Stacey Rides Again

Our little group went out for drinks last night and decided we would go for a ride this Saturday. Mike and Linda were disappointed they couldn't go but asked that we let them know the next time we wanted to go. The weather report said it would be a great day for riding and most of us could go. We agreed to meet for breakfast at a little diner on M-46 since it was a central location.  

My Husband and I arrived at 9am Saturday morning at the All American Diner on our Electra Glide Ultra Classic.  Tom and Cindy's Electra Glide Ultra Classic was parked there along with Stacey's Sportster, Bob's Road King, Jim's Street Glide and Joey's Fat Boy. We parked next to Tom and Cindy's bike and went in to have breakfast with them.  

As we enjoyed our breakfast we discussed where we would stop for lunch and breaks. Everyone was full of suggestions and breakfast by the time we finished. We decided to head to the gas station just up the road before we headed out so we would all have full tanks to start. Stacey wanted to stay near the rear of the pack because she still wasn't completely comfortable yet. She had told us over breakfast about her rides with her husband Bob and that things were going great.  

As we pulled out on to the open road my husband and I were in the lead with Cindy and her husband Tom beside us.  Cindy and I like to take pictures along the way of each other and cool things we see. We don't mind riding on the back with our husbands and there is also the benefit of us being able to be the full time navigator if they take a random turn and end up in the middle of nowhere. With these to guys in charge that happens a lot, but that is half the adventure.  

This particular day we where heading up and around the thumb of Michigan. Our first stop was going to be in Port Austin to see the boats and grab some lunch. It was a beautiful day for riding. The sun was out and very little clouds in the sky. We could see the boats as we rode up M-25 along the lake shore. The cool breeze from the lake kept the air comfortable. Cindy and I took pictures of our group, houses, boats and cars.  

When we arrived in Port Austin I was ready for food. We joked and laughed over lunch. Cindy and I compared pictures and shared our favorites. It is always entertaining to me how we never see the same cool things. Stacey talked about how her bike was easier to maneuver and how it is so much more fun to be on her own bike rather than behind her husband. She tried to put it into words for us but seemingly was at a loss for words. The best she could come up with was the power of the motorcycle and the wind in her face.

We wrapped up lunch and went for a short walk over to the pier to look at the boats and walk off some of lunch.  If you have never been to Port Austin, MI it is so worth the ride. It is a beautiful town with lots to see and several places offering great food. As we walked back towards the bikes I had to take a picture of them lined up on the road. It is always an amazing view for me and now that our little group had expanded by adding Stacey's bike it was almost perfect looking at them lined up. They almost always end up lined up by size even though no one plans it.  

It was getting warmer out and some of us decided to drop a layer or two. Grateful for the saddle bags we stowed away our extra clothing and prepared to leave. After making sure nobody needed gas we headed out with Caseville as our next location. Since the speed limit is a little lower through this area Cindy and I took more pictures and made some faces. I was able to get some zoomed in pictures of the other people in our group too. As we cruised down the open road we passed people walking and on bicycles. The little kids are always my favorite. I always wave, most of the time they get a kick out of this and smile and point or wave back.  

Caseville is always busy in the summer and today was no exception. Traffic and people were everywhere we looked.  We found a place to park and walked up the street a little. They had entertainment in the amphitheater and it was only $2.00 to get in so we paid our admission and stayed for a little while. The band was good and it was nice to stretch our legs. Once we had enough we headed back towards the bikes. Unfortunately we were blocked in. My crazy husband and everyone else must have wanted a ticket. He said "follow me" and they all did. Up on the sidewalk and back on to the road we went. If we would have been in a car we would have been stuck there forever.  

Our final destination before heading home was the Iron Horse Bar & Grill in Akron, MI. This has been a favorite of mine for a while. The food is great and I love the front porch with the chairs and benches that overlook all the bikes parked out front. This was where our fairly uneventful day took a turn.  

Our perfect day decided to cloud over with dark clouds and fast. I tapped my husband on the shoulder and asked "we aren't heading into that are we?" He looked off to the south and right. He revved his bike to get Tom's attention and pointed at the sky. They both sped up a bit since we weren't far from our destination. Unfortunately, nature caught us and we had to pull over. We pulled up under a tree and waited for the heavy rain to pass. It wasn't 5 min but we were soaked. "Where did that come from?" Cindy asked. We all just laughed because there wasn't anything else we could do. A little rain never hurts. "Now that we got the bikes washed can we go to the bar?" my husband said. We checked the skies and everything looked good, so we saddled up and headed on down the road.

We didn't make it far and surprise!!! Marble sized hail mixed with a little more rain. Our men were done messing around and pushed through. I was worried about Stacey but as I was getting pelted with hail I was glad we kept moving. When we arrived in Akron the sun came back out and the clouds disappeared. The amazing staff at Iron Horse brought us out some dry bar towels so we could dry off a bit. After checking for bruises I started laughing uncontrollably. It was contagious because by the time I got it under control we were all laughing and dripping.  

We sat in the sun and enjoyed each others company and some great food. We talked about our day and all the amazing things we had seen. When the sun started to descend we were mostly dry and decided it was time to head towards home. Grateful we had extra clothes in our saddle bags we prepared to leave after agreeing to send a text when we got home. Our group headed in separate direction towards their homes. Tom and Cindy lived closer to us so we left together and headed for home ourselves. It had been a great day despite the unexpected weather and Stacey now has another day of riding her Sportster under her belt and is gearing herself up for her next riding adventure.