Beginning Leg 2 & The Perpetual Terribleness of Michigan

Leg 2 has begun, I write to you from somewhere not in Ohio. I'm on my own now. Ready to face challenges that arise from that fact. But even more ready to travel roads I've never driven, enter parks I've never visited, stop at overlooks I've never seen and, most of all, learn. Learn about the continental United States - how they really fit together, how big they really are, how the landscape changes slowly in some places and abruptly in others. Learn about living nomadically - how to solo camp efficiently, how to pack a car efficiently, how to live of off the bare essentials (what did I bring that I don't even need?). And learn about myself - what thoughts will spark when people aren't around and I'm not working 60-70 hours/week, what are my strengths and weaknesses (the ones that really matter, that people can't help with) and am I happy where I am.

I know, it all sounds a bit hokey - a little bit like a Hollywoodish Fantasy World. But I find it fascinating and exciting! Not many people have the opportunity to do this; and of those who do, not all have the will or desire (and I don't yet know if I do). And I find it important.

Leg 1 was a great opportunity to bond with two of my closest friends before they left to live their lives. We all know what it's like to be around people and how other people affect our thoughts, feelings and actions. But how much do we know about how we affect our own thoughts, feelings and actions?

Okay, enough of this - let it be and let it begin.

Michigan (State #17)
I could spend all day making fun of Michigan, but the truth is its landscape is pleasant. It's no Colorado, but it's alright. Unfortunately for Michigan's sake (as though it were seeking my approval), it helped to start my second leg off on the completely wrong note.

A Change of Plans
As mentioned in the first post of Leg 1, one of my goals was to hit every national park. I blew my goal before Leg 2 even started. A few days before leaving, I planned to get to Isle Royale NP by the third day. After more research, I found out it was going to cost a minimum ferry fee of $130 just to get to the island. It wasn't worth it to me to spend that money to hang out in Michigan for another day.

So my plans (or goals) have changed. I was upset at first, but soon came to realize my original goals served a different purpose. Instead of tempting me with failure, they were merely providing me with a means to visit the lower 48 states. Whatever I can see along the way is great! And why get stressed out - this is Super Vacation - stressing is unnecessary.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
At the last minute, I changed my first stop to Sleeping Bear Dunes, where I spent an hour and then continued to move forward.

Sleeping Bear Dunes is nice, but when you compare it to the sights on Leg 1, it just...well, you just can't. Either way, sand dunes are quite fascinating (and they're fun to run down). Enough typed. It was a good first stop.

I got in and out of that park quickly and had to make some headway before dark. I finally found my first solo campsite in some old dude's backyard.

It was weird to be done with the day and at camp by myself. I grilled some world-famous Tony Packo's hot dogs, played a little guitar, read a little The Gunslinger (the first in my arsenal of novels this trip), wrote in the journal and called it a night.

Mackinac Island
There are countless phrases centered around the idea of an idea sitting better in one's mind after figuratively sleeping on it. The night before, I was feeling the sadness of leaving everyone behind for a long period of time. In the morning, I still missed them, but I was excited for what the day had to offer. And it was a busy day.

The first stop was Mackinac Island. Because I wanted to get into the upper peninsula that day, I knew I couldn't spend too much time on the island. So I grabbed a AAA-discounted ferry ticket at $19, which I rounded off to $20 for a guide of the island. What a deal! Although sarcasm reigns in the previous sentence, the ferry ride was definitely the most fun I had in Michigan. It was 80 degrees or so and really muggy. That cool lake breeze felt great. And I got some good photos of the bridge and other boats.

When I got to the island, I rented a bike and rode the 8-mile M-185. In 1896, Mackinac Island produced an ordinance that banned all cars from the island. This means M-185 is the only Michigan highway that does not allow cars! I completed the loop in about 1:15, walked around to take a few more photos and then caught a ferry back to the mainland.

I don't want to spend too much time writing about the island. It's a quaint, little town, and certainly worth a visit. I can't tell you for sure how many times I've been there; I'd guess this was my third or fourth, but all of them had been fun. This was a little weird, though. The island definitely has a tourist and, therefore, family/couple feel and isn't a great place to visit alone.

If you plan to visit and would like some advice on how to maximize your time and money, let me know and I'd be happy to share.

What I'll leave you with is a brief story regarding the name. If you know anything about the area, you're probably aware of the following spellings: Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City. If not, those are the correct forms. The American Indians inhabiting this area called it Michilimackinac (silent c). People in the area disagreed on how this word was to be written (as the American Indians would have only spoken it). Eventually the spelling I've showed was adopted as correct, and later the name was shortened. It's believed the settlers of the mainland city used the phonetic aw to distinguish the city from the island.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
I kept trucking to make time. I crossed the Mackinac Bridge (always a great experience). And don't worry, that photo was taken by one of my "invisible friends" accompanying me on this trip. I reached Pictured Rocks later that evening and took a few cool photos. I'd have to say it's the coolest part of any of the Great Lakes shorelines that I've seen, although I haven't seen much. I was only able to make it to the Miners section of the park.


And when I got to the Miners section, I found there was no camping! So I backtracked a bit and found a site in Hiawatha National Forest. The following events comprise of the (so far) worst camping experience of my life.

• Found a tent site.
• Stepped out of the car, got immediately bitten by mosquitoes and biting gnats, felt the air - it was 85 degrees (8:30 p.m.) and about as muggy as possible.
• Grabbed the camera to take a photo of the site; couldn't get camera to work because it was too muggy.
• Set up the tent.
• Debated what to eat for dinner; decided to make a sandwich in the car after restarting the car and turning the A/C back on.
• Finished dinner, threw my stuff in the tent and tried the cat trick of laying on my back and not moving - no luck, sweat poured off me.
• Finally relaxed, picked up my book and began to read.
• Heard thunder, put the rain tarp on (losing any air movement I might have had), got re-eaten by the same bugs, continued to sweat as though I were a wet sponge being squeezed and got back in the tent.
• Endured my first thunderstorm in a tent - a severe thunderstorm - with only a small amount of water making it in.

I woke up and sped out of Michigan. I headed for Minneapolis, only to learn it was supposed to have a heat index of 124 that day! Fortunately, I was meeting a friend; a friend who had air conditioning! Since this post is now unreasonably lengthy, I'll provide a short post about Minneapolis.

Here's the Michigan album - it turned out much better than I expected.