Grace (def) Courteous goodwill.

I was driving with my boss, on our way to meet a new customer. I was in the middle lane of a three lane freeway, running at or just a little more than the speed limit. I could see the silver car, weaving in and out of lanes, at least ten miles per hour faster than the flow of traffic. I debated if I should lift off the throttle to create a bigger gap to the car ahead of me, maybe I even did a little. Then the car was alongside me and cutting into my lane, much too close. I hit the brakes, not too hard, but enough to create the space to keep from getting hit in the passenger side front quarter. My boss flinched and said something that sounded like ‘excrement’.

I was angry. That driver was being reckless. He nearly hit me and a number of other cars. I saw him coming in the mirror, so my reaction was almost pre-calculated, but what if he’d surprised me? What if he’d hit me, with my boss in the car. A thousand things ran through my head. None of them were good. I have to confess I wished severe consequences on that driver. But it didn’t make me feel better. Being indignant and offended is natural. But is it the best thing for us?

It turns out that our desire for revenge and holding grudges is very unhealthy. Justice is often delayed or (more frequently) denied altogether. And the truth is, even if you get your revenge, and the person who wrongs you is punished, celebrating it really doesn’t heal you does it? It turns out, the best thing for our souls (and our health) is grace. Why?

Cultivating the ability to let go of offenses frees our mental cycles to concentrate on things that really matter to us. Our jobs, our families, our faith. Conversely if you don’t release these burdens, you may train your mind to dwell on offenses, a focus that increases your stress level, potentially changing your perspective in ways you don’t even realize. Since our perspective impacts almost everything we do, the inability to let go of an offense can your literally shorten your life.

It turns out that the impacts of stress aren’t just mental or emotional. When we are stressed, our body releases Cortisol, a hormone that changes our body chemistry, including blood sugar levels. Chronic stress can impact our ability to sleep, promote anxiety and lead to serious health problems like heart attack and stroke. Yikes!

However, if we learn to release our stress, forgive offenses and cultivate a positive outlook, we enjoy better sleep, more energy, better personal relationships and potentially a longer life. And who doesn’t want that?

It’s autumn here in Michigan.  The time when the air turns cool in the evening, and the mornings are tinged in frost.  The leaves have changed, littered the yard in bright colors.  Despite the closing of summer, it’s a time of year I long ago came to enjoy.  While I’m a bit sad the the boat is put up for the winter, and the hard top is on the Jeep, I look forward to  greeting the day in a hunting blind, walking the trails through piles of crunchy leaves or standing on my deck in a sweatshirt and drinking coffee.

This is the season for making chili and campfires in the back yard.  Some years back we started a tradition of having friends over to celebrate this time of year.  Yes, another summer is behind us, but it’s pleasant to be able to spend the evening without having to worry about mosquitos.  I do lament the time change and the shorter days.  The sun goes down earlier and the mornings are dark longer.  But winter is still weeks away.  The nights are colder, but it makes for great sleeping and some of the days are still warm enough to enjoy being outside and even ride the motorcycle without having to bundle up too much.

I understand that the seasons you enjoy where you live may be different due to the climate.  So you’re mileage may vary, but here in Michigan, I enjoy fall more than summer if only because of the moderate temperatures and reduced effects of humidity.  Although we live in the north, it still get’s well over 90F in the heat of the summer and given that our state is a peninsula surrounded by lakes, the humidity is often well over 80%.  That starts to moderate in the fall.

A lot of people prefer spring, but spring here in Michigan is often the muddy season, especially for the first few weeks.  Yes, the grass will green up and the leaves are  filling the trees, but it’s almost constantly raining and gray.  The fishing season gives me much to look forward too, but the best days for that are ahead.

Winter seems to be everyone’s least favorite season.  There will be a short period of time when the air is frosty and crisp and snow blankets the ground and it’s beautiful, but mostly it will be cold, wet and nearly as muddy as spring.  There are a bright sparkling mornings to behold, but mostly we just bundle up, shovel snow and wait for warmer days.

For me, fall offers the best of the shoulder seasons without the harshness of the extremes of summer or winter, so it’s the season I look forward to the most.

Over the last few weeks I’ve driven across this great country of ours (spoiler alert, I’ll be doing a post on my adventure soon). I’ve spent several nights in hotels and at campgrounds. I’ve visited two national parks (two more off my list!). I’ve been out to eat meals with friends and family. I’ve had lunch with customers. I’ve attended the county fair, where I worked a display and demonstration booth with my amateur radio club. I attended church in person, and the first live music concert I’ve been to since the pandemic began.

I’m sure some will ask if I’m afraid of getting the Delta variant. If I’m afraid of spreading it. If I’m just afraid. What if there’s another mask mandate, or they start requiring a vaccine passport? What if? It seems so many of my friends are spending more time and energy questioning motives, deriding those they don’t agree with, and generally adding to the anxiety rather than just getting on with life. Too much of what’s being said and done with regards to Covid-19 is being driven by fear.

