Grabaawr, the first part of the week (6/19 - 6/22)

We made it to Eagle River with a day to spare. We needed that extra day of rest to get ready for what lay ahead...a week of celebration! It just happened that Dennis, whom we had met in Florida, was going to be up in our area. So, he drove to Eagle River to meet us and took us out to lunch. What a nice beginning to the ride.

We had many friends do the ride with us. What a great way to reconnect after 3 years of being away. If you recall, we started our trip in June of 2007 by riding the Grabaawr. It was a week of toasting, telling lies and stories that only had to be 50% true, hanging out with our friends, dancing and singing at the bars, and wearing the blue jersey that was made in memory of our friend, Mark, who had been killed last fall riding his bike in Iowa. He was definitely with us in spirit.

We had a couple of guest appearances from Kelsey and Paul Scanlon, and my mom and my sister, Lorna and Donna. What a fun first part of the trip!

Heading West Through MI to Bike the Grabaawr! Bike Ride Across Wisconsin.

We left Dave and Annette's place in the Sault Saint Marie area to head to the Grabaawr (Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River). Our goal was to be in Eagle River by June 18th so that we could have a rest day prior to the ride starting. We will be doing the ride fully loaded while most of the other riders will be riding very light road bikes.

As we started heading west we found ourselves traveling through bear country. In fact, Strong Corners is the bear capitol of the WORLD! The roads were outlined by heavily wooded areas and we had to keep a close eye on the ditches and woods. We actually saw a a bear on the side of the road. We weren't really paying attention as we were talking at the time and by the time Jacky saw it and slammed on her brakes, Ward didn't expect this and ran into her. Luckily no one fell and the bear, after taking a second look, walked back into the woods. Its quite ironic because we just got rid of our bear spray a few days prior after carrying it all the way from Alaska. Yes, we are in the northern woods of Wisconsin.

We are mainly camping now but occasionally stay in a cheap hotel if weather warrants it. We have had a lot of fun sitting outside talking to the construction workers that stay at these hotels while they are completing jobs. We not only tell lies and stories but we learn a lot from them about the area.

As we bike we notice most everything. As you can see we passed a unique billboard. One that seemed to be talking to us. We also passed the Rosebud Cafe. Ward's mother's name is Rose and she would sign her name "Rosebud".

Our last night in Michigan we spent free camping in a little park just outside of the town of Norway. They had a natural springs there. As we cooked our supper we observed tons and tons of people coming from all around to fill their water jugs, water bottles, anything they had with them. They said it was the purist and best water you could ever get. We tried some ourselves and confirmed this to be true.

Now onto Wisconsin! Jacky's old stomping grounds! She felt very welcomed by all of the Green Bay packer signs.

Visiting Friends in Sault Saint Marie

Our goal was to arrive in the Sault Saint Marie area on June 12th. We actually arrived a day early. Why did we want to go so far north? Ward's friends have a summer home up here, Dave and Annette Swick. Ward and Dave's friendship and debauchery started back in college. They haven't seen each other in many years so spending a few days here was going to be a real treat.

They built this beautiful summer home with their own sweat. It took them 7 years to finish but it will be a nice retirement home once they quit teaching in Waterloo, IA. While we were there we had to arm wrestle to be able to do some work. They were insisting that we just rest but that is not in our vocabulary. We had great fun helping them put in the dock, plant flowers and start a perennial flower garden. But, you know Ward, he can't leave without tuning up all the bikes.

We had such a fun time and we're looking forward too hooking up with them in Iowa.

Heading up to Sault Saint Marie, MI

We had a great ride up through MI. We pushed it hard on the nice days so that we could have the flexibility to take off a day that was stormy. We also made sure we allowed a little time to do some re-hydrating. You just have to stop at "Jack's R Wild". Jacky has a bad reputation she has to uphold!

Along the way we passed by many signs and billboards that seemed to tell the story. Yes, this was Jacky's dream. But, sometimes for Ward it was a nightmare! (just kidding).

As we approached Mackinac Bridge, we were informed that they did not allow bicycles to cross it. The prior night we stayed with a Rotarian, Walter, who provided a nice camper for us to stay in. He volunteered to drive us across the bridge. Boy was this appreciated. It made it so much easier for us. As we were crossing the bridge we soon realized why they don't let bicycles cross it. There wasn't any shoulder at all and a lot of construction going on so it was down to 2 lanes. It would have been very dangerous. The bridge is 5 miles long. One time it was so windy that a small car was blown over the side. So, now they have an escort system where someone will drive your car across the bridge for you.

Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

We crossed the border into Canada and visited Niagara Falls. What a beautiful sight. There was so much spray from the falls that we ended up soaked.

From there we booked across Canada staying with Dave Mitchell (warm showers organization) along the way. We passed by a curling stone manufacturer. This was Jacky's sport through High School and very popular back in the Midwest so we stopped to check it out. It turns out that there are only 2 curling stone manufacturers in the whole world. This one and one in Scotland. Pretty cool.

We entered back into the US (through MI)on June 5th. We were questioned at the U.S. border for 45 minutes. I guess we need to clean ourselves up. We must look dangerous.

Now we are heading up to Sault Saint Marie and from there we will head to Eagle River, WI where we will start the Grabaawr (week long ride from north WI to the south) on June 20th. We will be biking into Decorah, IA on June 30th!