Long hot one

     June 28 2012
    Perry to Ortonville

     Temps in the upper 90's predicted today, lots of hills and very heavy traffic. We all wanted an early start and were rockin' and rollin' by 6:44AM.  The traffic is very heavy on this side of the state and the roads have been awful, they say worse is ahead of us today.

     Jeff is riding with Kiersten.  Hope they have a great ride.

He found someone to drive his van.  I have heard many say this will probably be the most grueling day of the ride.  We'll be relying on the Lord for our strength today, for sure.  We have our Frogg Toggs wet down and packed in our pannier and will be very concious of resting and staying hydrated today.  Tony doesn't sweat much, and having experienced a heat stroke many years ago in a race, he is more susceptible to another.  I know many back home, will be praying for us.

     Ortonville is in northern Oakland county and has a population of 1442.  It was founded in 1848 by Amos Orton, who brought his wife and 2 children to the heavily wooded, rolling hills from upstate NY.  His means of transportation for this trip were boat and oxcart.  With an artesian spring nearby,  a creek and many area lakes, Orton saw much potential here.  He built a dam  for his sawmill, across Kearsley Creek.  in 1848 he built a small grist mill, which he expanded 8 years later.  In 1856 this building was replaced by a larger one, which now houses the historical museum of Ortonville.  Farmers brought their crops to the grist mill and the area grew.  Soon there was a blacksmith shop, carriage maker, general store, stable and a saloon.  Later the village added a hardware store, hotel, dress making shop, bakery drugstore and undertaker.  The railroad brought  even more growth and  prosperity to the area.

     Due to the heat today, our plan was to stay together until we knew that the other pair of riders was part of a group.  This is not a day to be riding alone, between groups.  Jeff and Kiesten were riding together, separate from the 4 of us.

     Not sure what this building was, but it was in a shady spot and cool to look at.

     After hearing what we would be facing today, we made hotel reservations at a hotel in Grand Blanc tonight.   It's about 15 minutes from Ortonville.  Ariann doesn't know it, but her Dad is going to show up tonight and surprise her.  She thinks she won't see him until the end of the tour.  Having never been away from him this long and is really missing him.  She has been quite a trooper through all of this.

 No complaining and whining and Kiersten has renamed her, "the girl with legs of iron."  We are all so proud of her.  She is pretty amazing, especially considering the fact that her steed has mountain bike tires on it.  Those are what she wanted to ride on, even though we all told her it would make rider tougher.  On the rough roads we have faced these last few days, she has been glad to have them.
It truly has been a joy to all of us to have Ariann along.  Her uncle says ,"That girl is one tough cookie."

     The morning air wasn't nearly as cool as it had been on other mornings.  At about the 12 mile mark we had to ride around the Mt Holly Ski Area.  The resort has about 18 trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.  When I see the ski resorts in Mi, I  think of how our son-in-law in WA would laugh at what we call a good ski run.   Nonetheless we faced a big hill and many aggressive, impatient drivers were behind us.  At last nights meeting PALM organizers had stressed the importance of single file riding today, and the riders were mindful of that.  In many places the shoulders were so deteriorated, we had no choice but to ride on the road.  This only  held up traffic and infuriated the drivers more.  Swearing and honking  was common as we made our way along the road and over the hills.  At one point a Fed-X driver wouldn't move over for Ariann,  practically forcing her off the road.  We heard later that he had actually  did force some riders off the road.   I'm guessing that many cyclist called him into Fed-X.  He might be able to get by with driving that way with a small group of riders on the road, but not when there are hundreds of us strung out.  I hope he was written up.  He is on the roads enough to know that cyclist do have the same rights as cars.

     There was a section of road in such bad shape, just past Fenton that we walked our trike.  Even with that it rattled and shook everything.  I dealt with a loose mirror for half the day,  after that experience, because there was no safe place to pull over and tighten it.  Even after I tightened it, it came loose again and again.  I had to constantly move it back into a position that I could see the traffic behind me.

