downhill coasts. The climbs were so prolonged that I hardly got out of my saddle; instead, I shifted to a low gear and steadily ground out the distance. Donald was moving at a noticeably faster pace than me.

Around the 10-mile mark, we took a brief break to climb to a view, Inspiration Point, overlooking Lake Michigan. The only downside was the peculiar sound made by a parked Tesla nearby. Whenever we passed – it sounded like a person passing gas. Is this what the world has come to?

Drying Out at the Speckled Goat

At mile 21, Donald entered the town of Onekama and found the Speckled Goat General Store. Via text, he informed me where he planned to have lunch. I joined him inside after hanging my tent to dry on my bike outside the store. My sandwich was a touch greasy. I also selected a craft bottle of root beer and a berry cheesecake – again, sugar leads to a quick energy crash on a bicycle tour, a fact that I should remember by now.

Settling in at Manistee 

Nap Scene

We pressed on to Manistee and found a park in the town. Exhausted, we took naps on the grass, while a man leisurely smoked a cigarette and drank a beer beside us before revving up his motorcycle and leaving. It's worth noting that there were quite a few small ants around, but they were only a minor nuisance.

Before leaving Manistee, we stopped at a grocery store for dinner supplies. Outside the store, we ate a few food items by our locked bikes before undertaking the final 18-mile ride to the campsite. I had a sugary Starbucks coffee drink and four hard-boiled eggs.

I finally caught my second wind during the final push to the Lakeview campsite. Fortunately, the terrain was relatively flat, allowing us to maintain a pace of approximately 13 to 14 mph.

Lakeview Campsite + Fire

Upon arrival, we set up our tents. Donald started a fire in the ring – our first of the tour. We each enjoyed dinner at the picnic table and had a pleasant chat. Afterwards, we took showers and retreated to our tents.

We covered 53 miles today.