Day 1- Marquette to Munising

I'm in Curtis, MI sitting outside on the dock of my mom's friends parents. The trip so far has been AMAZING. Leaving school was a little sad, had my last meal in the MP with Nick and Nabbers, they are always good company.

I checked out of the dorms, took the mountain bike over to the house and started packing up the trucker (the touring bike). I had way to much stuff, it's soo heavy, there is no way I'm going to be able to take my camera stuff on the big trip.

The day was perfect, fifty degrees and not a cloud in the sky. My first stop was Lakeshore, a local Marquet

te bike shop I'm partial to. Matt gave me a mirror he had laying around whichworked perfect with my bar end shifters and I headed out. It was good to have the shop see me off.

Within the first two miles I met Keith, a man in his late seventies. he has done some tours on his mountain bike in Wisconsin, we rode along the bike path and chatted about trips, family and life before he reached his lunch stop, wished me luck and I continued on my way.

In Munising, I stopped at a softball game where a local photographer made his way over to me and we got talking. He told me stories of Tom, a cyclist from Colorado who who does a trip across the States every year. Says it only takes him two weeks and he is on his thirty fifth tour. Then about Frida, who travels the world and who's last adventure took her to Antarctica.

Kayla and her parents met me in Munising. Her parents happen to be some of the coolest people with the best names, Gordie and Delphine. They wanted to come help Kayla move, but all the hotels were booked. I needed someone to stay with in Munising and Kayla and I had been wanting to camp, so she asked her parents and they AGREED! However, the place we wanted to camp was thirty miles out of my way and it was late. Scott and his wife wanted to help me out so they picked up my bike and let me store in in their garage. What great people!

After we dropped off the bike, Kayla, Gordie, Delphine and I crammed into the car, Kayla and I in the back sharing a seat with my bike bags on our laps. We drove out to miners castle and hiked a bit. It was chilly but beautiful.

Then we got to the little dirtroad to go to Little Beaver campground. We drove, down, down, twists and turns and down some more. We got there and the place was PACKED. There was one spot left so we set up camp and Kayla and Gordie saved the day by getting a fire going. We chowed down on snacks then hit they sack.

Miles: 44