It was only 45 miles from Naubinway to St Ignace, but it was a weather extravaganza of a ride! We left at a reasonable time this morning with the sun high in the sky and a cool breeze blowing in from the west. We were travelling east, so everything was good. Good that is, until we hit Moran Township, a place just 15 miles outside of St Ignace. It was truly weird! One second the wind was blowing from the north west then the next second as we had an unobstructed exposure to Lake Michigan’s vastness, the wind suddenly switched, blowing hard from the south east. To make matters worse, looking high over our right shoulders we saw what could only be described as a big black sheet the size of Wales hanging from the sky. With blue cloudless skies ahead of us and the fast approaching vale darkness to the right and above us, we upped our speed to try and out pace the wind, blowing in this massive thunder cloud …we lost, and 10 seconds later we were soaked and cycling in rain drops the size of golf balls.
Our fully dressed Power Shower lasted a short, but very long! 30 minutes. Abruptly stopping to allow the clouds to peel back and reveal blue skies, sunshine and rainbows. Unfortunately, we weren’t out of the woods just yet. Replacing the torrential rains were orchestral claps of thunder and blinding lightning that crackled ferociously as it zapped the ground beneath. We were scared riding upon our trusty Lightning Conductors, but risked the last 5 minutes cycling out in the open, knowing that we had only 1 mile to go before reaching our destination.
Safe to say we’re now in St Ignace, which is just around the corner from the Mackinac Bridge that spans the straights where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. It’s beautiful around here! Words don’t quite describe the atmosphere and ambience of this place. We can’t explain it but it’s magical to witness these two huge bodies of water meeting underneath a bridge whose span is wider than that of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fortunately, we arrived at our Motel early in the day and managed to clean the bikes, do the laundry, paddle in Lake Huron, take a few photos and eat dinner all before 9pm.
We’re back on the Ferries tomorrow to witness the Famous Mackinac Island
Us x
Hey Guys,
ReplyDeletelooks like you're making good time. We know you will enjoy Mackinac Island. I remember sitting outside of Holly Berries a couple weeks ago and telling you about the Island.It is definately a must-see. Well, have a safe trip the rest of the way, and stay safe. Watch for guys with guns and spiders.
Tim and Laura.