Well, I’m not afraid. Concerned? Prepared? Thoughtful? Am I learning? Paying attention? Of course. But afraid, no. Covid has (re)taught me one thing. We’re all going to leave this earth. This last Sunday I met two babies born in the shadow of the pandemic. They are beautiful and amazing. Life goes on. We’ve lost some people in this 18 months or so. I lost my father (not to Covid). This has been a dark season. But it’s over. Sure the Delta variant, and a parade of others will be trotted out in the news. There will be controversy. Because controversy drives ratings and fear sells. But I’m not buying. There’s a smile on my face in this picture (really!). I’m with my lovely lady. And we’re doing something…. normal.

This is the second of two installments on our 2020 ride to the upper peninsula of Michigan.

For the second half of our adventure we relocated to Houghton Michigan on the Keewenaw peninsula, which juts out into Lake Superior. The ride to Houghton took us via Munising and a visit to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. All of the cliff formations along the shore of are stained with bright colors from the various minerals that wash out of the rock. The cliffs form dramatic shapes and are best seen from boat tours or kayaks offered for rent by local tourist shops. Sadly they were all closed due to Covid, so we hiked some scenic overlooks at the National Park.

After our visit we pressed on, winding as much as we could on lake-side roads near Marquette. I’ve driven the Marquette-to-Houghton road a few times on business trips visiting Michigan Technological University. Highway 41 cuts through the forested interior of the UP and then north to L’Anse and Baraga. The lakeshore is pretty and the road sweeps in big, gentle bends that encourage a rider to go a little faster than the posted signs would imply are legal. Not that gentlemen touring riders such as ourselves would be given to excessive speed…

From our new base of operation we rode north to Copper Harbor and then east on 41 until we found some off-the-beaten-track logging road in an attempt to get to the Copper Harbor light house. It wasn’t long before we realized the RT was out of it’s element, but Dave didn’t give up and followed the guys on adventure bikes until we were ready to turn around. I never correlated the GPS track, but we were clearly not on the roads we thought we would be on, but it was fun diversion nonetheless.

West out of Copper Harbor on 26 is a wonderful lakeshore road with challenging bends and even some sand blown over the road. When we doubled back to regain 41 to go to the hotel, we found Brockway Mountain Dr. Dave was originally concerned that it would be too rough for the RT (considering the logging road we’d taken him down, he decided we didn’t always help him make good choices). So Uly and I headed up and found a lovely paved road, a bit steep and narrow in a few places, but leading to a spectacular mountain top view of a lush valley on one side and the Lake Superior shoreline on the other. Rather than keep it to ourselves, we continued on the road until it rejoined 26 and collected Dave, leading him to the top to enjoy it for himself.

The following day we rode farther west to the Porcupine Mountains State Park, another gem of Northern Michigan I knew nothing about. Mile after mile of winding forested roads, west on 64 out of Ontonagon. The high point (literally) of this leg of the ride was Lake In The Clouds. The ride to get there is half the joy, but the view is staggering. The pictures really don’t do it justice as the viewing area is SO high. We could see a ski jump over ten miles away on another hilltop. We spent an hour just taking in the view and had we been so inclined could have spent hours more hiking. Likely, on some other day, I will do just that.

The ride home at the end of the trip was also a treat. We rode back along 41 to Marquette , stopping for lunch at a little taco place in Munising. The south, and a little east along over the bridge and then along a stretch of coastal road called the Tunnel of Trees. This close, narrow, winding road is well know to riders here in Michigan, but probably not to anyone from anywhere else. Not as long as the BRP or the Dragon’s tail, and not nearly as crowded most days. Just a tree-lined stretch of road with an amazing view and some challenging bends. The video linked below, recorded from the crash bar on my GS, gives a hint of what it’s like.

Video of Riding the Tunnel of Trees

Riding the Mackinaw Bridge

Over all, the trip was a resounding success. Like every touring adventure there were a few challenges. Our strategy of home-basing in a couple of locations and fanning out to explore the area we were in, seemed to really work well. So many rides it’s nomadic, packing unpacking for each overnight. And while I enjoy having a base camp, our next big adventure will us back to our nomadic ways as we take on the Mid-Atlantic Back Country Discovery Route. stay tuned for that!

This is a post to celebrate getting away. After SO many weeks and months of cold winter and working from home, it seemed like the right time to get away. My wife and I have had a favorite weekend get-away place for many years now, and even though we left home late, we were settled into our room at the Lake Bluff Inn and Suites in South Haven, before our usual bed time. The pleasure was in knowing that we weren’t going to have to get up early and there were no expectations when we did.

We learned the art of weekending years ago, when raising children and being busy with our jobs left little time to do more than one short vacation a year. That left us only weekends to do a get-away for ourselves. Eventually we realized that leaving the kids for one or two nights was achievable and if we didn’t go far, we could easily deal with issues if we were needed. For us, that meant being within a couple of hours of home. There are a few tourist towns a couple of hours away and we fell in love with South Haven.

