Day 7 – From St. Paul to Wheeling

Route: From St. Paul (MN) to Wheeling (IL), 437 miles

The weather forecast was not very favorable. High eighties in both St. Paul and Chicago. I decided to leave as early as I could. My mother later told me that an hour after I left there was a thunderstorm with hail.

The weather was actually not bad most of the day. It was cloudy, and the temperatures didn’t rise above low seventieth. However the last 3-4 hours were really brutal.

During the entire trip I used my credit card 18 times to buy gas in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Canada. But on the 19th time, when I stopped at a BP gas station in Savana IL, Citi decided to block my account. There's something wrong with the algorithm they use.


I made it home by dinner time. Overall, it was a great trip - good weather, fun camping, smooth roads, and breathtaking scenery.

Day 6 – From Sleeping Giant to St. Paul

Route: From Sleeping Giant (Provincial Park, Ontario) to St. Paul (MN), 410 miles

Once I crossed the border, I was in the familiar territory. I was there in June. I stopped for breakfast at Java Moose Coffee & Tee in Grand Marais, and then continued to St. Paul. Grand Marais is a little town with a beautiful harbor, a couple of coffee shops, and several restaurants serving fish.


The ride from Grand Marais to Duluth was absolutely breathtaking. Two relatively long tunnels definitely added to the experience.

County road 35 that goes through Wisconsin had lots of long strait segments and absolutely no traffic. Very good for testing the speed limit of the scooter.

Day 5 – From Wawa to Sleeping Giant

Route: From Wawa (Ontario) to Sleeping Giant (Provincial Park, Ontario), 290 miles

The part of the route from Marathon to Nipigon was probably the most scenic.


The gas in Canada is more expensive. The price on the picture below translates to $5.37 per gallon.


There were lots of road construction after Nipigon. At one point asphalt was completely removed from a long section of the road. There was only one lane and a flagger on each end. The road was just mud. We were moving really slow and riding was difficult. But then I saw a lady on a bicycle towing a little trailer waiting for her turn.

Sleeping Giant was the most expensive campground and the most disappointing - huge, dusty, noisy. No privacy at all. At least a 10-minute walk to the nearest comfort station with showers.

Day 4 – From Pinconning to Wawa

Route: Pinconning (County Park, MI) to Wawa (Ontario), 355 miles

This day’s route also went through some alteration. I finally admitted to myself that I was somewhat too aggressive in my planning. To save a couple of hours I decided to take I-75 instead of Hwy 23 along Lake Huron shore line. This shortened the route by 50 miles and allowed higher speed.

The first 30 minutes were great – I was cruising down the 4-lane highway with absolutely no traffic at 70 m/h. But then the weather changed and it started to rain. I had to get of the highway to put on my rain gear. The rain continued on and off for about an hour.

My second crossing of Mackenac Bridge was even slower than the first one. One lane was closed, and we were moving not faster than 20 m/h. In addition, we had to change from outer lane to inner lane and back several times. The outer lane is asphalt, but the inner one is open-grated. No traction at all.

A Canadian border guard didn’t like me. He looked at my passport, asked several stupid questions, and then told me to park my bike under a canopy and go inside. I walked inside and handed my passport to another border guard. She called me back in 5 minutes, gave me my passport back, and wished me happy travel. First I thought it was my three day shadow they didn’t like, and only on my way back an American border guard told me that my passport wasn’t signed.

20 minutes after crossing the border I finally hit Trans Canada Highway 17.

There were lots of little piles of rock along the road. According to another biker, they simply mean "I have been here", nothing more.



Others still prefer graffiti.


Time for a short rest.




Another rest stop by Marathon before the most exciting part of this leg.





The speed limit on Trans Canada Highway 17 is 90 km/h (56 m/h), but, for whatever reason, it felt much faster. Effect of large numbers?

