Day 27 - Gould City to Mackinaw City

Gould City - in the middle of nowhere - we had a great breakfast at a restaurant that was very out of place - clean, good food.  Then off to Mackinaw City - across the Mackinaw Bridge.  What a drive, what a view.  Checked in, dropped off bags and boarded the 1:30 ferry to Mackinac Island.  What a treat.  A fun 8 mile bicycle ride around the island - no motorized vehicles allowed on the island.  A warm, sunny day - dinner on a patio watching the world go by.
Patty on the ferry

Notes from Tom:  Yoopers are nothing if not honest.

We got our first look at Lake Michigan as we approached the Mackinaw Bridge, but it came with a stiff cross/head wind.

We also came on another bicycle tour group--this one was sort of like Ride the Rockies--they started and ended in St. Ignace on their 5 day loop around the U.P.  Right after we left them we encountered the worst road yet--we had 4 miles or roto-milled pavement, with no way around it--just keep riding and hope that all of your fillings stay in and that nothing important falls off of your bike. 

Bicycles are not allowed on the Mackinaw Bridge, so we put the bikes on the car and drove to Lower Michigan.  We only rode something like 63.5 miles total, so it seemed like a half rest day.

It was a short--16 minute--ferry ride to the Island, and we enjoyed a lunch and dinner there.  It was pretty touristy, but unique because no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island.

Notes from Jerry:    What Tom didn't tell you was about our jinx.  Right before the 4 miles of bone jarring roto milled road we had been riding for about 15-20 miles on a brand new road, not yet fully striped etc.  We cranked with record speeds and of course we commented on our good fortune - only to run into the worst road surface known to man.  So now we just don't comment on roads - good or bad so as not to jinx anything.  We did solve the guu mystery on our legs, because we had it again and deduced it had to be from tar on the brand new road!

Mackinaw Island and the ferry ride over and back was really fun, especially watching Tom and Patty try to ride a stretch beach cruiser tandem!