     Shortly after the Fed-X experience, a truck pulling a boat, pulled across the road, honking and cussing.  We couldn't figure out what was going on, since we really weren't in his way.  About 10 fett past us he pulled in his driveway and stopped.  This is what he had to say, "Sorry for my language back there ladies, but I probably just saved your life.  Some idiot was going to pull around me and floor it, so I blocked him.  He would have hit you for sure.  But still I should have not cussed like that.  Have a good ride today and try and stay safe. "
     "Thanks, we sure appreciate it, wish there were more like you out there."  and we continued on.
PALM is such a family ride, and these high traffic roads put all cyclist at risk.  I'm guessing PALM will be a bit more conscientious about choosing the route next year.  I hope and pray no one gets struck by a car today or tomorrow.

     As always many pretty sights along the way.

   

     As the heat of the day continued to build, we  began to dread stop lights.  The heat would radiate up from the pavement, plus off the cars, and since we are only 18 inches off the ground, it was hotter yet.  It felt like we were in an oven.  It wasn't even noon and Tammy's  odometer,  read out  said it was 105 degrees.  If we keep moving we at least get a breeze, even though the air is hot.

     Tammy was looking pretty whipped on the verge of the bonk, so we decided to stop for lunch at about 11:30,  an Italian restaurant was calling our names..  We had already ridden almost 35 miles, had only 12 to go.  We had a delicious lunch, the best I've had in a long time.  Our vegetarian lasagna  was wonderful and so were the breadsticks.

     When we came out of the air conditioning 45 miles later, the heat hit us like a heavy oppressive wall, pushing down around us as we got back into the saddle on Rollin.  Tony and I had filled our water bottles with ice at the restaurant.   Tammy and Ariann didn't, so they pulled off at the next water stop.  Knowing they were with other riders, Tony and I rode ahead.  When they didn't catch up with us, we stopped in the shade to wait, pulling out our frog Toggs and putting them to use.  Many were pulled off in the shady spots resting SAG came by and gave us each a bottle of ice cold bottle water, some of which we poured over our heads.  We had only been riding about 30  or 40 minutes and already we were so hot.  I tried to call Tammy again, but got no answer, we figured they were riding and started on our way.  Right after that she called.  Ariann had stomach upset and was a bit disoriented, signs of over heating so Tammy made the wise choice to pull her from the ride.   Thank the Lord, they were in an air conditioned Subway sandwich shop.  We said we would send SAG back when we saw them.  We didn't see any SAG's, we told other riders to tell them where Tammy and Ariann were, and decided we would ride onto the next water stop.

     The heat was cooking us from below and beating down on us from above.  Thankfully Tony was sweating.  He was riding with his Frogg Togg on his head, or under his arms in an attempt to stay cool. I had mine around my neck, clipped with a clothespin.  We were glad to find a convenience store to cool down in.  We bought cold water to refill our bottles.  A SAG, the first we had seen since Tammy's call,  pulled up just as we were coming out of the store and Tammy and Ariann were in it.  We were so glad to see them.  They had waited quite awhile for SAG to come because so many riders needed help or were dropping from the ride.  Ariann was still a bit shaky and pale, but  praise the Lord, she was doing OK.

   Margo and Ken were there and we had a little visit with them.  They graciously offered to give us a ride to the hotel tonight if we need one.  Their son Timothy who is around 10 or 11 had ridden the first 11 miles of the ride today and then they decided it was just too hot for him, so his sister came and picked him up.  We have seen no kids on the ride this afternoon at all.  Glad the parents are mindful of the heat for them.

     As we struggled on, stopping to cool off in the shade often, we could feel the prayers of our people holding us up.  Tony kept saying, "I have never sweat this much in my  life."
     "Honey, that is sweat from heaven.  God is answering the prayers of those that are praying for us." I replied as we pedaled on.

     The rest of day consisted of ride a bit,  drink water, rest in what shade we could find, ride and rest, ride and rest.  Others were doing the same thing, mascots were resting as well.

   

     We slowed down when we came to sections like this, cherishing the cooler air of the shade.

      We were constantly looking for water stops.  As we crested  the top of one hill,  there was a man handing out  bottles of cold water from a cooler.  We thanked him and told he was an angel from heaven.

