Way Back Machine - story behind my profile picture

In tribute to nephew Jackson’s pedal this week from Rick’s E’s place in Grayling up to his Aunt Sue/Uncle Paul’s place on Drummond Island, the way back machine today takes us back 20 years to July of 1998 when this scribe had a similar pedal journey; albeit a bit longer in my case. My profile picture on here is from that journey so this is the background story of it and its significance I guess you could say.  

As I had the long distance pedal fixation a few years earlier when Gus and I did the Upper Peninsula pedal, I was ready for more. After digging into some maps, a Lake Michigan loop looked like an exciting journey.  The vision was to take the car ferry over from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin and pedal southbound through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and back up through Michigan to where I parked my vehicle five days earlier. Living in Indiana at the time, I got into Ludington around midnight on Friday, slept in the car ferry parking lot and caught the first boat Saturday morning around 8 AM. Around noon, the boat docked in Wisconsin and my journey began. I have to add that this is during the very early years of the cell phone era (I didn't have one) and my version of ‘mapquest’ were bicycle maps I mailed for, xerox copies of map sections, and various state/city maps. Having a relative working for AAA was a big help. Loved those AAA TripTiks back in the day!!!

Day 1 started with a beautiful ride along Lake Michigan through Sheboygan and into Milwaukee for the night; about 80 miles in half a day. The day was beautiful but for someone who slept in a parking lot the night before with limited sleep, I was beat. This is where having someone pedaling with you helps; a pusher. I was honestly pondering finding a bus or train that would transport me and my bike and call it a trip. It was a flailing thought but a thought just the same. Quit I would not though and after a good night’s sleep at a hotel (not much camping in a city besides sleeping on the sidewalks with the street people), I was recharged.
Day 2’s destination would be Chicago; about 90 miles. With a full day to get there, the pedal went fine and only got turned around once on the north side of town as a heavyset lady thankfully saw I was in a place I shouldn’t probably be (i.e. not a great area) and got me turned around to the main strip. My lodging that night was probably a 1-star hotel but sleep is not a problem on these trips. 

Day 3’s journey started early as I wanted to get through south Chicago/Gary/Whiting before the night owls with the paper bags full of Olde English woke up from the previous night’s activities. The pedal along Lakefront Trail (Lake Shore Drive) was an obstacle course of weaving in and out of bodies sleeping on the ground. No exaggeration as there were many park sleepers. Thankfully no mechanical breakdowns that morning and put the head down (and the rocking mixed tape I had going through the headphones!!! - ha) through the last portion of Illinois into Indiana. No sightseeing; just get through. As fate would have it, I got a flat just outside of the shi#. The tent made its first appearance that night near St. Joseph, Michigan. 

No drama on Day 4 besides almost getting on the freeway out of Benton Harbor. I made it near Muskegon for the final night’s camp. 

The final day’s pedal back to my vehicle was uneventful and utopia.  A great feeling of accomplishment and glad I didn’t back out on Day 1. The trip was one I will always remember in more ways than one. The journey itself but when I got back to where a phone was (again, no cell phone), I found out some very bad news that no one ever wants to get. As mentioned, my profile picture on here was from that trip and right about the time it was being taken, the bad news I received three days later was being discovered by others present time.  That is a story for another time but that picture will always trigger that memory; a tribute I guess.
Great pedal brother Jackson!
Trail Head  

July 1998 - entering Chicago