It’s been super cool to randomly run into people I’ve met on the road, and now I was getting to purposely rendezvous with some new friends from much earlier in my trip. When I was traveling along the Maine coast back in June, I had a Bunk-a-Biker stay with Christine on Orr’s Island.  I posted... Continue Reading →

About 30 miles east of Munising, I was regretting my decision to take the more direct M-28 route instead of joining Top and Mongo and gang on the more scenic H-58 shoreline road.  Not only was there road construction, BOTH lanes were under construction at once, FOR A WHOLE 20 MILE SECTION.  I appreciated the... Continue Reading →

I had heard so many great things about the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point in the UP that I decided to forego riding the Curley Lewis Memorial Hwy (Scenic Byway M-123) out of Sault St. Marie, and hiking to Tahquamenon Falls, in order to give myself enough time to really take in all... Continue Reading →

The rain had stopped and the roads were mostly dry by the time I closed the last few miles to the Mackinac Bridge.  What is it with me and bridges?!  Four lanes of suspension bridge spanning 5-miles, one of the longest in the world, that connect the lower and upper Michigan Peninsulas.  After towing my... Continue Reading →

In a stroke of tourism genius, Michigan started establishing Great Lakes Circle Tours in the 1980s.  Basically, the states and local jurisdictions that border the Great Lakes identified roads with special signage to help travelers maintain a scenic route close to the shoreline.  According to the official website, “four of the five Great Lakes feature... Continue Reading →

Even if it were not for the comparative let-down of the urban Indiana Sand Dunes, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore would’ve still taken my breath away at first sight!  The water was several shades of crystal blue and the sand ranged from white to tan to pink, depending on the dune and the direction... Continue Reading →

After being on the urban trail for over a week retracing Route 66, it was time for me to get back in the woods in my camper and take a break from purposeful sightseeing.  Though I knew nothing about it, other than it got great reviews, I booked three nights at Kankakee River State Park... Continue Reading →

OK, not actually in the same bed with them, just in their house! I’ve learned that y’all like catchy post titles, so I couldn’t resist 🙂 I want to take a moment to elaborate a little more on the Bunk-a-Biker network since I used it again recently.  I’ve mentioned it before in a previous post,... Continue Reading →

OK, back on the road to Chicago. . . SPRINGFIELD, IL According to a sign beneath the Bunyon statue in Atlanta, IL, the now famous fiberglass advertising “giants” found along Route 66 came into fashion in the 1960s.  Originally designed to hold an ax, the first of these was a “Paul Bunyan”  figure done for... Continue Reading →

It wasn’t the first transcontinental corridor.  It’s not the oldest or longest road either.  So what’s the fascination with Route 66?  Why has it become known as the “Mother Road,” with people from all over the world flocking to the States to try to reconstruct its route for their own road trip?  From a practical... Continue Reading →