It was late morning when stopped for a meal, ironically enough in St Louis, Michigan. Unfortunately none of the locally owned places I passed coming in to town were open just yet, so I resigned to breakfast burritos from McDonald’s. I leaned my bike against a window on the side of the building, next to another that was already there – and outfited (seemingly) for a trip as long as mine. I made my way inside, and found it’s owner in a position I’ve found myself so many times before; belongings spread across the booth table, electronics plugged into the outlet underneath.
I claimed the next booth down, and asked if it was he I had parked next to. We laughed, and asked each other the details of our endeavors. He had set out from the Cheboygan area the day before, eventually heading back to his home in Columbus, OH. He had a cabin up north, and had regular route he rode between the two. By his recollection this was trip number eighteen. After breakfast, we wished each other well, and went our separate ways.
It would prove to be a long hard afternoon for me. My lunch – a chicken sandwich in Ionia – didn’t sit well, and consequently I wasn’t able to eat or drink nearly enough as the day wore on. A condition only exacerbated by full sun and temperatures in the mid 80’s.
By dinnertime though I was here, on the deck sharing stories of the day with these two wonderful friends. Friends who were kind enough to give me food, a place to clean up, and lay my head for the night.
Thank you Ron & Whitney. I appreciate it more than you know ❤️
Day 1 – 136.1 Miles
#MeetMeInStLouis
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