Douglas Lake, MI to Atwood, MI 82.5 miles

Besides sending me off in the morning with snacks for the road, my hosts Jen and Doug sent me with a hand drawn map of what I should see today, including “The Tunnel of Trees”, a swimming beach behind a church and Pond Hill Farm.

I had heard of a section of Michigan Route 119 that is called “The Tunnel of Trees”. It is part of United States Bike Route 35. I bet you didn’t know there is a US bike route system.

“The United States Bicycle Route System(abbreviated USBRS) is the national cycling route network of the United States. It consists of interstate long-distance cycling routes that use multiple types of bicycling infrastructure, including off-road paths, bicycle lanes, and low-traffic roads. As with the complementary United States Numbered Highways system for motorists, each U.S. Bicycle Route is maintained by state and local governments. The USBRS is intended to eventually traverse the entire country, like the Dutch National Cycle Routes and the United Kingdom‘s National Cycle Network, yet at a scale similar to the EuroVelo network that spans Europe.” Wikipedia.

The tunnel of trees and other points of interest lured me into following USBR 35 down the shoreline of Lake Michigan even though it wasn’t taking me East.

I got to Pond Hill Farm just in time for lunch. They have quite an operation, wood fired pizza, microbrewery and a farm store.

I had decided on camping at a state park but somehow missed the turn for it and was a few miles down the road before I realized it. I decided to press on even though it was getting late in the day. I found a brewery on my route that was in a rural area and thought I would ask if I could camp there or if they knew of a place to camp. The nice person I asked said she would get in touch with the owner. I waited a bit and was getting nervous about the imminent night fall, so I did what any intrepid bike tourist would do, I ordered a beer. After I finished the beer she said the owner couldn’t let me camp here but that he owned an old church down the road that he had turned into an art gallery and I could set up my tent there. So on I rode. The Canadian Wildfire smoke was making for a spectacular sunset as I rode there. I had just enough time to pitch my tent before it got dark.

PSA and season Finale spoiler: I made it to Bar Harbor, Maine and won’t be posting for a week so I can spend time with the love of my life.