Ann Arbor to Alpena
Left the Microtel in Ann Arbor at 8.35am and headed to Starbucks for coffee and oatmeal. For the first time on this trip, it was a bit chilly, a 60-degree morning. Drove due north on highway 23 and I-75; looking for a grocery store we stopped in Saginaw (…it took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw…) but ended up just having a hard-boiled egg.
Bay City. The story goes that a Scottish teen band in the mid 1970’s threw a dart at a map and named their band after the town. There is no monument to the Bay City Rollers here, but there used to be a mural on Adams Street. We visited the site, but alas there was no sign of it. Just to be clear, at that time 45 years ago, my brother and I did not have a high regard for the Bay City Rollers. Mott the Hoople were the exemplars of sophistication and taste for us back then.
The weather today was perfect. Around 68-70 degrees with a slight breeze and low humidity. We found by accident the perfect picnic spot next to Lake Huron, at the Arenac County park near Point Au Gres. Lingered over lunch.
The route north hugged the coastline with Lake Huron to our right. Stopped at a farmer’s market to shop for vegetables. There is a preponderance of holiday rentals and family camps on Hwy 23. Just south of Alpena, we crossed the 45th parallel; the mid-point between the north pole and the equator, or it would be if the earth was perfectly spherical, which it is not. Anyway, close enough. Thus, we were at the same latitude as many northern borders of western states and curiously, Bordeaux.
Arrived in Alpena at 4.30 or so. A nice two-bedroom apartment, with loads of space. Unloaded car, ported bikes up to the apartment then did our shopping at the Save a Lot. Rib eye steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli and Justin Cabernet finished off a good day.
