Bay City MI to North Branch MI. 60.5 miles.
By Victoria Curran.
This morning we awoke in luxury. Our queen bed was topped with a feather bed and luxuriously soft sheets that wrapped us so fully that it took monumental effort to extract ourselves and get moving.
As we headed downstairs, we were greeted with the delicious aroma of breakfast wafting toward us. We sat in the parlor and enjoyed coffee for a few minutes before heading into the breakfast room. We were first served a yogurt parfait with granola and fresh berries. Then out came toasted bagels, a plate of lox, capers, cream cheese, and onions, and a plate of eggs for each of us. All of it was delicious and we left the table sated and ready to hit the road.
The weather was glorious and the road flat and relatively free of cars. Within the first 10 miles, we resumed travel on dedicated bike path. Bike paths are always so enjoyable and free of the stress I frequently feel on roads since bike paths, of course, have no semis or hauler trucks and they are very nearly always extremely scenic. Sometimes the view is wide open
With low growing crops alongside such as soybeans,
Or taller crops like corn
And other times it's wild vegetation that includes trees, shrubs and flowers which attracts lots of wildlife. One creature I especially enjoy seeing is the monarch flutter along my path. Several years ago a friend of ours gave us a special plant known as milkweed; it is a gift that truly never stops giving. The milkweed here is quite different than the one I have at home and it's fun seeing them alight upon it. The sight of the monarch here is like seeing a little piece of home and it keeps me motivated as they whisper along in the air around me.
Today we headed into Frankenmuth which, we've been told, is the number one tourist destination in Michigan.
Frankenmuth began in 1845 as a small my German community and reminds me a lot of Solvang just north of Santa Barbara. It's pretty incredible to imagine Solvang being the number one tourist destination in all of California!
Our approach to Frankenmuth revealed beautiful homes
And churches
But, apparently, the *real* draw to Frankenmuth is the chicken dinners.
They're so famous, in fact, that the couple we chatted with at the Webster House said they went to Frankenmuth solely for the chicken dinner on the recommendation of a friend and were completely taken off-guard by the German architecture.
As we rolled into town seeking lunch, we saw we weren't the only touring cyclists in town.
We later learned that they are headed to Niagara Falls as well but are on a slightly different schedule from us and so we occasionally see them as they pass us or we pass them.
We attempted to lock our bikes up to this rack
But then discovered a wee problem
So we just let them rest near the bikes of the other tourers without an issue.
After lunch, we strolled around town a bit. We saw this beautiful fountain depicting children dancing around a maypole which reminded me of my mother's stories of her childhood when she and her friends would do this very same thing. That, and the fact that my mom is a huge fan of Dachshunds.
Just before we headed out of town, the Glockenspiel began to chime 3 o'clock. As we watched, the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin played out before our eyes. As you may recall, legend has it that the town of Hamelin was overrun with mice and the Pied Piper told the magistrate he could help asking only a penny for each mouse he lured away.
He led tens of dozens of mice out of Hamelin
When he returned to the king for his payment, the king refused as everyone believed he was in league with the he devil. The Pied Piper warned them bad things would come of this decision. The next day, the Pied Piper led all but two children away from the village
Pretty awful story, huh? Guess you shouldn't renege on your promises.
After watching the Glockenspiel, headed for the covered bridge that led the way out of town
and we were back on the road. More open countryside with lots and lots of corn and soybeans. Eventually we came to Vassar which, like so many of these little towns along the bike route, was very quaint and filled with the type of architecture you rarely see in any California city anymore.
Most of the ride today was quite nice temperature-wise. Throughout the day, the clouds gathered in small groups that clasped hands and took turns embracing the sun to shield us from its harshest rays. Toward sunset, we were greeted by this glorious view of the clouds ducking their heads just low enough to let us see this spectacular light show
Eventually, we made it to our campsite in Long Branch and toasted to a great day and to 7 wonderful years together as husband and wife!!!
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