July 26 - To Armada, MI

Seventy miles to Armada was smooth sailing with perfect weather and only ten miles of paved trails. The only problem in the morning was that I was stung by a yellow jacket. After two benadryl, the swelling subsided.

At lunch in LaPeer we double checked a real map to understand where we were going. For fun we also lined up on the curb for a photo of the "older generation of bikers". The average age of our group was 66, the oldest rider 76.

We arrived at the church in Armada after a harrowing experience. Highway 52 was under construction and we had no lane or shoulder to ride. Our solution was "to be a car" in this circumstance. Three of us cycled in front of a tractor trailer and the truck driver slowed down the traffic of cars behind him. We felt safe and thanked him when we finally turned off the road.

Dinner was catered by the church ladies. Just before dinner I found out that Minion had fallen off my bike a few miles before our final destination. Ken Hendricks, who rides a recumbent bike low to the ground, found Minion.

Congregants of the church had dinner with us and Trent asked if he could play with Monion. I saw how much he loved him and told Trent that I would send Minion back to him after I take him to my final destination, Cambridge.