     About 3/4 mile from the school we stopped and got an A &W root beer.  That was a mistake.  Our legs felt like they each weighed an extra 20 pounds as we climbed back on Rollin to finish the course. After 10 hours of riding, we finally made it in at 4:30 PM.  As he stood up off the trike, Tony staggered and nearly fell down.  Tammy ran over and doused him with the water she had left in her camelback.  We parked Rollin and got into the  air conditioned school as soon as we could.  Tony laid on the floor, giving his body a chance to absorb the coolness beneath him.  A bit later we headed to supper.  So grateful we don't have to put up the tent or sleep in it tonight.  Even after supper the heat was oppressive and the humidity was worse than it had been all day.  The thought of sleeping in a real bed with AC tonight, kept  myself, Tony, Tammy and Ariann going today.  I don't think I could sleep in that hot tent tonight, if someone held a gun to my head.  Well, I could probably do it, if the gun was loaded, but i am glad we don't have too.  Ariann still has no idea her Dad is showing up.

     Once again Jeff got our hero of the day award, (a smile and a thank you.) as he drove us to our air conditioned hotel.

We rode 47 miles today, 47 grueling miles.  So grateful to the Lord for getting us through this day and for those who were holding us up in prayer.  We found out later that at least 25 riders riders had sagged in today.  Later, one of the volunteers, told me they were surprised there wasn't more.  I think the riders really took to heart the advice about riding in the heat, and SAG did a great job monitoring the riders through out the day.






   


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Leslie to Perry

June 27, 2012
Leslie to Perry


     55 degrees this morning as we cranked our way out of Leslie.  The forecast is a high of 89 today, but not too humid.  Quite a change from the daily rain that pursued us on last years PALM.  I don't like rain, but I like heat and humidity even less.

     Hoping Rollin is truly fixed now.  Forgetting that I was going to stay in the large gear ring,  when we came to the first big hill, I downshifted  from the large to the middle ring.  Big mistake, the chain started making a noise, jerked,  and then suddenly we were pedaling like mad, and going nowhere.  So this is what a broken chain feels like.  Kind of like when we throw a chain, except for the jerk and the grinding noise.  Not sure if it broke from jamming or what. The bike lady was nearby, and Jeff was too,  and after putting the chain back n the chain tube and using a master link we were on our way.  Our motto for the rest of PALM is, "No more shifting on the front gear rings...no matter what!"   Shifting those rings is such a habit, I will have to really be mindful to not do it.  Sure don't want anymore breakdowns.

        Our goal today is Perry.  We haven't been there, but we do know someone who lives there.   Named after Admiral Oliver H. Perry, it'sa  small town with a population of 265.  Located a little over 10 minutes  from  Lansing, 30 minutes from Flint and 1 hour from Detroit, it is a home to commuters.

      The first white man, Josiah Purdy, settled here in 1836.  He built his cabin next to an indian trail.  Not sure if he knew it was an trail or not, but even with the cabin there, the indians continued to use the trail.  Eventually Josiah befriended the indians and when traveling in inclement weather, they would sometime stop and spend the night on the floor, of the main room of the cabin, sometimes packing it from wall to wall. In 1837, other settlers followed.

     First store in the township was opened in 1851 by William O Laing.  In 1852 he was appointed postmaster.   In the years that followed Perry Centre, as it was called then, continued to grow and soon had a Sawmill,  a mercantile store, harness shop, wagon shed, Odd fellowship hall, and a Methodist church.   Not sure when the first school came to the area. In 1876 the railroad came through 1 mile south, and Perry was incorporated as a village in 1893. There was an interurban that through Perry, then to Owosso and Jackson.  It ran 4 times each day, mostly with one car, but sometimes with 2.

     On a summer morning in 1913,  a spark from a train started the Sparks and Company elevator on fire.  The blaze started out small, but with inadequate equipment and a 30 MPh wind, the fire soon spread and engulfed many buildings in the town.  The fire was finally brought under control at 6:45 PM.  The town did eventually rebuild, but not without a well to provide water in the event of fires.

