Path Less Traveled

When I told people I was going to bike around Lake Michigan, many assumed I would be on a bike path, rather than roads. While for the vast majority of this trip I will be on back roads, county roads, and two-lane highways, the last two days I have spent more time than expected on bike path. I rode one of the best this afternoon – the Ozaukee Interurban Trail. This paved trail runs for over thirty miles through farms and along marshlands. It's amazingly well-maintained and doesn't have many road crossing. Oncoming tractors are of greater concern.

I'll admit it – today was lax. I planned to have dinner with my friends, Tanya and Todd, in Sheboygan so I only had to travel about 55 miles to Kohler-Andrae State Park. I took my time, stopping for lunch and checking out the sights in Port Washington. On these days, I benefit from knowing I have plenty of time to reach my destination. Once again the weather was beautiful, full sun, but not humid.

At the campground, I picked an ideal wooded campsite, pitched my tent, and then climbed the small sand dunes and headed down to the lake. White caps were rolling in. The waves and all my mother's warnings about the rip currents kept me close to the shore (don't worry mom) – the water was refreshing.



I had my first great meal of the trip at Il Ritrovo in Sheboygan. Years before Neopolitan pizza became the craze in Chicago, Sheboygan was worth a visit to eat the pizza from Il Ritrovo's wood-fired oven. Catching up with Tanya and Todd over the Funghi and Pizza alla Pepe was a great end to the night. By the time I returned to the campsite it was pitch black. With no moon above, the stars ruled the sky.