125: if you're a worm, h.u.n.k.s., lakenland, kellie, no rest here, sea watch, insect on a snail on a mushroom, ore dock 1, superior dome, sidewalk art, ore dock 2, cliff area, champion swimmer, missing letter, bird of temptation, kevin, marquette - My Midlife Crisis - CycleBlaze
125: if you're a worm, h.u.n.k.s., lakenland, kellie, no rest here, sea watch, insect on a snail on a mushroom, ore dock 1, superior dome, sidewalk art, ore dock 2, cliff area, champion swimmer, missing letter, bird of temptation, kevin, marquette
Au Train to Marquette
Lori's tire was fine this morning, fully inflated, but we still got off to a late start because.... that's who we are. Perhaps you've heard of Shel Silverstein's poem Early Bird:
Oh, if you’re a bird, be an early bird And catch the worm for your breakfast plate. If you’re a bird, be an early early bird-- But if you’re a worm, sleep late.
I suspect Silverstein, like us, enjoyed sleeping late.
I wonder what the acronym H.U.N.K.S. stands for. I have a few guesses: Hungover Undergrads Needing Kontinuous Supervision? Hot Unshaven Narcissists Kopiously Sweating? Hilariously Uncoordinated Nerds Klutzily Stumbling? Hopelessly Untrained Neanderthals Kicking Shit?
There have been a number of eye-catching rock formations here and there along the way. This one caught my eye, then made them cross.
Bill ShaneyfeltWeird
If I remember a bit of my only geology course at AZ State in (I think) '68 it might be unconformities when different kinds of strata are laid down on top of each other...
Yup! I remembered! My geology prof. would be proud! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconformity Reply to this comment 3 months ago
Lakenland, one of the Points of Interest for today, is on the way to Marquette so we stopped to see if it's worth further investigation. As it turns out, it was much more interesting than expected.
Upon entering the park, my first impression was that the guy who built it was a conspiracy theorist/prepper/survivalist who is raging against The Man and authority.
The conflict escalated until, in 2003, he refinanced his house in order to purchase 37 acres of land here on the M-28 highway, then moved everything to this location.
This free park is open 24/7 year-round and has a winding drive through the woods (called the Sculpture Trail), walking paths, two ponds for free fishing, a band shell and pavilion, a “Bog Walk” (a boardwalk through a cedar bog), and (in the winter) a warm lean-to shelter with free coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks for very appreciative snowmobilers.
... but they eventually they came to realize that the park is a tourist draw that helps the entire community. At one point he was even named Citizen of the Year.
While we were looking at one of the sculptures, a truck trundled slowly past pulling a rectangular piece of metal grading the road. We wondered if it might be Tom so, curious, we flagged him down on his second pass. Fortunately for us, it was him, and we briefly chatted but, as Lori put it, "He's a man of few words." To me, he seemed guarded, as if afraid he might say the wrong thing.
Nodding toward the signs at the entrance I asked him about the problems he's had with the Township, and he replied that "there hasn't been any trouble since 2002."
He's not on the property very often, so we were lucky to be able to meet him. His last words to us were: "Thanks for coming to see all my junk."
Just “Kellie,” either because (1) anyone who might consider using her as their real estate agent already knows her last name, or (2) it’s an embarrassing name like “Kellie Hitler,” or "Kellie Blewitt," or even “Kellie Wienerlicious."
We decided to consider another O.R.V. since it was also labeled as a "bike path," but as soon as we got a better look at it we turned around and pedaled the thirty yards back to the road.
Mark BinghamTo Rich FrasierI guess so? But I never would've believed that snails pooped them out. I've learned so much on this trip. Reply to this comment 3 months ago
It doesn't take much imagination to picture what it was like when this place was booming.... all those chutes dumping ore into a boat. There's a tugboat for scale.
On the way I stopped at another one of today's Points of Interest: the Superior Dome on the campus of Northern Michigan University. It has the largest diameter of any wooden dome in the world and can hold up to 16,000 people.
Structurally, it’s a geodesic dome. One source states that the first part of the word, “geo,” comes from the word “earth,” The middle part of the word, “de,” comes from the Spanish word meaning “from,” and the end of the word, “sic,” comes from the Latin meaning “thus.” Combining them, you get: “Thus From the Earth.” Clearly, that should be interpreted as the dome was not built by humans, but instead grew out of the ground organically, like a plant. That sounds very reasonable.
The other definition I found was that a geodesic dome is a self-bracing framework of triangles, built with a minimum of structural elements (in this case, 781 massive Douglas fir beams) to achieve the strength of a dome. (yawn)
I really wish I had known that I could go inside. If no events are scheduled the doors remain open and people can come and go as they please. You can even stroll out onto the artificial turf (which is retractable and can be reconfigured for football, volleyball, hockey, etc.). Had I realized, I would've climbed the bleachers to get a better look at the ceiling which, from what I read, is striking.