After staying at campgrounds for three nights it was time for a motel. I didn’t have a reservation, but I talked to the owner of the Best Northern motel in Wawa on Friday and knew that there were lots of vacancies. The motel was relatively small - 11 rooms and 3 cabins. I was surprised by the overall quality of the motel. It had a feel of a 4-star hotel. The owner told me that he had bought it in 2005, refurbished all rooms, and built a restaurant. Actually he finished the restaurant 2 month ago. The restaurant was also nicely planned and tastefully decorated.
I didn’t try all items on their menu, but their white fish with mushrooms and cheese was very good.

Day 3 – From Leelanau to Pinconning

Route: From Leelanau (State Park, MI) to Pinconning (County Park, MI), 240 miles

I decided to take it easy this day. A key to this was a shorter route. After some studying of the map (yes, I did have a map with me), I decided to shave 50 miles off of the route by turning east right after Manistee.

The first stop was for breakfast at a little café called Stone House Bread & Café in Leland. There were probably 12-15 people there when I arrived, half inside and half outside sitting at the small tables. I guess this place was offering free Internet access since everyone inside had a laptop.

MI 22 is a biker’s dream. Well, for those of us who usually rides between corn fields and could see the horizon looking down the road, any road, a road with turns is a dream. On this scale, MI 22 was a dream come true. There were countless hills and turns. Somewhere around Empire the road became dense with foliage from hardwood trees.


There were little stores along the road where you could buy fresh cherry, strawberries, and blueberries. After passing one little store after another for an hour or two I decided to stop and try some berries. I bought a pint of blueberries. Yes, they had a different taste. Long forgotten.

Pinconning was the first modern campground in three days. Although Bathing Wipes by No-Rinse were a big help, shower was in order. Showers were a 3-4 minute walk from my site. There was no one at the comfort house at this hour, so I found the first available, quickly undressed, positioned myself under the showerhead, and started looking for a faucet. There was none. I looked at each wall again. There was no faucet. However, one of the walls had a switch with a narrow hole. After closer examination I figured out that I needed to deposit 25c and then turn the switch. I, of course, didn’t have any change on me.

It was dinner time. Since the park was really close to the city, I just rode to the first place serving food. It happened to be a small deli with a cute sign below the counter - “Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy.”


There was another bike two sites from mine. Steve, the owner of the bike, started from Orlando, traveled to northern Minnesota, and was on his way back home. He was a seasoned traveler – a large tent, a little stove, a pot, and a chair. He liked to travel with comfort.



Lake Huron.

It rained at night, but stopped before dawn. The tent was still wet when I packed it.

Day 2 – From Little Bay de Noc to Leelanau

Route: From Little Bay de Noc (Hiawatha National Forest, MI) to Leelanau (State Park, MI), 290 miles

The highlight of this day was crossing Straits of Mackinac. The Mackinac Bridge is currently the third longest suspension bridge in the world – 5 miles long, 200 feet above water level. The bridge is magnificent. However, when you travel on a bike, you hope to avoid the high wind conditions that happen here often. Mackinac Bridge authority reports wind speed on two radio stations and issues warnings that sound like this:

Currently we are experiencing winds of sufficient force in the Straits area to issue a warning to all motorists preparing to cross the Mackinac Bridge.

Examples of vehicles which are especially vulnerable to high winds are pickup trucks with campers, motor homes, vehicles pulling trailers and enclosed semi-truck trailers. Motorists are instructed to reduce their speed to a maximum of 20 miles per hour, turn on their four way flashers, and utilize the outside lane. Motorists are asked to exercise appropriate caution.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority is monitoring wind speeds at various points along the structure. Additional steps will be implemented if conditions change. If you are planning to travel to the Straits area, please tune to AM radio 530 or 1610 for updates.

The warning mentions vehicles weighing several tons. My bike weights less than 700 lb with me and the luggage. There are even two accounts of the cars being blown off the bridge.