     Our riding today was a gradual decline in elevation, so much easier than the previous days.  Once again I took a few random pictures of riders.

     Rode past another cool stone house.  I wonder how many of theses there are in MI.   Are they in other states as well?  I spent much of my life living in the prairie states and  although the farmers likely had filed stones to deal with there too, I don't recall seeing any houses like this there.

     This place had repurposed old farm equipment and wheels into an eye catching fence.

   

          The dog was too hot to pursue us or even bark, but he did watch as we passed by.

         This old schoolhouse could probably tell a story or 2.

       Although it was a hot day to ride, there was a nice breeze and the terrain was easier.
We had a bit of an audience as we put our cots up tonight,

and a few that wanted to see how it felt to lay on them.

We traversed the Brandon High school parking lot in Perry around 3PM.  Rode 41 miles today.





     

Onward

Day 3 June 26 2012

Battle Creek to Leslie

     I doubt anything could have awaken us last night.  Yesterday was a long day.  66 degree temp this morning, not quite as nippy as yesterday, but still needed jackets.   Got going at 7:58 AM.

I love the early starts through these small towns.  We are greeted by people taking out their trash, walking their dogs, loading bikes up, watering flowers and getting the car loaded for camping.   The smell of bacon wafted from one house as we went by.

     Todays course is supposed to be hilly for the first half, then leveling off some.  Took Rollin to the bike mechanics again last night.  More tweaking and mumbling about our 66T gear ring being the problem.  I don't care if they mumble, as long as the issue gets resolved
   
     Battle Creek is the largest community we stop in on PALM 31.   According to Wikepedia,  the city name got it's name  from a skirmish with 2 indians.  A government land surveying team lead by  Colonel John Mullett was several miles from the present city.  It was the winter of 1823  when the indians, intent on stealing provisions, attacked 2 members that had stayed behind in camp.  A fight broke out, shots were fired, 1 indian was seriously injured, and both were subdued.  The survey team left the area and returned in 1824, after Governor  Cass had settled the dispute with the indians.  The nearby stream was named  the "Battle Creek River. "

     The first permanent settlement started in 1831.  It began as a market and mill center for area farmers.  The prairie land  was fertile and easily cultivated.  1832 was the year a post office was established and the first school. a small log building, was in either 1833 or 1834.  The town soon had a brick manufacturing plant as well.  An act of legislature in 1839 established Battle Creek as a township.
 The arrival of the railroad brought much growth to the area.


      The Battle Creek Sanitarium was opened in 1866 and was known as the Western Health Reform Institute.  10 years later John H. Kellogg became the superintendent, his brother W.K, worked as the book keeper.  In 1876 a fire took place destroying new structures that had been built and leading to the rebuilding and enlargement of the facility.   A sanitarium was a place that people went to restore their health.  The new improved place was renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium and was known for educating it's guests, many of whom were critically ill,   about healthy living and eating.   One of the first to realize that, "you are what you eat," Kellogg incorporated radical dietary changes into the treatment programs at the "San."  Under his hand the invention of cornflakes occurred.  Battle Creek soon became known as the cereal capital of the world.   It was a basic training camp for soldiers during both world wars, and the home of the Percy Jones Orthopedic Hospital.

          At the 13 mile mark, we had another chain jam.  Our friends Dick and Jane from last year came by on their diamond frame tandem, and helped us get the chain loose.  The chain continued to jam., 3 more times.  Once again  Diane, the bike lady was to the rescue, trying to resolve the problem.

      I have my doubts that the problem will get resolved on this tour.  Told Tammy and the rest to go on in ahead of us.  Very discouraging to do our best to get the trike in top shape and then have issues like this.  I still have a felling it has to do with the deraileur.      Diane used her magic, but it wasn't enough.  We knew we didn't want to ride in the middle gear ring the rest of the tour, so we decided to get the chain  on the large gear ring and leave it there for the duration of PALM.  We will fall back to yesterdays plan and use our mountain drive when we need low gearing.

     This high flying motorcycle was a photo opportunity waiting to happen.  I wonder how they got it up there....

