Day 46 - Indiana Dunes to South Haven -130km

Good day again! We crossed into Eastern time and into Michigan. I was up real early as Kobie needs to stay well ahead of the early bird cyclists in marking the road with arrows. So my usual laid back way of getting up and going had to adjust to more urgent matters. Being blessed by a higher cruising speed I could start later and still finish fairly early, but today I was on the road just after 7am. Took some great pictures on the beach and settled into a sustainable speed. After a while George V overtook me, and I hopped onto his tail, so we cruised at 30pluskm/h, taking turns to pull. My quads were feeling heavy and unresponsive today, so it required some effort and self discipline to stay the course. The road was wet since an early morning shower moved over. The lake forests smelled fresh and earthy, and many squirrels chirped their staccato alarm calls at the colourful cyclists whirring by. The roads' pavement were very broken up, especially on the side roads, and required a sharp eye to avoid a pinch flat. The road wound along the shore of lake Michigan, and I marvelled at the fantastic houses, gardens and impressive lake forests! Some log type homes nestled hidden away under dense forest canopies... I was awed, for the brief glimpses I could get of these homes while traversing the "holey" roads. Couldn't help to contrast this with the shacks and trailer homes I saw yesterday...
At an elevated rail crossing we were surprized by huge holes lining the wood...too late I tried to brake and skidded right into them, bunny hopping the bike out & over the rail...I still wonder how I stayed up, and marvelled at the great Bontrager rims we are testing, that were able to take such an impact without damage. Later in the morning when I was pulling we came to a Y in the road, intending to take the left leg. A car came rocketing by without indicating a turn and cut to the right very closely in front of us going at 35km/h. George shouted a warning and I instinctively jerked the bike to the right to follow the car's turn. George drafting on my wheel did the same but had the crucial task of avoiding touching my back wheel! Miraculously we escaped calamity! The car sped off with a roar, and we had the impression that this was deliberate, since motorists become enraged at the 140 of us on the road and therefore sometimes act nasty. Lois Craven got hit by a sidemirror on the behind and narrowly escaped serious injury, and arrived back at camp on crutches after spending the day at hospital. Some abusive language was also directed at several cyclists today. This is a matter we need intense prayer support for, as on Saturday we will be joined by 150 day cyclists that will ride into Grand Rapids with us...so 300 on the road!!! The weekend more new cyclists will join, so we will be over 200 on the road every day for the next couple of weeks! After a lunch stop at "Dale's Donut factory" for coffee, and the said treats, we headed into the strong head wind for 65km, which we kept churning into steadily. George in very strong, and I had my job cut out to pull into the wind when my turn came around. The town of Haven has a strong tourist infrastructure, a lovely marina and an even lovelier beach. Many of us came for a swim, but Kobie and I opted to go to the Wellness Centre, where we could sauna, whirlpool or swim for free. We sat in the whirlpool for an hour, being massaged by the water jets...oh....divine!!!

Lake Michigan has a lovely blue hue and golden sand that reminded me of the awesome ocean beaches in Africa...only without the salt fragrance on the wind. We passed several marinas with boats to dream of, and many happy sails on the horizon. Enjoyed an ice cream on the beach and some glasses of ice water later, proceded to camp where the gear truck was not even opened yet. Being near GR, many family members came to visit some of us....happy reunions! A great, fast riding day ending in the cutest town in the best of weather...a scrumptious dinner with lots of ice cream, and great friends to share it with!!! God is good!