A Travelogue in x Parts - You know, with the thumb
I'll try and make this journal entry somewhat entertaining, but when your competition is someone like silent_and_gray, it's a little intimidating. If you read through the next post or two or three - I'm not sure how long I'll ramble - and you aren't satisfied, I'll give you your money back, guaranteed.
Saturday before last, I decided it was time to take a long trip on a short motorcycle. I tried once to make it as far around the thumb (of Michigan) as possible, and made it to Port Huron in two hours. At this point I only had 30 minutes to make it to Port Austin and back, so I aborted and came back repeating MacArthur's sentiments. Saturday was the day to retake that beachhead. True to form, I awoke about 3 hours later than I intended. I still had plenty of time, but I no longer had time to finish off my locust job on the poor Silverwing at EMC (cf. Tex's recent post). It twere'nt no thing, since mostly I wanted the license plate of which I was cheated, and a few spacers for the heat shield. I no longer needed the temperature sensor and thermostat. While preparing to ride I mused that I was going to hell and back. Then I realized that I haven't been to the ACTUAL Hell and back. Hmm. Quandary. What to do? I settled it like any rational person would.
Heads - trip around the thumb it was.
I started out by ripping the rear trunk off the ol' Silverwing and putting on the pillion (that's passenger seat to you land walkers) even though the rear cowling is broken. The bike is instantly transformed from practical to sporty. Yes, I like it. After a brief chat about '79 corvettes with the comely filly at the storage facility (this had NOTHING to do with my decision to swap out the trunk... ahem) i was headed up Dequindre to 26 mile. This turns into Marine City highway (although this is accomplished with nothing more than signage changes) which ends up, appropriately enough, in Marine City. This is where I catch the first hint of water.
Of course, like all good bike trip reports, i have to try and look like a serious biker. I are serious biker. This is serious ride.
This is the river that flows from Lake St. Clair to Lake Huron. It's called... well, I'm not exactly sure what it's called. I know last year's adventure was taking my 14' jet boat up it. Turns out I was a stones throw away from going under the Blue Water Bridge last year and didn't know it.
If you've ever ridden up M-25 you'll know that the trip from around Algonac to Port Huron is mostly awesomely pretty. There are some bits where you can't see much water, but the bits where you can make it worth it.
Michigan sure has a lot of water.
The day was sunny, relatively cool, and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't have asked for better weather unless I asked for it to be raining super models.
Upon arriving in Port Huron, I find that the authorities have attempted to block my progress. Unfortunately, I arrive too late to run the barricade, and do an Evil Kenevil jump across the river. After a few minutes the bridge is lowered again. of course, I have just turned my bike off and was about to make my way to the river for more photo ops. There were none to be seen after I cross the bridge - nothing but small boats. I have no idea why they raised the bridge, other than the aforementioned stymie-ing.
For those not of Michigan, Port Huron is where the Blue Water bridge crosses into Canada - one of the three bridges you can take to get there. I go under the bridge on this trip, a moment that is sadly lacking in monumentalism. It is rather neat, however, and it marks the limit of the previous trip, as well as what I would call the end of any civilization of any note for the remainder of the trip (as much as you can call Port Huron "civilization"). There seems to be some sort of boat race happening, except it's a strange race where you try to go really slow and are escorted by another boat. They were making way in formation, but I have no idea why.
After Port Huron, M-25 meanders over to the shore of Lake Huron, but there is only a glimpse of the lake to be seen, except for (mostly) specially designated "Scenic Parks." This is quite a disappointing turn of events, as my dreams of a midwest equivalent of California's Highway 101 evaporate. Apparently shore property is more valuable to Michigan than allowing everyone else to get naught but intermittent flashes of lake. The view is pretty nice, though. Freighters, likely bound for steel mills in Sault St. Marie or, more distantly, Chicago, rush out on to the lake in packs. I wish i could take a boat out and scope them out up close, but sadly the Silverwing was not purchased with the Spy Hunter conversion.
They look inexplicably bigger without the zoom.