     The sun was doing it's thing, it was hot.   We were glad to find a nice shady spots to stop and rest.

     While we were resting we met a lady name Diana that lived in the area.  

  She had grown up attending a one room school house nearby.  After 5th grade she went on to the Leslie Public School.  For someone who was used to feeling as if her teachers and fellow students were family, it was a shocking adjustment.  She kept to herself at first, but eventually made friends.   She  currently lives  just outside of Leslie, was looking forward to a supper at home that night, and sleeping in her own bed.

      Found an unused critter home at the base of this tree.  Wouldn't have seen that if we had driven by in a car.  Another unexpected pleasure of seeing the world slow and close up.

     Very interesting sights across our state, and today was no exception.  We stopped at this library for an interesting bathroom break.

 Passed a fieldstone house as well.  Seeing it makes I think of the whole family gathering stones, wondering if they found them all in one summer or if it took a year or 2.  Next of course, would have come,  the planning and construction of the house.  Again, I envision not only Dad, hard at work, but Mom and the kids bringing stones to him.  Maybe the stones were in piles according to sizes small, medium and large.  Here stands a piece of history.  What stories it would tell, if it could talk.  Stones formed and  left behind by glaciers, now made into a  human abode. 

    There were still some rolling hills ahead of us, and the drivers on this side of the state aren't very patient with cyclists, much honking and some fowl language flung at us today.   Nothing like the welcome waves we had gotten on the western side of the state. We missed a turn and did about 1 mile of unnecessary hills.  SAG found us and turned us in the right direction, which meant we got to do the same hills we had just done, only in reverse order.  

     We arrived at the school in Leslie about 5:30 PM.  Not as late or as tired as the night before, but almost.  We were parking the trike when a couple came up and started talking to us.  Margo and Ken are followers of this blog.  He is a Pastor in Owosso.   Great people, easy to talk to, we had a nice visit.  It has been a nice treat to connect with riders  who read our blog.  Sometimes they tell us right away that they read it, other times we catch on, after they ask us questions about something that I may have written about.  

     At the meeting tonight warnings were given about heavy traffic roads we would ride over the next few days.  They confirmed what we had already learned.  Many drivers in this area don't like to share the road with cyclist. 

   

     

Trouble

Day 3 Paw Paw to Battle Creek

     Temps of 55 degrees this morning.  Cold enough that we all had on our jackets as we began our morning routine.  Cycling clothes were laid out last night, panniers packed with power bars, Revive (our electrolyte glucosamine powdered drink mix,) trail mix and fig bars.  Tony and I headed to the school to get cleaned up, back to the tent to pack our bags and take the cots down.  Between our bags and Tammy and Ariann's there was soon quite a pile in front of the tent, that was now in the process of coming down.    So glad to have a young man with a golf cart there to haul  it to the truck.  I held on for dear life as he  bounced, zigged,  and zagged his way through the tents and bikes.  2 trips and it was all done.  Wish there was a golf cart dude at every school.  The parking lot is usually alive with activity, this morning was no exception.

     Filled our water bottles.

     And  chatted with a friend.

     Last year we called Palm the year of french toast, which was present at nearly every breakfast.  This year may be the year of eggs.  Remembering Tammy's experience yesterday, we all passed on them today.   The 5 of us made our way out the driveway at 8 AM.  Such a joy to be riding with friends and loved ones.

     Paw Paw MI is named for the pawpaw trees that once grew along the banks of the PawPaw river.  These trees are less common today because many of the shade trees they grow in, have been cleared away.  An attempt to grow the trees at the hIgh school failed because without shade the treesl withered and died.

    The village of PawPaw is found where the east and south branches of the PawPaw River meet.  It was incorporated in 1837.  It is known for it's vineyards.  St Julian and Warner's wineries began here.  An annual Wine and Harvest Festival is held each year, shortly after Labor Day.  

  The paw paw tree produces an exotic fruit, called the paw paw.

