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Courtesy of Michigan Department of Transportation (2007
Michigan State Map) By time I rode out of Manistique, I was feeling relaxed and at peace with the world. The sun was warming up the day and it suddenly occurred to me that it might be a good night to do a little camping. After all, I did pack all this camping gear. When I reached Rapid River, I pulled in for gas. Taking out the map, I began looking for a good place to call it a day. After a little debate with myself, I decided to head to Bewabic State Park near Crystal Falls. Having camped there with my family years ago, I knew it would be a good place to call it a night. I like riding through Upper Michigan I love riding through its small towns, along its rivers and lakeshores. I also enjoy the smells. I had just gotten a whiff of some wild onions (Leeks). I use to pick and eat them as kid. I must of passed a patch of them tucked off in the woods somewhere. Oh there are the bad smells too. Nothing can make a biker hold his breath more than a five day old dead deer or bad septic system, but it's all apart of riding. As I drove past Bark River I spotted this huge building under construction. At first I guessed a hospital, but it soon was apparent the Chip-Inn's Island Resort & Casino was building a major hotel. Anything over 3 stories is big in the U.P. and this building must of been 10-15 stories high. That told me that a lot people were coming to gamble in this little U.P. town. I like the casinos because they always open and more times than not they have a good restaurant. I arrived at Bewabic State Park at around 5pm. After five hours on the road, I was hungry and would have stopped to eat, but first I wanted to secure a decent campsite. Parking the bike, I went in to talk to park attendant. I always like to take a ride through the campground rather than let them pick a site for me. As I rode through the park I could feel the eyes of all the campers looking at me. I don't think anyone wants a biker camping next to them. On the other hand, I was looking for a site with no one around myself. I was beat and idea of camping next to some screaming little kids or some partying Yoopers. It took me about 20 minutes to set up camp. I had pick a site that was at least five sites from the nearest other campers. It didn't take much to get things set up. Having backpacked in the Porkies, I had learned to travel light and my equipment pretty much matched up with what you need to camp from a motorcycle. It had rained earlier in the day as the ground was still wet. On the upside, the tent stakes went down fairly easy. I had brought an inflatable air mattress. Sleeping on the hard ground was for my younger days. Now my back required a little distance between it and the ground. After everything was setup, I sat down on the picnic table. Fortunately there weren't many bugs out, because I had forgotten to bring insect repellent. The sun would be setting soon and I was still hungry. So I climbed back on the bike and headed over to a grocery store I had past just down the road from park. There I bought some junk food and a couple of beers. Now back at the campsite, I was finally able to relax. As I sat alone thinking about the ride so far, I found myself wishing someone had come along to enjoy it with me. Oh well, maybe next time. I had brought a pencil and paper so I started to jot down some notes and thoughts from the ride. The sound of the trucks on Hwy US-2 kept me from really getting a good sleep. By early morning I found myself waiting for daylight long before it finally arrived. It took only minutes to pack everything up. The tent was damp and wet in places form the dew and wet ground, but I'd air it out when I got home. I was ready to roll. It felt a little chilly but I decided against my chaps because figuring I would be stopping shortly in Iron River for breakfast. As I was about to leave leaving the park I pulled over to watch the steam rising up off Fortune Lake. It was a mesmerizing site with an occasion duck flying in and out of the fog. I wish I had brought my camera. Pulling out of the park I turn west towards Iron River. There was a icy chill in the air this morning and I found myself wishing I had put on my jacket liner and chaps. Every now and then the sun would find me just long enough to let me know it was going to warm up, but then I would ride into a low hollow and it got downright cold. I was sure I would find some place open in Iron River so I held off stopping the bike to put on warmer gear. I guess rule number one in riding the U.P. is that don't expect to find something open. After a quick ride through Iron River I didn't see one restaurant open. I sure there must of been one on a side street, but I wasn't prepared to go looking that hard. Now I would have to wait until I found a place in Wisconsin. However I decided to pull over and put on my liner and chaps. Feeling warmer, I took Hwy 189 south out of Iron River and soon was crossing over into Wisconsin. It had been a good ride and I had already made up my mind that I come back for another ride next year.
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