With all this useful information in my head, I approached the bridge with more than just curiosity. But I was lucky. The day was beautiful. No wind at all. The previous 120 miles on Hwy 2 were very relaxing. Practically all roads in Michigan along my route were as smooth as glass. When you travel on a scooter with 13” tires and swingarm mounted engine, you really appreciate good roads.

The crossing itself was uneventful. There were a fair number of cars and they were moving not faster than 35 m/h.

In my planning, I tried to stay as close to the shore line as possible. It worked out ok most of the time. But several roads turned out to be either gravel or dirt roads, and I had to adjust my GPS to avoid them.

But the biggest surprise of this day was waiting for me south of Cross Village. MI 119 between Cross Village and Harbor Springs is considered to be one of Michigan’s most spectacular rides. The road is narrow, hilly, and winding. In some places the foliage from trees on either side of the road meets high over the middle of the road where it forms a canopy that barely allows any daylight.

I stopped for lunch somewhere between Middle Village and Harbor Springs and quickly found myself talking to another rider. The guy was from Detroit. Riding Harley-Davidson of course. In general, I noticed that riders prefer two bikes for touring – HD Electra Glide and Honda Goldwing. Somehow the idea of touring on a scooter hasn’t caught up yet.

The second half of the day was so hot, that I decided to skip Old Mission Lighthouse and headed strait to the camp.

Day 1 – From Wheeling to Little Bay de Noc

Route: From Wheeling (IL) to Little Bay de Noc (Hiawatha National Forest, MI), 330 miles

They say that it is good luck to have rain when you are leaving on a long trip. This is probably true. The trip was great. But when I woke up on Saturday morning, my heart dropped. It was raining cats and dogs. The weather didn’t improve much in the couple of hours that it took me to get ready, and it didn’t look like it would improve any time soon. So I decided to leave.

It’s not that I wasn’t prepared. I did have a Tourmaster Defender rain suite that, by the way, I used three timed during the trip, and was very impressed by its quality. I put it on and started the bike. What happened next was absolutely unexpected. My helmet visor fogged and stayed fogged. I’ve ridden in the rain many times and it has never been a problem. The visor usually fogs when I stop, but immediately unfogs as soon as I start moving again. Not this time. It was so bad, that I decided I needed a radical solution to this problem and turned back.

The solution was Cat Crap. This is not what your think. It’s an anti-fog lens cleaner manufactured by E.K. Ekcessories, Inc. I bought it at REI last summer, but never used. It took me a couple of minutes to apply Cat Crap and get ready again. Well, it didn’t help. Somehow it made it even worth. I guess the name of the product adequately describes its usefulness after all.

I stopped at the first gas station and reviewed my options. I’ve already used all the high-tech solutions such as a special motorcycle windshield & visor cleaned All Kleer and Cat Crap. It was time to try something low-tech. Soap. I used it when I was a kid to prevent fogging of my swim mask. I didn’t have soap with me, but I had body wash. What the heck, I applied it to the visor and IT WORKED. It was of course pure coincidence that by the time I finished messing with the body wash the rain almost stopped.

I was so happy with my finally found comfort that I rode in the rain gear for the next 150 miles. Rain, lots of road construction on 83, and three detours, slowed me down somewhat. I think I reached the campground well after 7 pm.

Little Bay de Noc was the first campground I stayed at. I mean THE FIRST. I’ve never camped before. As an introduction to the joys of camping, I couldn’t find a better place. Little Bay was a large camp with a relatively small number of sites (38). My site had a shape of an oval, 40 x 20 yards. The forest was so dense, I could barely see my neighbors.

Around Lake Superior

An idea of a motorcycle camping trip didn't come to me suddenly. It started just as a ride around Lake Superior with overnight stays at motels. But during my last 1,700 mile trip to Minnesota, I found even relatively nice hotels to be boring. So I decided to spice it up next time.

