August 26, 2021
I awoke to a dense fog across the lake although in the campground itself it seemed clear.
For my breakfast I ate some leftover Pad Thai from last night’s dinner and then went through the ritual of packing up. Once everything was secured, I rode the dirt road the mile and a half back to Highway 2 and headed west. I only went a few miles before I turned north on Highway 77. The fog was pretty dense through this forest and farmland and it both amazed and troubled me how few cars coming in the opposite direction made use of their headlights. As the sun came up and tried to burn through the fog it created a nice morning scene.
I had decided to get off Hwy 2 and go north not only because it was boring but I wanted to get closer to the shore or Lake Superior and, hopefully find less traffic, not that the vehicle count was really that busy. I got to Highway 38 and followed the shore all the way to Marquette with lots of scenic pullouts.
The signs attempted to route me around Maquette but I decided to cruise through the town and check it out. I am glad that I did, otherwise I’d have missed this encounter with a beautiful Volvo PV544 parked in front of a house there. I believe it to be an early 1960s model due to the B18 badge on the grill. I have a 1959 model with the B16 engine.
I drove a round downtown a bit and was really taken by both the architecture, the hills, and the cleanliness. I circled back and went down a street that was full of coffee shops, art galleries, and as such, quite trendy, but the appearance of a large structure up ahead drew me to it. I was in luck as it allowed me to get another photo of my bike parked in front of a county courthouse and this one is a beauty.
The sign adjacent to it provided some history and a Hollywood connection. I’ve seen that movie too.
As I went around the block to find my way back to the highway I saw this church, well, more than a church, a cathedral, that dominated the hill it was perched on. Another great piece of architecture.
I got back on the road and I have to say that while the scenery is great, as in lots of trees and occasional glimpses of water, the road itself is straight with very few curves. With the meager flow of traffic doing about 67 miles per hour, it’s a good way to rack up the miles but, motorcycling-wise, not the most exciting.
I did encounter a little gem of hope at one of my gas stops. It was another station with those annoying video ads blaring over the sound of anything else, but the station had added a piece of important information, lacking at all the others.
I can’t wait to try out that secret button at the next station that launches its audible assault.
I stopped in Ironwood for lunch and started my daily search for a stopping point by looking for campgrounds up ahead.
I decided to stay just east of Duluth/Superior in a Wisconsin state park: Amnicon Falls. While state parks usually lack advanced plumbing options found in private campgrounds, they tend to be quieter and have better options for hiking. This one looked good and I booked the site online.
When I got on my way, it started to drizzle, but only for a few miles. By the time I found the site and got parked, the drizzle turned into a light rain, but I got my tent pitched and my gear inside before anything became too wet. While I waited for it to clear, I enjoyed a beer I’d picked up a few miles back and wrote a blog entry.
The rain finally stopped and I cooked up a meal and got out my Rand-McNally atlas and planned my few remaining days ahead.
Today’s ride was 347 miles and I noticed that I’d traveled about 5,390 miles so far on this adventure.
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