Day 3 Grandville to Lake Odessa

June 24, 2013

An early morning start today, pedaling out at 6:20.  Our son in law rode his bike part way with us, then veered off to go to work.  PALM did a great job routing us through lots of residential neighborhoods so we could avoid traffic.   Because of our  early start, we were able to avoid most of the Monday morning commuters that later riders would encounter.  We didn't see many folks out and about yet.

It wasn't long, before the hills started.  We had a full day of them ahead, and from the looks of the terrain map, they aren't the rolling hills we had yesterday.  We will ride from Grandville, to Byron Center, then onto Caledonia, ending our day at Lake Odessa. A total of 47 miles.

So far Rollin seems to be purring right along.  No problems with the chain jams of last year, and no flat tires.  Praying that this pattern continues.

It seemed kind of strange to ride through some familiar areas.  Urban sprawl continued for quite sometime,  but we still road past cornfields, soybeans,  and cows grazing.   It reminded me of an experience a cycling friend shared with me.  She and her hubby were on an independent cross country tour.  While  riding through the heartlands, they met up with a guy from India.  He rode with them part of the day.  As they went along, they saw lots of cows, who lifted heads from grazing and looked as the riders passed by.  After several hours of this, the guy from India commented; "So many cows, they stare and stare at us.  What do they want?"  Since then when we ride past cows I will some times say, "So many cows...what do they want?"  

The  1876 town hall in Byron Center, now owned by the Byron Center Historical Society,

is a place of  history in this farming community.  The building is over 130 years old.  The main floor once housed the local Post Office. sore and doctors office.  These 3 things were the mainstay to communities across the US.  Having a post Office, made a town official, a recognized place where letters from loved ones could be received and sent.  It helped to break the isolation that small communities often experienced and brought businesses to the area.  The general store was the lifeblood of those who lived there.  Not only did it provide a place  to buy needed supplies, it was often a gathering place to give and receive local news.  Many early settlers across this great land of ours died from injury and illness, so having a doctor was vital.   Having a post office, store and Dr., made the community an attractive place for families to settle.

Next stop, Freeport.

Lunch was a stop at the Shamrock Tavern.  Their idea of a vegetarian sandwich consisted of 2 slices of white bread, mayo, pickle relish, lettuce and tomato, Tammy however, had an excellent BLT there, while Ariann feasted on the Chicken strips.  Of course the place was filled to overflowing with cyclist.  It brought to mind the year Raggabrai passed through the small NW IA town my parents lived in.  My Mom  called me on the phone,  amazed to see so many cyclists.  This was before we took up cycling very seriously.  As I looked across the crowded tables, i thought of the frenzied pace that my parents and their help worked at on that long ago day, to serve all the hungry cyclist that came into the restaurant for lunch.  They talked about it for years.

The fruit stop was welcome.  It was along the Grand River, as I looked  around, I was reminded  that all of this was completely under water, in the spring.

The Lord continued to favor us with good riding conditions, giving us some sun, but plenty of clouds in between to keep the heat at bay.  The clouds can make such a difference, especially when it is humid, without them, it is like riding in a sauna.

Signs like this always boost our spirits and are a reminder of the economic boost this tour brings to the small communities that we pass through.

Lake Odessa

In southwestern Ionia County, on the shores of beautiful Jordon Lake, sits the town of Lake Odessa. With a population of 2018, it is a small business, and agriculture related community.

In 1839 the area was referred to as the Russell Settlement, named after the 5 Russell brothers who were the first pioneers here.

In 1887, After buying an 80 acre farm, Humphrey R Wager, a capitalist from Ionia and Saranac, developed Lake Odessa. The Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railway built a new track to Grand Ledge and Grand Rapids. Although the Ponderosa Ranch was nowhere in sight, a post office was authorized under the name of “Bonanza.” In 1888 or 89, Bonanza was re-named, Lake Odessa and many merchants and buildings moved to it's present location. The move was done to place the post office on the Pere Marquette, (later C & O) Railroad, which contributed to the villages growth along many other areas across the state.

In 1846, Lake Odessa was named by a committee chaired by Elder Tupper. The younger, Tupper, Myron, who was an admirer and reader of Russian history, suggested the name of Lake Odessa, after the Russian city of Odessa. Apparently, the committee approved it.

In 1887 the Main Street, 4^th Ave., was constructed. It remained a muddy lane until it was paved in 1916. 1888 brought the Lake Odessa Public School. An addition was built on in 1896. The entire school was destroyed by fire in 1921, and immediately rebuilt. In 1900 the Village paid $1000.00 for the park property on South Main St. With more than 200 towering maple, beech, and giant oak trees, it remains in it's natural state and is a gem in this community. 

Our first rain tonight, made us glad all over that we were sleeping in our camper.  I have had so many ask what kind of camper it is that I will mention it here.  It is a t@da, made by Dutchman.  Unfortunately it is no longer in production , one of many models that became orphaned when the RV industry took a dive, some years ago.  A similar model called a t@b is made by Little Guy, and is still around.  Little Guy bought the rights to keep producing it, when Dutchman discontinued it.  The t@b is similar to a t@da, only smaller.  Most do  not have a bathroom in them. Our t@da weighs about 2200 pounds, and is easy to pull and handle.  It has a small kitchen, and a dining table that converts to a single bed.  There is a bed,  counter, microwave and small fridge in it.  It also has a stereo and small TV/DVD.  We pull it with our station wagon and get good mileage.


The cool breeze off of Lake Odessa twas welcome as we completed our 47 ride the school. Our driver has friends here, so after he had our camp set up, he headed over there for a relaxing evening and a bed to sleep in.  With bikes ready for another day,  the 4 of us headed for bed.  Tomorrow holds more miles.