Seven days off the grid, for the most part. Taking in some of the best scenery Michigan has to offer from my favorite vantage point: my bike. We pedaled past shorelines, sand dunes, sunflower fields, and scenic vistas.
Ahhhhh.
I’ve come to love weeks where I can unplug from everyday life and just … ride my bike.
There’s nothing leisurely about a week-long bike tour. Everyone is up early, usually 6 am. Grab a quick breakfast then it’s prep the bike and push-off for that day’s destination.
On the road means watching maps and looking for that tour’s road markings. Cruising up hills. Chugging my way to the top of others. Doing a mental high-five when there’s one gear left on a really steep climb.
Enjoying downhills as fast as my wheels will take me. That doesn’t get old!
Even with nearly 500 riders, the road isn’t crowded.
It doesn’t take long until I hardly know what day it is, only our next town.
There’s a comfortable rhythm to each day. Arrive in camp. Find your bags. Grab a shower. Relax. Casual friendships take shape over the week as we recount the day’s adventures and look forward to what’s ahead.
While #shorelinewest is over, I still have one more end-of-summer biking adventure ahead. The DALMAC is always a rip-roaring good time as well. In just a few weeks it will be time to repack my bags and take a different path to the same destination, Mackinac City!
BikingAnne 