2016 Coffeeneuring Challenge 0: Gas Station!

I am joining the challenge again (my third year) and will be exploring tea stops.

• Teaneauring #0 -- How NOT to go teaneauring.
  
• Gas Station Tea!
  
• 10/9/2016
  
• 37 miles
  
• Sullivan Community, Michigan
  
• Zebra Socks
  

Here is what I wrote on that date:

I am in Michigan again this year and my friend Vickie encourages my tea stops at all times, especially during coffee/teaneuring season. On our ride on the Muskatewasa Trail outside of Muskegon, this is all we could find. OK -- it was green tea of a tea bag variety and the only hot water was from the HOT WATER TAP back in the kitchen. Imagine!

We did have a great 37 mile ride even with the wind and 56 degrees as it was sunny and blue.

I am not counting this one, but needed to post ;'-)

"Enjoying" Tap Water Tea!!! In Zebra socks ;'-)

 

What they had on display in the gas station store

 

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Mukilteo has some Fall

The return home from my time in Michigan went well, but it was a long day with flight and public transportation. The weather here had been as nice as we had had it in Michigan this past week, but would turn the evening of my return. Forecast for rain, storms and heavy winds are through the first few days, then rain for about an entire week ;'-(

Susan and I took a walk the day after my return to miss some of the heavier weather and high wind coming our way. While in Michigan, a state with history of brilliant Fall color, there was little color at the time I was there. Here in Mukilteo, we make up for it.

 

Bright reds

 

Yellows and oranges

 

 

Red tipped leaves too.

The rain was gentle for our walk and the wind was calm yet. Time now to get home and batten down for the storms!

The lack of fall color in Michigan did not detract from the nice time I had there. It is always nice to see Len, share time with him, Vickie and the cats at his house, and to explore some of the bike trails and roads around the state. Thanks Vickie and Len for my time with you each and both.

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Leelanau Trail Traverse City MI

I had read and heard about the Leelanau Trail for a long time and have asked Vickie to ride this one some time. This year is that some time. I am satisfied to have ridden it and it is a nice rail trail, but we have each done trails with more to offer. All the hype that I am familiar with overdoes the draw to do this one.

 

Starting out, Vickie was a little low on water so it was fortuitous to come across this pump at the beginning of our ride.

We did pass by some nicer scenery than we had had on the Musketawa Trail.

 

Typical nice farm photo

 

There were orchards, vineyards and hops similar to eastern Washington

 

 

Looks like a labyrinth

Another long trail -- not so flat as it looks as there is a slight incline to the end and back to the start

 

Old Root Cellar alongside the trail

Suttons Bay is at the other end of the trail from Traverse City. Here we would cruise through a bike shop (and buy an item or two as in gloves and mirror), have our coffee/tea break, and enjoy lunch.

 

Old telephone put to use as an information kiosk with map of the town

 

Tea at Little Bee's (more to come in the challenge post)

 

A side trip to the end of the marina on Lake Michigan

 

Hear I am at one of the Great Lakes

Time to head back on this our final day of cycling the rail trails for this year. We drove back to Len's and I will prepare for departure for home on Wednesay. But one more day of a few miles in the saddle as I ride into town to return the bike rental, make the stop at Espesso Milano for tea and blogging, and say farewell for now to Midland.

It has been a fine week and I have been very fortunate to have had such good weather. The chill is coming now and we can tell that the frost will hit soon, but we have had fairly warm weather and no rain on our parade this week. Thank you Vickie for yet again a great time in your Michigan.

 

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Traverse City MI

We have the SLUT* in Seattle.

They have the TART* in Traverse City.

*South Lake Union Trail

*Traverse Area Recreation & Transportation

I have now ridden the both ;'-)

But first we had to drive from Mukegon to Traverse City where we would spend the night and do some riding. That brought us through the charming town of Fremont. I had stopped into the coffee shop on the way through the day before to get a tea and thought this would make a good stop for breakfast this morning. It did.