 If picked green, it is bitter and will remain so.  Picked in a ripe state the fruit will likely have some soft brown spots.  I have never tasted it, but it is said to taste as sweet as strawberries and a bit like vanilla custard. .  The aroma of ripe, sliced pawpaw's is one of delight ,  however if eaten green, they are sour and bitter.  It seems odd that such a tropical tasting and looking fruit can survive MI winters, but somehow they manage.  As far as I know, we didn't see any Paw Paw trees while riding through this area.

     Hills were on the menu again today, but our legs felt strong, we were ready to take them on.
Dottie the official , volunteer photographer for PALM each year  tangled with the raised curb of a new sidewalk a few weeks ago and was in no shape to take pictures, so I snapped a few random ones in her place.

     We had strong N NW winds today, helped keep us cool, but also made a fierce headwind, which slowly gnawed away at our energy, taking it so quietly  that we didn't feel it go, until we stopped and then started to ride again.

We were glad to have the shade and watermelon at Campbell Lake.   It was a nice place to take a break and some pics.

 Tanny and Arrian cooled off in the water.

     Tony and i were riding along as nice as can be when suddenly he said,"Someone is trying to get me."
     "What do you mean?"
     "They are pulling on my neck, choking me!"  he said with enough panic that I stopped.  I got off the trike and saw that the string from the hood of his coat had become tangled in the rear gear cogs.  Not wanting to move the trike and make things worse,  for the trike or Tony, I helped him remove his coat.  Kiersten came along just in time to help get the string untangled from the cogs.  I held the rear deraileur forward to make slack and she slowly fished and pulled the string out.  Once Tony recovered we all had a good laugh and were on our way.

     Miles up the road as we approached a hull, I downshifted, only to feel  chain on the front gear rings slip, and suddenly we were unable to pedal.  Upon closer examination we saw that the chain had dropped between the 2nd and 3rd chain rings,  and was now tightly jammed in.

     We were in the lead, so soon Tammy, Ariann and Kiersten came upon us and our problem.  Jeff came by too and soon a SAG truck was there.  It took a lot of hard jerking to get the chain loose, but Jeff and the SAG person managed.  The bike mechanic soon came by to check the problem out.


She proceeded to tell us that this gear ring had been added to the trike and that's why we were having so much trouble.  I was pretty  sure that all the paper work I had on Rollin, did not list the large gear ring  as an added option.  I mentioned it once, but could see that it would do nothing to remedy the situation, so I then kept quiet about it.  She  pulled the chain out,  adjusted the front  deraileur a bit and sent us on our way.  On my next down shift, it happened again.  Tony and I pulled the chain loose ourselves this time and continued on.

     We caught up with Tammy and Ariann at a Subway for lunch.  By then we had just had our 5th chain jam.  We called the mechanic, who was in a nearby park, sent Tammy and Ariann ahead and made our way to the mechanics truck.

 By now the day was heating up and we were glad she was parked in the shade.  She puzzled over the problem, then decided to try and bend the 66T chainring a bit closer to the middle one.  She also put zip ties on our front chain tube for added tension because we kept throwing that chain.  The zip ties worked, the other fix didn't.  We finally made the decision to ride the rest of the day in our middle gear ring and use our mountain drive for hills.

     This of course meant that we were unable to go very fast.  Caught up with the group at the watermelon stop at Campbell Lake.  It was a nice place to take a break and some pics.  Ariann and Tammy cooled off in the lake.

     No place to get lunch today,  Jeff rescued us by taking sandwich orders, going to Subway and meeting us at a stopping point.  He was our hero,  again.


     More hills, plus some very rough roads after that.  It all made for the latest finish time we have ever had on pALM.  We pulled into Battle Creek at around 7PM. It was a long tiring day.  Praise the Lord that Tammy and Ariann had the tent up and Kiersten and Tammy had also put our cots up.  We headed right to supper, then the showers.  We missed the meeting tonight.

   






   


 
   

Now The Riding Begins

Day 2 June 24, 2012

     Up at 4:50 AM.  No one in our tent slept well, except for Ariann.  I wonder how many other tents had that problem.  Not the one that was on Tony's side.  That person was snoring loud enough to keep Tony awake much of the night.  Besides the train, maybe  that is what kept waking me  up, as well.