I initially dismissed the idea of staying at campgrounds. After all, I've never camped in my life. But after I slept on it, I decided to give it a try. The worst thing that could happen is that I won't like it. Besides, I will be traveling through Michigan and Ontario, not Vietnam. I can always spend a night at a hotel, if I get tired of camping.

The next step was selecting campsites. With no prior experience it wasn't easy. Most of my friends recommended staying at the modern campgrounds that have flush toilets and showers. This made sense. But after some additional research using an excellent book by Jim DuFresne "Michigan Best Campsites" and web sites such as www.recreation.gov and www.michigan.gov, I realized that most modern campgrounds are very large and don't offer any privacy.

Most smaller campgrounds were rustic - vault toilets and no showers. But, from the description in Jim's book, they were more fun and offered "closer to nature" experiences. After some deliberation, I decided to stay at the rustic campgrounds the first two nights, at a modern site the third night, then take a break and stay at a hotel or motel, and spend the last two nights at the parks in Canada that offer modern amenities. I will be staying with relatives in St. Paul.

The first draft of my itinerary even included crossing Lake Michigan on a Lake Express ferry. But this idea ran into some problems. First, I couldn't figure out how to tie-down my scooter that has handlebars covered with plastic. Then I realized that I would have to carry my helmet and jacket with me to the passenger deck. And finally, being a person who arrives at the airport 2 hours before the departure, I pictured myself sitting in line in full gear in 85F weather waiting to board the ferry and I decided against it. Instead, I would ride along the Michigan west coast, spend the night at a campsite, and cross the Mackinac Bridge into the Michigan's Lower Peninsula the next day.

BTW, it turned out there was a simple solution for tieing down my scoot. A company called Canyon Dancer manufactures a special bar harness designed for sports bikes and scooters. I've ordered it anyway just in case I ever need to tow the scoot.

I tried to limit the number of miles I ride every day to less than 350. I succeeded only partially. There are still three 400+ days. And this is probably OK. After all, the main purpose of the trip is just to ride my bike. Hiking, swimming, and sightseeing will have to wait for another trip.

Here's the final itinerary:

Day 1 - Little Bay de Noc (Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan)
Day 2 - Leelanau (State Park, Michigan)
Day 3 - Pinconning (County Park, Michigan)
Day 4 - Wawa (Ontario)
Day 5 - Sleeping Giant (Provincial Park, Ontario)
Day 6 - Caliper Lake (Provincial Park, Ontario)
Day 7 - St. Paul
Day 8 - Chicago

Note: The route from Caliper Lake to St. Paul is slightly off. I plan to cross the border at Fort Frances. But for some reason Google Maps doesn't recognize Fort Frances as a border crossing point and insists on crossing the border at Baudettee.

With a contingency plan (staying at hotels) prepared and campsites selected, I turned my attention to the equipment. Since I needed basically everything, I started with four of the most critical items - tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and a pillow. All four items needed to fit under the seat of my scooter. This constraint was actually welcome since it helped to limit a dizzying number of choices.

Not being an expert on camping gear, my criteria were relatively simple: small when packed, reasonably priced, and very good reviews. Here's what I selected:

• Mountain Hardware Hammerhead Tent 2 Person
• Mountain Hardware Lamina 20 Degree Sleeping Bag
• Exped AirMat
• Therm-A-Rest Compressible Pillow

I found the best prices at www.campmor.com and www.campsaver.com. The same items at REI were at least 20-25% more expensive.

With the big items out of the way, I focused on other camping equipment. I think I will be adding smaller items to the list right until I leave the house. There are so many of them.

Here's the most critical piece of equipment - my scoot. It's a 2006 Suzuki Burgman. It has a 385cc engine and can go as fast as 85 m/h. From my previous trips, I average 40-45 m/h.



And this is me. Ready to roll.


I probably won't have access to Internet to update my Blog while I'm on the road, but I plan to keep a diary and post the updates as soon as I come back. With lots of pictures of course.