45.8 miles, 1048′ of climbing (484 total miles) – to read from the beginning, click here.
This post is a bit late as I needed to let Chris’ passing sink in. And, we’ve been moving, moving, moving…
After the really hot & restless night in Van Buren, we got on the road to our next stop in Holland, MI. The terrain was, again, very flat, and the bicycle facilities top notch. We stopped in downtown Holland for a break and a beer, then headed to our hosts in Waukazoo Woods (go ahead, say it out loud: Wah-ka-zoo. Isn’t it fun?). We hit it off with Stephen & Kathy and got take out pizza and had a lovely evening in their amazing home on Lake Macatawa. After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and tips from Stephen on interesting stops, off we went again.
We stopped at Olive Shores County Park to clamber over the dunes (well, the steps over the dunes) to another beautiful beach. They are abundant here. We also stopped in Grand Haven which was in the pre-opening day of the annual Coast Guard Festival. Nautical flags everywhere. I hung out at a local brewery and did some blog work and planning while Dana went off exploring the town. We ended up at a local tavern and then headed to our hosts in Norton Shores, Kelsey & Craig and their four adorable children, Mackenzie, Rowan, Wallace, and Isla. After a sunset hike to the PJ Hoffmaster State Park with Kelsey and the kids, we settled into their camper for a nice, dry (it rained quite a bit), & cool sleep.
Hey Paul and Dana. After finally finding out how to access your blog, I’ve been able to sit down and read about the first 10 days. You both look like you’re having a fantastic time exploring and spending time together on the bikes. It brings a huge smile to my face, although I am fighting back some jealousy! I’ll be checking every day for the latest.
And Debbie and I were so sorry to read about your friend Chris’s passing. Just by looking at the pictures of you and him together, I could tell how much he meant to you. Hold on to those memories.
Thank you, Steve & Debbie, we’ll keep on keeping on in many ways.