After my visit I returned to my room and did my yoga and practicing, then it was time to leave for Mackinaw City. The drive up was nothing special, but I did stop at a golf course I had played before (Birch Pointe) and shot a 53 from the white tees on a very long course (six hundred and fifty yards longer than the Meadows) and with undulating greens. I finally got to go bike riding in a woody setting (Aspen Park in Gaylord), and reached Mackinaw city before dark. I decided to stay at the KOA, mainly to save some money, and after checking in I went to town and to the movie theater, watching Despicable Me, which was quite entertaining. Sleeping in my truck wasn’t too bad, and the mosquitoes and noseeums left my alone.
In the morning I got up early, showered, then headed for the Star Ferry to Mackinac Island. I got the 8:00 ferry and the ride over was less than 20 minutes, so after coffee and an egg and cheese sandwich, I was off on my bike ride around the island. It was already getting warm so I was very glad I had started so early. The ride was as lovely as I remembered, and in many spots I was shaded by the maples, cedars, spruces and quaking aspens. In the more open spots I spotted bladder campion, oxeye daisy, queen anne’s lace, chicory, several hop clovers, buttercups, and some round clovers. I heard a black-throated green warbler singing and some kind of thrush. It was very rewarding eight miles but when I got back my knee was gone so I had to abandon my goal of walking around town. I took the 10:30 boat and was driving toward Sault Ste. Marie by 11:00.
The green rolling hills were pleasant companions on my drive and by noon I was nearing the Canadian border. I had checked on the internet to see if how long the wait time was, and when I found out there was no delay, off I went and by 1:00 I was in Canada. After a quick nap, I did some shopping and headed for a Boston Pizza to watch the World Cup final. Fortunately for Alfredo, Kelly’s husband, Spain won the match 1-0. During the match I realized that I hadn’t reprogrammed my phone and when I got through to a Verizon agent, he said I would have to return to the US to reprogram the phone. That was bad news, but fortunately, I decided to try again as I neared the border and the programming worked. Now I was free to go play golf and when I stopped at the usual course I play, it was incredibly crowded. I decided to try to newer golf course nearby and I found Crimson Ridge much less crowded and with lush fairways and a multitude of sand traps. I shot pretty well with my only problem being that the cart ran out of juice on the 11th hole so I had to walk back, which wasn’t the greatest thing for my sore knee.
I decided to drive on toward Lake Superior Provincial Park and that proved a mistake. I couldn’t find a decent motel and then heavy rains came, the weather and the dark forcing me to camp out at Pancake Bay Provincial Park. The site was fine but the mosquitoes kept getting in and I had to cover myself with a mesh fabric to keep them out. I didn’t sleep very well because of the bugs and my realization that my foam mattress is done for. When I awoke I showered and then, since the sun was out, I decided to kayak in the enticing Pancake Bay. I had a fine paddle out past the point, and headed quickly back when I heard thunder and saw storm clouds coming my way.
When I went to open the Rocket Box to put a few things up top and get my backpacking self-inflating mattress from up above, the brief respite of the kayak trip ended, and I found out I couldn’t close the Rocket Box. That was a big problem, and then I lost the cotter pin for the bike rack when I was putting the folded kayak back in. Luckily I had a couple of extra cotter pins and I was able to improvise a strap for the back part of the Rocket Box which would hold at least until Wawa, where I could get another strap.
I tried to call the latex foam mattress place that Jeff Teibout had recommended, but my phone wasn’t working (as usual, I got the Thunder Bay phone message, which means I won’t get service until Kenora), and the 800 number didn’t work on the pay phone. My internet, which is supposed to work in Canada, was also down.
I was not too pleased and even thought briefly about heading home but I drove on, remembering the many problems I have encountered on past trips (I thought of the night in the hospital on the Big Bend trip last winter) and fully aware that I am usually able to fix close to anything.
I stopped at Crescent Lake just inside Lake Superior Provincial Park and with the lake looking very fishable, I stopped to cast my eight weight into the water for twenty minutes. Now I went to my main purpose, a bike ride along the camp road, and that turned to be a lot of fun and it relieved the dark mood that was growing on me. I felt very sad about the breakup of my relationship, but there was nothing I could do. My ex is probably in a new relationship and though I miss her a great deal, I wish her well.
I drove into Wawa and after checking into the White Fang motel—there was a White Fang statue on the lawn, but no mention of Jack London—drove into town to do my laundry and try to fix the Rocket Box. On the way into town I realized that I had to figure out a lock for the Box and I was agonizing over attaching a hasp, when the idea for a chain and lock struck me.
After putting my clothes in the washer—and being told that the proprietor was going to close up as soon as I was done, I raced to the hardware store and got another strap and some chain, and drove back to the Laundromat. I started working on the Rocket Box, switched the clothes into the dryer, then finished up with the chain to lock the Box. I felt elated that the Box was secured and I had fresh clothes but really tired so I headed back to the motel, figuring I would stop at the local nine hole golf course (which I have played before) to get a later tee time, then nap for an hour or so.
Instead, when I got to the golf course, I saw that it was almost empty, so I opted to play, and refreshed by a Starbucks Double Shot, shot a 48 on a pretty long course.