110: stealth campsite, all things unnecessary, friend of the library, monsters, breeze off the lake, state theatre, city opera, theater camping

August 15, 2025

Traverse City

I'm spending another day in Traverse City, and since Bob and Laura are leaving for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this morning I'll be camping tonight (no response from the other two Warm Showers hosts in town). My original plan was to camp at the State Park in town (where, if you recall, state law requires them to allow cyclists even if they're full), however, I learned from Bob that it's undergoing renovation so I'm needing to look elsewhere.

Because he's very familiar with the area, Bob shared some potential places to stealth camp, and I ended up deciding on the park just south of town. A "cheap" hotel in this touristy area would set me back $250-$300, so I really appreciate the Warm Showers hosts who have been offering me a place to stay.

It's going to get hot later today, so I thought I'd check out the park where I'll be camping first thing this morning rather than wait until it heats up this evening. Rose (Warm Showers host from two nights ago) asked me where I'll be staying tonight and after I told her she was a bit concerned because the local police have been clearing out the homeless people from that area.

I'm not too worried though. My pants now have a zipper, so I'll be okay.

The ride out to the more remote sections of the park was lovely.

I took this small side trail looking for a place to be invisible, wondering what the sign used to say.... "No trespassing," I suspect, and handwritten by Big Earl but, of course, there are numerous other possibilities: "Poisonous Snakes," "Lightning Sand," or even "Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here."

This was a consideration, but the trees blocked all wind movement and it was already becoming stifling.

...so I walked the bike back out to the trail.

Ultimately, I found a niche right by the river, perched on a small, but solid, overlook. The river lightly babbled, and there was enough of a breeze to keep the bugs away. I thought I took a picture, but didn't. It's where the blue suitcase-looking thing is in the center.

From there, I pedaled to a nearby overpriced, loud coffee shop where I was unable to get anything done, so I pedaled down the street so I could hang out at the public library until lunch.

The woman at the front desk said I couldn't bring my bike inside, but added that if the security officer said it was okay, then it would be alright. He was "currently making rounds," and I never saw him the entire time I was there.

I locked my bike, then tugged the four panniers loose and lurched inside, struggling to carry the 85-pounds of All Things Unnecessary. After finding my way to the audiovisual section, I sank into one of the chairs and started blogging.

Having worked at the downtown Houston Public Library I can tell you that some colorful characters slip in and out of library doors. It's a comfortable, quiet, cool (or warm) place for them, some of whom have no housing and many of whom have some type of mental illness.

An hour into my morning of blogging, I overheard a library patron talking to a librarian. He had the skin of a reptile and a smoker's voice, rough and gravelly. His speech was pressured, rapid, and loud - a sonic boom in the quiet space - but there was no shushing coming from behind the desk, just a companionable tolerance.

In the text below, it appears I just picked out random sentences here and there, but that's not the case. What swirled out of his mouth was like a murmuration of starlings, the topics darting from one non sequitur to another.

"The retrograde doesn’t stop until the 24th. A lot of people forget that. If you get that message about slowing down you haven’t got it yet. You can’t go on without it. You won't be allowed to go. You'll be transitioning if you do."

Librarian: "Transitioning isn’t so bad.”

"Something’s very powerful's gonna happen tomorrow. You’re on the victory lap now. I’ve been almost killed nine times. Nine times! So I have some grace."

A bit later: "I’ve got another word play for you: Remember, it’s better to be a C, than it is to be a not C. HA! Smile everyone, smile! And thank you for Big Board." (I think that's what he said. He's referring to a movie suggested by the librarian) "What?!? You didn’t watch it yet?? How’d you know??

Librarian: "It’s what I do."

"All about the tribal rites, it’s about fish. You haven’t seen it yet and you rang all my bells and chimes. And thank you guys for being my best friends - both of you are my best friends."

When it was time to eat I lurched back outside, a Frankenstein monster with baggage, then rolled over to another deli for lunch.

MY GOD!!! What kind of horrible place IS this?!? And why do they want me to do that to a child???

For the rest of the day I found a spot near the beach so the cool breeze off the lake would mitigate the climbing temperature.

Then, as evening approached, I started making my way back to my campsite.

On the way I pedaled through the historic district.

The State is the 4th theater iteration at this site, the original having been built in 1894 by Julius Steinberg, Traverse City’s first Jewish resident. The current building opened in 1949 and closed in 1996. Then, in 2004, the Traverse City Film Festival, started by Filmmaker Michael Moore (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine), bought the theater for one dollar and was instrumental in reopening it.

The City Opera House opened in 1891 and was the first building in Traverse City to use electric lights. It has a 43-foot ceiling, hardwood maple floors and surprisingly good acoustics. It originally hosted traveling plays and vaudeville shows and, more recently, dinners, balls, and graduations.

I'm approaching my campsite from a different location and pedaled to the dead end below, where I had to turn around and retrace my steps.

As I was riding to the site, I notice an amphitheater on the other side of a field, partly screened by trees. Thinking it might be a potential camping spot I checked it out and gave it the thumbs up. No burbling creek, but not close to the trail and therefore less likely to be noticed.

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Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 2,896 miles (4,661 km)

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Jon AylingNice stealthing! You've got a good choice of sites there - not settling for the first one is something I've had to train myself to do. I would be partial to that pine clearing, but then wanting the breeze *not* to be blocked is less of a priority here.
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