Back on the trail after a very nice break. The morning started off with some turkey crossings on the South Lyon City Trail. The Huron River Valley trail was next, followed by the Michigan Air Line Trail (MALT) – a wonderful paved connector to the West Bloomfield trail, which winds thru lakes, nature preserves, and suburban neighborhoods on the far Northwest edges of Detroit.

The Bloomfield trail runs right next to a popular park on Orchard Lake, where Jax took the opportunity to launch a paddleboard and meet me trailside:

The Clinton river trail running thru Pontiac and Auburn Hills was a bit rough, using recycled asphalt in some places (not the best stuff to ride on). Then came the best trail of the day… the Macomb Orchard Trail, which runs 24 miles from Rochester to Richmond. A splendid trail with many other cyclists today.

From Richmond, a long run on Gratiot Avenue to the town of Port Huron, where I came across the first draw bridge stoppage of this coast to coast trek. Come to think of it, it’s probably the only time I’ve ever had to stop for a draw bridge while bicycling.

And finally, a view of the Blue Water Bridge which will take us over the St. Clair river into Canada. Unfortunately, bicycles are not allowed on this bridge, so we will load up the bikes and cross the bridge into Sarnia, Ontario, where tomorrow’s ride will begin.

Time for a couple days off from riding. Jax and I stayed at a Michigan lake house near Ann Arbor to meet with friends.

While there, we took in a college football game to see our alma-mater, Colorado State.

Over 109,000 people packed the University of Michigan’s ‘Big House’ on a warm September day. I wish the Rams would have given the Wolverines a game, but instead they were more like lambs led to the slaughter… 51-7 was the final score.

Back at the lake house for a pontoon boat cruise.

A very enjoyable break. Now, back to cycling.

A beautifully calm morning to start day 40 of this cross continent trek. Winds from the past several days have vanished, and a cool morning fog graced the central Michigan farmlands. Blissfully quite and nearly empty roads for the first 20+ miles into Concord, where we hopped onto the beautiful Falling Waters Trail. A fellow cyclist by the name of Roy in the quaint town of Albion told us the Falling Waters would be a treat, and he was right. All recreational trails should aspire to be like this: A wide, smooth, well-maintained trail with clean rest stops, excellent signage, and stunning scenery. People of all ages were enjoying a wide variety of conveyance methods on this paved trail. Kudos to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources providing this gem of a trail through state lands.

The Falling Waters Trail connects with the Inter-City Bike trail leading into Jackson Michigan. Home of some outstanding building murals, courtesy of the Jackson School of the Arts.

Jackson also boasts Michigan’s first prison, with a unique bike path winding through the historic site and leading right through a fortress wall. Many of the old buildings and walls of the former prison also feature artistic murals, an apparent hallmark of this city.

Breaking out of the prison and riding north-easterly, the landscape turns from rivers to lakes. The gravel Lakelands Trail slices through these mid state lake lands, gradually changing from farm to rural to suburban as one travels eastward towards Ann Arbor. Along the way, this perplexing situation presented a zen-like dilemma… do all endings lead to new beginnings?

A couple rest days at a Michigan lake house are on next on tap, including a visit to the University of Michigan’s ‘Big House’. Stay tuned.