Route so far...
Next installment ... Harbor Beach, homemade ice cream, and the Great Sandwich Bet 2007 of Port Austin! Tune in!
Saturday before last, I decided it was time to take a long trip on a short motorcycle. I tried once to make it as far around the thumb (of Michigan) as possible, and made it to Port Huron in two hours. At this point I only had 30 minutes to make it to Port Austin and back, so I aborted and came back repeating MacArthur's sentiments. Saturday was the day to retake that beachhead. True to form, I awoke about 3 hours later than I intended. I still had plenty of time, but I no longer had time to finish off my locust job on the poor Silverwing at EMC (cf. Tex's recent post). It twere'nt no thing, since mostly I wanted the license plate of which I was cheated, and a few spacers for the heat shield. I no longer needed the temperature sensor and thermostat. While preparing to ride I mused that I was going to hell and back. Then I realized that I haven't been to the ACTUAL Hell and back. Hmm. Quandary. What to do? I settled it like any rational person would.
Heads - trip around the thumb it was.
I started out by ripping the rear trunk off the ol' Silverwing and putting on the pillion (that's passenger seat to you land walkers) even though the rear cowling is broken. The bike is instantly transformed from practical to sporty. Yes, I like it. After a brief chat about '79 corvettes with the comely filly at the storage facility (this had NOTHING to do with my decision to swap out the trunk... ahem) i was headed up Dequindre to 26 mile. This turns into Marine City highway (although this is accomplished with nothing more than signage changes) which ends up, appropriately enough, in Marine City. This is where I catch the first hint of water.
Of course, like all good bike trip reports, i have to try and look like a serious biker. I are serious biker. This is serious ride.
This is the river that flows from Lake St. Clair to Lake Huron. It's called... well, I'm not exactly sure what it's called. I know last year's adventure was taking my 14' jet boat up it. Turns out I was a stones throw away from going under the Blue Water Bridge last year and didn't know it.
If you've ever ridden up M-25 you'll know that the trip from around Algonac to Port Huron is mostly awesomely pretty. There are some bits where you can't see much water, but the bits where you can make it worth it.
Michigan sure has a lot of water.
The day was sunny, relatively cool, and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't have asked for better weather unless I asked for it to be raining super models.
Upon arriving in Port Huron, I find that the authorities have attempted to block my progress. Unfortunately, I arrive too late to run the barricade, and do an Evil Kenevil jump across the river. After a few minutes the bridge is lowered again. of course, I have just turned my bike off and was about to make my way to the river for more photo ops. There were none to be seen after I cross the bridge - nothing but small boats. I have no idea why they raised the bridge, other than the aforementioned stymie-ing.
For those not of Michigan, Port Huron is where the Blue Water bridge crosses into Canada - one of the three bridges you can take to get there. I go under the bridge on this trip, a moment that is sadly lacking in monumentalism. It is rather neat, however, and it marks the limit of the previous trip, as well as what I would call the end of any civilization of any note for the remainder of the trip (as much as you can call Port Huron "civilization"). There seems to be some sort of boat race happening, except it's a strange race where you try to go really slow and are escorted by another boat. They were making way in formation, but I have no idea why.
After Port Huron, M-25 meanders over to the shore of Lake Huron, but there is only a glimpse of the lake to be seen, except for (mostly) specially designated "Scenic Parks." This is quite a disappointing turn of events, as my dreams of a midwest equivalent of California's Highway 101 evaporate. Apparently shore property is more valuable to Michigan than allowing everyone else to get naught but intermittent flashes of lake. The view is pretty nice, though. Freighters, likely bound for steel mills in Sault St. Marie or, more distantly, Chicago, rush out on to the lake in packs. I wish i could take a boat out and scope them out up close, but sadly the Silverwing was not purchased with the Spy Hunter conversion.
They look inexplicably bigger without the zoom.
Route so far...
Next installment ... Harbor Beach, homemade ice cream, and the Great Sandwich Bet 2007 of Port Austin! Tune in!