At first this was about our anniversary or other special occasion, but in time we realized it was the perfect couple’s therapy. Getting outside our usual four walls and routine for a even a couple of days helped us reset. Perspective is valuable and sometimes seeing your challenges and frustrations from outside the sphere of your daily life can help provide it.

As a young couple with a houseful of kids, we couldn’t afford a lakeside suite with a jacuzzi every time we escaped for a weekend, but as soon as we could, we determined it was worth it. But even the bargain room at a Holiday Inn Express or local B’n’B works. The value is in breaking the routine and intentionally making space to remember what life was like before children and before the cares of work and a mortgage and the other pressures of life started to weigh on us.

So what do we do when we get away? Walk on the beach. Shop a little. Eat out. Let the housekeepers make the bed. Drink a little. Sometimes it’s almost nothing at all. Walking the grounds at the resort or getting ice cream in the heat of the summer is an escape. Sometimes the key is in simply not doing the things you normally do and letting everything come as it may. Whatever your style of relaxation is, park the lawn mower (or the snow shovel) and make a little time to weekend.

For some reason, my affection for winter has been lacking considerably this year. I think it’s part pandemic fatigue, part work stress and some other things that have been weighing on me. But Sunday morning I decided I was going to get out for a bit. I have some favorite stretches of back road that I enjoy riding/driving, so I fired up the Jeep and went out for a bit. I stopped in a couple of places for pictures, but was discouraged from doing much walking around by the single digit wind chills. I wanted a couple of new pictures for the site, so I used one of these for the banner. It was a beautiful (looking) morning, and judging by the fresh tracks in the snow, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the winter days, even if they are a bit cold. I know it’s tough sometimes, but it’s worth it. And if you live somewhere warm, I do slightly envy you.

Just started watching this. It’s not as good as the first one. But it’s a more realistic depiction of what it would be like to take electric vehicles on an adventure, than I expected. Can’t say I’d try what they’re doing (I wouldn’t have the support in place anyways), but it’s kinda fun to watch. They could have called the series ‘Range Anxiety’, but I know that wouldn’t have been catchy enough.

Initially I was disappointed this series would be on electric motorcycles. I think of electric bikes more along the lines of scooters. I’m kind of wondering how they’ll hold up. I was mildly entertained to see the flatbed truck with the diesel generator and charging station. Not exactly eco-friendly, but this is the reality of electrification. Clean/Renewable energy can’t provide the vast amounts of power needed to make electric vehicles genuinely green (yet). I hope we get there someday. But maybe not too soon, as I adore the rumble of my R1200 GS’s boxer engine. The whine of electric motors seems like it would somehow sterilize the experience.

As a note to those new to my blog (probably anyone reading this!) I started referring to my Upper Michigan adventure rides as The Long Way Up (MI) in homage to the original ‘Long Way Around’ and ‘Long Way Down’ series, before I knew there was going to be a ‘Long Way Up’. from our friends Ewan and Charlie. Look for the posts regarding The LongWay UP MI v2.0 shortly. I have the first few in draft and will post them soon.

My riding buddy and I have started a tradition of going on a motorcycle road trip each year.  The inaugural journey was a seven-day, 2700 mile road trip from Ann Arbor to the Skyline in Virginia, down to Mississippi and Louisiana, an overnight in New Orleans and then the long ride home.  The pace was pretty stout, over 500 miles per day.  We decided that’s more than either of us wanted to repeat, so this year’s ride was around our home state of Michigan.

The trip was originally planned as a ride around Lake Michigan.  But Uly had ridden through Chicago on his way back from a long solo trip out west and didn’t want to ride through the city again.  I’m not a fan riding urban environs either, so we modified the plan so we could take the S.S. Badger back across lake Michigan from Manitowoc to Ludington.  I’m really glad we did.  The ride on the Badger was a treat.

We rode some of the most scenic coastal roads in the state, and over the Mackinaw bridge (the first either of us had ridden a motorcycle over the Mack).  An unexpected treat was the M26 along the coast of the UP on Lake Superior.  Riding from Copper Harbor to Eagle river was excellent, even in the waning light.  The video is on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6WQ2u9Aefc&t=186s

I’ll be uploading a few of the videos from the trip, so you can check back in the next couple of days to catch the rest of them.

One of the best things about the ride was spending time with a good friend.  I’m not a big solo rider, even though I understand the desire to get out and get away and spend some quality time getting perspective.  It’s what I often do on the short jaunts, on the bike or in the Jeep, on a quiet country ride.  We all need to unplug.  But adventures are best enjoyed with friends.  Talking on the intercom breaks up the long stretches of road where the scenery isn’t engaging and helps keep the focus on the road.  There were plenty of potholes and gnarly sections of road that challenged us, not to mention traffic and the occasional wildlife.

I hope you find occasion to go on an adventure with a friend.  You don’t need any special equipment or gear.  Any bike will do.  Take a camera (phones work too) and notepad and scratch down some notes so we can hear about it when you get back!