Mark BinghamTo Rich FrasierYeah, can you believe there are TWO of these monsters?? The Lower Harbor Ore Dock is even larger than this one.
(and also: serious RESPECT for noticing) Reply to this comment 3 months ago
It says "KEEP AWAY," so why is there a path??? And a paved one, at that. That’s like leaving a bottle of whiskey and car keys on the table for an alcoholic, or a copy of any newspaper and a bottle of sedatives for someone with depression.
This guy seemed pretty happy about swimming to the small rock outcroppings. After making it he was running in circles, pumping his fist, and pointing to someone on the mainland.
This is a beautiful mural, but it reminds me of the unverified and paraphrased Martin Luther quote: "You can't keep the bird of temptation from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair."
Upon arriving back at Trenary Toast, which closes at 4:00, we rode over to the public library so Lori could continue working. There was a small niche in the entrance hall where we stashed the bikes, then Lori hustled off to another meeting while I considered my next move.
As I was standing there metaphorically scratching my head, a short, stocky guy in his thirties with red stubble on his face asked about our trip. When he found out that the second half of tomorrow's route includes the designated bike path (the Iron Ore Trail) past Ishpeming he cautioned against it: "It's a technical ride that's hard even for a mountain biker." I made a rule way back in Georgia about never, ever again riding on a road without being absolutely positive it's paved, and I think I need to renew my biking vows.
At that point I found a comfortable chair in the library and began reworking tomorrow's route.
Once Lori was done for the day, we went in search of dinner and decided on a Thai place. Riding down North 3rd Street, the smell of hops was so strong you could almost chew it. We smelled it again on the way back to our hotel and, in one section, it was accompanied by the skunk of marijuana.
Woo-Hoo!!! My fortune cookie says I'm going to be a very, VERY successful person.
For most of the afternoon I kept hearing a ticking sound, but could never determine the source. Finally, in the hotel room, I saw that the mount holding my lock is broken. I'll be transporting it in my pannier bag from now on.
Marquette is a bustling town, an urban paradise in a rural setting which is full of hip places to eat and interesting venues. I would enjoy living here, I think. Here are some interesting facts I discovered during my research: + There aren't any famous people from Marquette, at least none that I recognized. This is particularly strange for a town of 22,000 people, especially when you consider that: (1) almost every town I've passed through, regardless of size, has produced at least one celebrity, (2) it was settled in 1844, 181 years ago, so it's had plenty of time, and (3) it's been a university town since 1899 when Northern State Normal School was established. Having a school here would, it seems, make it more likely to produce a rocket scientist, or a person who cured fish cancer, or developed a pill that causes a person's taste buds to perceive "sweet" as something disgusting. Of course, there is the fact that in 1927 Northern Michigan University changed its name from Northern StateNormalSchool to Northern State Teacher's College. That floats the implication that it's no longer "normal." + Marquette is the "Snowiest Big City in the Midwest," averaging more than 200 inches of snow a year, and is in the Top 5 Snowiest Cities in America. + It's also the coldest city in Michigan, which is impressive when you consider the competition. People in this area thrive in the cold by playing outdoor sports. Consequently, the local high school football teams play even if there's a blizzard. If you're going to play a game that has the potential to cause permanent joint injuries and head trauma, why allow a trifling obstacle like frostbite, or digital amputations, to get in the way? Locals also thrive by having winter festivals. + One of those winter events is the "Polar Roll," in which competitors race fat tire bikes on the snow at subzero (Fahrenheit) temperatures. Note that I said subzero, not subfreezing. + As mentioned in other journals, Anatomy of a Murder was partially filmed here in the Marquette County Courthouse (as well as Big Bay, Ishpeming, and Munising, all of whom claim ties to the movie). The film dramatizes a 1952 murder that happened in the Marquette area, and received six Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Awards.
If you like living in a hip, beautiful college town with a cornucopia of interesting places to eat and near-unlimited outdoor activities, then Marquette is the place for you.... but you'll need to be able to tolerate a hard freeze lasting several months and more snow in a day than Florida or Texas get in a decade.
When Lori and I were talking about the day's ride she was surprised to find that we weren't going downhill all day. The difference was that today, our 7th day of pedaling, was the first day since we started riding together that we didn't have a strong headwind - it was only about 6 mph.
Of note, it's rained seven of our eight days of riding. It's also interesting that the only time we've had sunny skies for more than an hour straight was when we were in the pontoon boat at Pictured Rocks. The skies were clear the entire time. Lucky me.
marilyn swettWith so many interesting things to stop and see on this ride, I'm surprised that you made it even to Marquette! Thanks for the pictures! Reply to this comment 3 months ago
Larry FrahmLakeland sculpture park is fantastic! Great food for the eyes and the brain. Loved the tour Mark, thank you. Reply to this comment 3 months ago
