Day 38 - 74 miles (81 with detour) from Mt Pleasant to Birch Run, MI

Today, Anne and Michael took the Co-Motion the 81 miles to Birch Run. It was in the low 60's when we started. So, that meant arm warmers and a windbreaker for Michael. Anne, too! We left those on for the entire ride. It was very sunny and that was a big help. So did the north wind for nearly half the ride and certainly the flat terrain (only ascended 730' over the 81 miles). The part of MI we have been riding is extremely flat.

It was a fun riding south as we were able to average around 24-25 mph for some 12 miles before we turned east. We had four riders (who have ridden much of the ride together in a draft line) behind us. They really liked the ride! Actually, after we turned east, we were able to stay with the group. As it turned out, we did most of the pulling for the entire ride. Tandems are nice on flat terrains. Anne was hammering!

A bridge being rebuilt caused the detour. It had been totally removed; so the detour was the only way unless we swam across the creek carrying the tandem. The detour was 7 miles. We (I) failed to make one turn that cost us about a mile.

I only took three pictures and those because I wanted to show just how flat MI is where we are riding. Also, to show they grow a lot more wheat (it looks like wheat to me) than any of the other states we have traversed. See how far you can see! It is easy to see why we only ascended some 730' during the entire 81 miles. These pictures are at odd angles because I shot them using one hand while riding.

MI has bean fields and lots of wind generators as you can see in the distance. On the other side of the road was corn.

Here is the lobby of our motel. Jan, you would have liked it. However, it needed one of your paintings as any of yours would be far superior to the one above the fireplace.

Tomorrow, we edge closer to another milestone, Canada, by going 87 miles to Port Huron, MI, right on the border.