Wednesday May 28 11 am Pat and I are on the road. We made a quick side trip to Flint to pick up a couple of much needed face masks. It was sunny and warm all day until we arrived in Mackinac `bout and hour before sunset. The temp dropped about ten degrees and the clouds banked up :-( We decided to stay in the UP at Mackinac State Park. We met a gal and guy from Indiana. He was a midget. We sat around their campfire for a couple hours exchanging words and things then Pat and I went back to our "campsite" for absolutely the worst sleep I ever had under the stars. Wet.....mosquito's......pure MISERY. Thursday May 29 ~6 am Up so early cause sleeping was so bad. The mosquitos were out in force. We tried smoking them away ( Ha Ha!). The skies were overcast, it was cold and just beginning to drizzle. What little we had was packed quickly and we hit the road,just in time for the rain to get serious. We made about 20 miles and decided FTS so we stopped for a pancake breakfast at the junction of US 2 and M-117 Met some nice folk.... they bought us coffee and were amazed we were biking in this weather. Reluctantly we got back on the road. Then stopped a mile down it. We stopped and started alot that day. I recalled being told as a child that newspapers could be used for warmth. We bought a Free Press and stuck a few sections inside our $20 Anderson leathers. Man! We were cold and the newspapers were psychological protection only. We made it to Marquette at sundown and went to Spooner hall to dry out. After some visiting we then bunked in the lobby (no one kicked us out) for 10 hours of fine sleep. Friday May 30 Up about 11 - Still the threat of rain and cold again. After a short jaunt out to Presque Isle and to the Dead River we decided to fish (REAL DUMB). We went to Shopko and I bought a cheapo rod and reel then over to Artibee's Honda `cause I needed a new rear tire....$52 WHEW! No luck fishing....only caught mosquitos. That night we went to Gloria's on Baraga Ave. If you never made it there you missed out. The hole place slanted towards the rear....more than a little. I was sorry it closed. That night we both had (no bull) the blue plate specials. Not bad, when your hungry. Since we had been undisturbed the previous night we went back to Spooner Hall's lobby. Again our luck held we had a fine night of television then another good night sleep.....suppose we had been derelicts? Where were the authorities? Saturday June 1 We roused at about 11 and since the day looked as if it was going to be dry we decided to motor up to Houghton/Hancock. It was a cold, cold ride north but was enjoyable because there was no rain. We arrived at a place called Funky's Cafe mid afternoon and took directions to Kevin's house an old friend of Pat's. Kevin lives in a very old place north of Hancock in one of those old forgotten mining towns. Wood for heat....outdoor plumbing. He lives with a gal named Jane (very unattractive-maybe if she had teeth?). They are definetly counter-culture junkies. "It is good for you" teaches Kevin and weighs in at 97 lbs and basically looks like shit. I felt outta place but we were granted permission to spend the night as outside it was getting colder and colder and rain seemed certain. Even indoors we were cold all night and the couch had bugs..... Sunday June 2 Up early for a ride to Copper Harbor. Absolutely the most beautiful country I have seen yet in the UP. As usual it was cold but luckily no rain. We drove to the end of 41 to the big sign then stopped at a small cafe for coffee before heading back to Kevin's. We arrived back(it was our lucky day) to find that there was a big "gathering" going on. Seems all the local beautiful people were getting together and Kevin invited us. The folk were Natural food Co-op snobs, Pat and I were treated as less than equal so we just ate their food and said ADIOS. We went to the movies that night and saw a double feature.....W.C. Fields and The Marx Bros. Sure was nice to be warm. We made it back to Kevin's just before the rain came. Sure I complain but it was better to be buggy than wet. Monday June 3 Awoke to a breakfast of bread, honey, peanut butter and MILK? Then on to Marquette... I have had enough of this. No rain but cold still and cloudy. It was the best riding day though since the day we started. We arrived Marquette early afternoon and planned to push on to St. Ignace but reports of rain to our south changed our minds fast. So with the extra time we had we looked up an old friend of Pat's that he had left alot of his sheet music with a few years before. Her name was Cheryl....we found her and the sheet music. We took her down to the Skewrbeck Bros. carnival at Lakeview Arena. By this time Pat and I were having serious money problems. We were out. Pat then taught me something I will teach you. Look to the ground when at a fair and you will find money. We did. Not enuff as we will see. After the fair we went back to Spooner Hall and though this time we were rousted we did get enuff rest. Tuesday June 4 We were on the road by 10 am. The weather is overcast but the temp is close to 70 and it feels real good. On the way back to Mackinaw we stopped at the Seney Wildlife refuge. I thought I was going to watch Pat die. Having put the new tire on my bike I had alot better traction and control. Pat I and were racing around the dirt and gravel roads...just for kicks, don't ya know. I only had my bike for a year and Pat was an accomplished rider. He was a good 150 ft in front and going around a blind turn to the left on the left of center when a truck appeared from nowhere. Perhaps time clouds my memory but this is what I remember: I first thought God I am gonna see Pat get ran right over.....thats grusome....but I had to see it.....THATS even more grusome. Then Pat did the remarkable, whether it was planned I dunno but he clamped on the rear brake and began a sideways skid. In essence he was going to be broadsided by the pick-up. Then he really GOOSED it, shot straight out of harms way and hit the rear brake again changing his direction back to "staight down the road". I had been so engrossed watching Pat I paid no attention to my position which was also left of center. I woke up soon enough when I saw the horror on the face of Ma and Pa as they quickly approached. I was fortunate. I had enough time and was able to simply angle away. The front of the truck missed me by a good 3 feet. Not so for the hooks coming of the side of their camper. I suppose the hooks were to hold a canoe or a bike, I dunno. They missed my head by what I remember to be inches. Needless to say we pulled over and "set a spell". Back on the road we made good time....a very introspective ride. Remember we had spent all our money so we had no cash for bridge fare. We pleaded our case to the bridge patrol but he wasn't going to let us across for free. He wanted to know what we had to sell. His grandson may still be using that fishing rod. After we crossed the bridge our luck ran out totally. The rains came and came and came. Being low on money meant we were low on gas. We weren't going to make it back to Detroit. About Flushing was as far as we dared push it. There was a Shell EZ on EZ off gas station so we pulled in and began to figger out a way to get some petrol when in rolled the gas truck. He looked approachable so we did. He said he didn't have a way to directly give us any gas but told us that after he filled the undergrounds we could have the "wash". As it turned out it was plenty. After a cold, wet and exciting trip we arrived back in the Motor City at 10 pm. A GREAT TRIP In retrospect but then I am warm and dry. Hee Hee!