 

Inside the coffee shop in Fremont

Here is where we learned that Gerber baby food was born in Fremont.

 

 

 

Arriving at our hotel in Traverse City too early to check into our room, we used their restroom to change into biking attire much like superman does in telephone booths, and began our riding for the day.

The TART Trail winds through town and around the lakeside of Traverse City.

 

 

Interesting sign to warn of oncoming cyclists

 

Under a bridge along a canal-way

Couldn't pass this up

 

We are on Rail Trails after all --- so there have to be rail cars expected.

 

This is where the Lelanau Trail begins and we will ride that the following day

 

Beaches are almost like being at the ocean

We came upon a furniture store that mainly had things made from natural products. Here there are three sizes of chairs on display.

 

Papa Bear's chair is too big

 

Baby Bear's chair is too small

 

Ahhh, Mama Bear's chair is just right

A long day and a little tired, we were back at the motel for dinner and baddie bye.

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Musketawa Trail, Muskegon MI

We drove just to the outskirts of Muskegon to the trailhead to begin the ride on the 25 mile. We did about 19 of the miles before turning around for our return. The trail is very well maintained, and the paved surface make for comfortable riding. But the journey along the trail is rathe nondescript (read boring) as it is totally straight and flat with only farmland and fields for scenery.

We would enter two towns before our turn around point so we went to the furtherest first. The I think the word "town" is an over estimate of Conklin. We saw a bar with several bikes parked at the bike rack and a car or two. We assumed the bikers were stopped for lunch. We then found the town park about half a block on, and the welcom port-a-potty. This was adjacent to the trail so we hopped back on that and headed back.

In the other of the two towns, Ravenna, we found a place for mediocre lunch. And -- our seccond in two days -- bridal photo session.

 

 

Interesting bike rack but the train car display

 

Basic house in Conklin

 

Also in Conklin -- we thought maybe an old school with the two stories

 

Nice tunnel of trees along the trail

 

I spotted the boots, we asked to take a photo, she posed ;'-)

 

No other stop for my Teaneuring than the vast station which had this display selling these lamps.

 

I may or may not count this as a Teaneuring stop! Tea bag tea made with water from the HOT WATER tap from the kithchen in back just doesn't seem worthy.

It was quite a chilly morning that warmed up slightly by the afternoon. Also there was that wind again. But it was at our backs at the start to push us along at a nice clip. Then heading back the wind had calmed down a lot for less to brave through.

I will post that NON-TEANEURING photo in my challenge post later so it will be here again ;'-)

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Muskegon MI

We arrived at our hotel in Muskegon in the early afternoon, got checked, settled and lunched before taking a bike ride. The Lakeside Trail is just across the road from our hotel and would be the trail for today. Our hotel is in the middle of downtown Muskegon, which is about four blocks long as I can see. The city council are at least trying to keep this part of town alive and vibrant and we had a little time at the street event in the evening with music and people watching.

The trail takes us along Muskegon Lake onto the outskirts of town and then to Lake Michigan.

 

Swans don't mind the wind and waves

 

White caps on Muskegon Lake indicate the wind we had this day

Housing for your pet

 

 

Here is another wind indicator

We rode through some old parts of town with closed up mills and huge buildings in the midst of tear down destruction. Then into a few nice neighborhoods and park.

 

Maybe this house is haunted?

Trail ended at Lake Michigan as we fought the blustery winds and blowing sands.

 

 

 

This trail connector took us to the sub on display

 

The subs record

 

Guy with a dog offered to take our photo

 

Apparently this was the birthplace of Buster

Returning to town we took the loop through the nearby park which is quite extensive for an intown park. The path winds through in a maze like fashion and skirts along Muskegon Lake.

 

Bridge in the park winds us back to the trail to the hotel/

 

Wind continues

We continued past our hotel on the other end of the trail for just a few miles.

 

Found another bridge to wander along

 

At the turn around point we kind of interrupted a wedding photo session, but quickly departed so to stay out of their photos

So ended our day in Muskegon.

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