One of our first steps in planning a cycling tour is to establish a theme, give it a name and pick a logo. In the past, the geographical location of our adventure has always been the focus. Not so this time. Our newest tour
name is based on our life status. Although for all practical purposes we have been empty nesters for several years, the marriage of our third and youngest child this summer has firmly established this rank. With joyful wedding memories still vivid, we are embarking on our Liberation Tour.
Continuing our propensity to follow shoreline, this trip will take us along the coast of the three northernmost Great Lakes – Superior, Huron and Michigan. Taking advantage of our son Carl’s home in Milwaukee, we will depart from there and make our way by ferry over to lower Michigan. We plan to travel the perimeter of the “mitten” with a foray into the UP to explore Mackinac Island, Whitefish Bay and Drummond Island. When we return to Wisconsin, we hope to detour into Door County for our first visit to that scenic peninsula.
Per normal we have no detailed plans, only a vague route. Daily distances and lodging will be decided the night before, based on terrain, weather conditions, sightseeing options and whim. We haven’t done much research into how challenging (read “hilly”) this route might be. Rich is convinced it will be flat. Compared to Scotland, that’s bound to be true. We look forward to a US tour once again, where we can follow our natural cycling rhythm minus any cultural differences.
Time and distance are pretty fluid. The route is roughly 1250 miles, and we are allowing 4-5 weeks. We’ve always had good luck cycling in September with fewer tourists on the road and still-mild temperatures. And we are prepared for chillier days should we delve very far into October. For someone who is normally highly scheduled, I look forward to the flexible nature of this trip.
Our trademark custom jerseys have arrived. The bikes are in the shop for their pre-trip tune-up. I have my trusted detailed packing list. It’s just a matter of dragging the panniers out of the closet and corralling all our gear. The kids are well established in good jobs and happy marriages. We’re ready for the Liberation Celebration to begin!
Superior Footprints 
I really enjoy reading your posts. Not sure how I even first got connected, and yours are the only regularly delivered blogs I read.
As for Whitefish, I just moved out of the area and truly miss it. I can suggest places and people that might be interested in hosting. I used to teach at the K-12 public school there. Maybe even a brief visit to meet the students would be inspiring. Paradise is a great small community and could use more good pr. Please email me with any questions, even though I am a troll again, my heart is in the UP where my grandparents started camping in the 40’s. I teach near Kalamazoo now, and just joined my youngest and her new husband on a tour the zoo, bikes and brews event that put a smile on my face. I can relate to the Liberation Celebration! Congrats
Mary Jane Ewing Learned to ride, taught my kids, and never stopped. Fact is, my middle daughter and her husband race on a Velodrome track. Life is a cycle……
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We would love to talk to school children, Mary Jane! Any advice you have on the area would be greatly appreciated.
I hope you can toast your liberation trip every evening and celebrate every day.