Day 103 (8/27): 8 miles west of Naubinway to St. Ignace, Michigan

Mileage: 58.1; 3,176 total

My objective was to get to St. Ignace so that tomorrow morning I can catch a ferry to Mackinac Island. It was a pleasant ride today, on another cool, clear day. I was glad the ride was a little on the short side, because I was slowed by a headwind for the last 20 miles or so.

Below is a picture of Dale and Connie from Cheboygan (spelling?), Michigan, experienced cyclists who were midway into a 100 mile ride, planning to relax for a day or two (?) and then return home. They took a longer ride this summer, around Lake Huron.

There must be a lot of Finns in this area, because today I came across another Lehto family (see post about Day 102). This time, the name was on a store: "Lehto's Pasties." I stopped again, of course, and found out that the "pasties" they were selling are the "pasties" pronounced "poss tees," not the "pasties" pronounced "pace tees"! That'll be a relief to Leslie and her siblings! The Lehto's pasties are concoctions of beef and onions, baked in a crust. (Actually, if my recollection is right, these were also common in the U.K., and were carried in the lunchbuckets of minors.) I ate one and it was pretty good, but for my money I much prefer spicy Jamaican beef patties.

On the ride today I was frequently right along the coast of Lake Michigan. I took a few minutes to wade out in the water, and was pleased to find that it was crystal clear and relatively warm, probably in the mid-70s, about the same as the air temperature. A particularly pretty area had the lakefront on the south side of the road and old sand dunes, covered with trees, on the north side. A number of photos are attached, below.