     Packed up, took the tent down and loaded the gear, like logs,  in the trucks.  Then headed for breakfast.  The eggs weren't very good, and after Tammy ate them, she didn't feel well.  Her stomach was rolling.  She lost her breakfast before we started riding, but still didn't feel very good.   We rode out at 7:41 AM.  Tammy brought along a copy of their local newspaper.  If they display the newspaper while getting their picture taken, they get it in the paper. They also get it in this blog.

 We stopped by downtown St. Joseph to look for some Pepto Bismal, but the stores were still closed. However we did get this pirate to pose for a picture with us.

Tony took a rest while we waited for Tammy, who was visiting a nearby restroom.  She still wasn't doing very well, which is why she isn't in any of these pictures.

   Kiersten looked the map over.  When riding with her I don't really bother to look at my map much, she keeps us all informed about what is coming up.    Great navigator.  of course the markings on the road help too

         Here is a turtle that was a tribute to the Girl Scout troops in the area.

      Downtown St Joe is pretty cool.  Lots of neat statues there, too many to take pics of all.

           Located along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, St Joseph shares Michigan's border with Indiana.
With a story that began nearly 100 years before the American Revolution, St Joseph is steeped in history.  The mouth of the St. Joseph river had it's first documented discovery in 1669.  This river, laid along a key water route between the Great Lakes and the Missssippi River, played a big role in the growth of the area.  In 1679,  French explorer LaSalle and some of his men cleared some land and built Fort Miami on a bluff overlooking the St. Joseph River.  That same year LaSalle and his men waited for the ship Le Griffon to return, but it never did.  The ship was deemed last, and LaSalle and his party left the area by land.   The forests and plains continued to be inhabited by  mainly Native Americans.  In 1785, William Burnett became the first permanent settler, when he built a trading post.  In 1828 a treaty was established, and the area opened up for more settlement.  Early residents of the area faced many challenges,  malaria, also known as the "augh,"  and other sicknesses overtook many, and claimed lives of both young and old.  Many newcomers, led to  inflated prices of food and other staples, and many original settlers could barely afford to live in the area.

     A mail ship ran between Chcago and the city  starting in 1825.  Having a deep water port was a big contributer to the growth of this place,  being close to Chicago contribute too.   As shipping grew on the Great Lakes,  St. Joseph became a major shipping port.  Later,  the mouth of the river was straightened through a channel and piers were added.  St Joseph was called Newbury Port, until 1834, when it was incorporated, and renamed St Joseph.   St Joseph had the first lighthouse on Michigan shores.

     Today tourism is large contributer to this city and others, along the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan.  We were in for a day of pleasant sights.

    After my unsuccessful attempt to locate Pepto for Tammy, we decided to head out, hoping to find a convenience store down the way.  As we pedaled away,  Kiersten prayed aloud,"  Lord please help us to find a place to get something for Tammy. "  Just then, our prayers were answered and  we saw a BP gas station, we pulled in and a few minutes later Tammy came out with some Pepto Bismol.  After taking a big swig of it, she soon felt better.  We were down the road about 5 or 10 minutes and we had some beautiful views of Lake Michigan.  Meet the "Fearsome Fivesome."

     Here was the greeter at our first water stop.  Shortly after this Ariann, who is charged like the energizer bunny, and Kiersten  rode ahead.

        This church was to unique to pass by without taking a picture.  I couldn't help but think how pretty it would look in someone's wedding photos.

        No place to get lunch on the route today, but this year we were prepared and brought our own fixings.  No empty tank for us.  Tammy and Ariann had the same.

      Kiersten's hubby isn't riding this year, so he joined us for our little parking lot picnic.

       

After our many months of planning, phoning and facebooking, together,  about going to PALM, it warmed my heart to see Tammy enjoying the day.

     Today was mostly cloudy and in the 80's, it didn't feel hot unless we stopped.  We got into PawPaw about 2:30.

   Kiersten's hubby, Jeff, had graciously claimed our bags and used them to save a spot for our tent.  It was hot setting up and we were glad to have a shower.  We rode 42 miles today, our shortest ride on the tour.  We will have no problems sleeping tonight.