Day 11 IN to MI

The plan for the day is get from South Bend, IN to Ludington, MI less than 200 miles, and 3.5 hours….

So we started leisurely, around 9:30 am we got out of Norte Dame.

First order of business fuel for the bike and us. We had breakfast at the Yellow Cat Cafe a definite recommend!

They had the coolest coffee cups with neat sayings on them. We considered junking ours and ordering a set. Then since we had few miles and some extra time we stopped by McDaniel’s Harley Davidson. Normally we like to get shirts to remind us of the dealership’s area, but the place was so underwhelming that we instead opted for a matching set of heavy flannel shirts, and then we meandered for hours in search of a 22,297 square mile lake to no end (Lake Michigan), apparently much of the “Lakeshore” is private property, based on the fact that we rode up miles of Lakeshore Drive and couldn’t barely catch a glimpse of the big lake. Add to that all the construction it took up a good 3 hours to get to Muskegon, MI.

So we decided to jump back on the big road and hammer down as Mandi had ideas of visiting a lighthouse and a fish shack after we get to our nest for the evening.

Just over an hour later we arrived in Ludington, MI and found our motel The Summer’s Inn of Ludington. A jewel in the rough, Mandi said she’d stay here again, and so would I!

Now about dinner, there are no fish shacks or anything of that sort open on a Wednesday night in Ludington, so as were were on the clock so that we could catch the lighthouse at the perfect moment in the golden hour, we opted for Timbers – Steak and Seafood. Based on their menu and prices we thought we might have over done it, especially after a rich meal last night. Unfortunately I can’t recommend this place, their fare just didn’t add up. Too much hype not enough flavor.

Not happy with dinner or the time it took, we hurried down to Ludington Beach State Park to see and photograph the Big Sable Point Lighthouse.

What they don’t tell ya when they say you don’t wanna miss it is, that it’s a four mile hike in sand and gravel (mostly sand ), and that you should plan that into your trip. We didn’t, but by God we made it (I considered heaving the below par dinner, but couldn’t bring myself to do it.) Besides we were in a rush to get those pictures.

All is well again and Mandi finally got her moonlit walk on the beach with a handsome man, and then I found our way back down the beach to the start of said trail in the dark with my internal compass (she feigned being impressed, and bought me a drink after). Then we headed back to the motel to prep for an early morning ferry across the lake we couldn’t find.