Ludington and Waiting for----The Badger!

Camille and Lowell in Ludington

"Oh What a Beautiful Morning" Missouri style


Alicia and Barry Campbell in Luther Outside the bakery/restaurant/farmstand with bikers Bert and John

Just had a wonderful lunch with Camille and Cyndi in Ludington. Afterward we went to the local Rite Aid (no wonder kids can't spell!) and with the help of Cyndi (oh, I hate to admit this!) burned pictures onto a CD. Yeah! Thank you Camille and Cyndi for driving an hour north to spend some time together. And Camille, I'll be watching for your "Berlin Enquirer" in the fall. Camille has a whole new genre of writing to explore! And Sam, thank you for the suggestion that I burn the pictures. You're right, makes things much easier and now I can reuse the memory disk.

I continue to meet the most wonderful folks! Alicia and Barry saved me! Rolling into Luther (which, by the way, has every denomination of church except Lutheran-go figure that one) I was going into an area that was off my Adventure Cycling Maps for a distance. Barry and Alicia pulled up in the middle of main street in their little town (and I do mean middle--where the stripes are) parked, hailed me over, asked me where I was going and was I lost (do I always look lost?) and began giving me directions. Thinking it might be wise to pull over to let traffic by I suggested same, but Barry insisted we stay right where we are. "In Luther you can park in the middle of Main Street and visit. The only people who honk are out of towners." He was right. Most cars went right around us to the left and right and only a few, nonLutherites I'm sure, gave us scowls. Barry's directions were impeccable but of course I blew the first turn I was to take at the end of Main Street. Turns out Barry and Alicia were keeping an eye out for me, saw my error, and came to my rescue. The rest was a breeze--well, as much of a breeze as 17 more miles can be at the end of a very hot day. 86 miles and 87 the day before. Michigan roads, and drivers have been very kind. And the people, well they're just super!
Met Bert and John this morning passing through Freesoil (history question, who knows where that name comes from) and had just discovered that the restaurant I had intended to stop at for breakfast after 20 miles was shut down! Ugh! These two on their "bents" come riding up and invite me to breakfast with them at a wonderful restaurant slightly off my planned route just a couple of miles down the road. Bert and John are from the Chicago area, and Betsy, John makes an annual pilgrimage to Woodstock to see "Ground Hog Day." Your kind of guy or what?

Have purchased my ticket for this evening to take the "Badger" a 420' ferry across Lake Michigan, a distance of about 60 miles. Costs about $1 per mile. Have reservations in Manitowoc, WI at a motel near the ferry landing as we don't arrive until about 11:00 tonight. My best to all. Hope the weather is right for the Schoberpalooza and the guys running club tomorrow, Saturday. Love to all. Lowell