the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
In 2010 on one of our Men's Fall Trips, my son Brian, his father-in-law Jimmy and I decided to tour the U.P. of Michigan. Jimmy and I were riding ST 1300's and my son Brian a Yamaha FZ-1. Across the Mackinac Bridge, St Ignace, Whitefish Point Lighthouse (where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down), and lower Tahquamenon Falls, up to Copper Harbor all on Lake Superior, and come back along Lake Michigan on Rt 2. Also we decided to ride the famous M119 Tunnel of Trees, a famous 20 mile tree lined road in lower Michigan from Cross Village down to Harbor Springs. One of the "must ride" roads on almost every "you've got to ride these roads" motorcycle list. Unfortunately that day we rode it, it was pouring down rain and not very pleasant.
Well, last week my wife and I decided to repeat that tour only in the car, and adding in visiting Mackinac Island, the Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie, hit both the upper and lower Tahquemenon falls, visit the Seney Wildlife Preserve, Drive H58 Pictured Rocks Scenic Highway (great motorcycle road btw), take the Pictured Rocks Boat tour out of Munising, visit Presque Isle Park in Marquette, then visit Copper Harbor (the last 15 miles or of 41 also another great MC road), come back along 26 to Eagle River (a fabulous motorcycle road), before dropping back down 41 to 2 and cross the top of Lake Michigan.
AND since I had ridden M119 in the rain on my last trip up here 16 years ago, decided to drive it again on the way home. The day was beautiful, sunny bright and warm. Should be perfect, although the leaves in lower Michigan have not turned as well as they have in the U.P. We get to Cross Harbor and **** the Tunnel Of Trees is closed for road repair! Theres a detour ..maybe it's short. We took the detour and finally got on Tunnel of Trees a few miles down the road, drove maybe 5 miles and **** another detour for road repair. dang nab it. Longer detour this time and by the time we got back on most of the "tunnel" no longer existed. Lots of anticipation to riding this road in nice weather aborted by road repair. I did get a few pics.
This is what it was "supposed" to look like lol
At 76 doubt I'll get up that way again. Too bad. Tried M119 Tunnel of Trees twice and neither time did it end up like the pictures you see. I'm cursed for M119.
Still for anyone interested in a cool place to ride a motorcycle, the U.P. of Michigan fills that bill quite nicely! GO!
Well, last week my wife and I decided to repeat that tour only in the car, and adding in visiting Mackinac Island, the Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie, hit both the upper and lower Tahquemenon falls, visit the Seney Wildlife Preserve, Drive H58 Pictured Rocks Scenic Highway (great motorcycle road btw), take the Pictured Rocks Boat tour out of Munising, visit Presque Isle Park in Marquette, then visit Copper Harbor (the last 15 miles or of 41 also another great MC road), come back along 26 to Eagle River (a fabulous motorcycle road), before dropping back down 41 to 2 and cross the top of Lake Michigan.
AND since I had ridden M119 in the rain on my last trip up here 16 years ago, decided to drive it again on the way home. The day was beautiful, sunny bright and warm. Should be perfect, although the leaves in lower Michigan have not turned as well as they have in the U.P. We get to Cross Harbor and **** the Tunnel Of Trees is closed for road repair! Theres a detour ..maybe it's short. We took the detour and finally got on Tunnel of Trees a few miles down the road, drove maybe 5 miles and **** another detour for road repair. dang nab it. Longer detour this time and by the time we got back on most of the "tunnel" no longer existed. Lots of anticipation to riding this road in nice weather aborted by road repair. I did get a few pics.
This is what it was "supposed" to look like lol
At 76 doubt I'll get up that way again. Too bad. Tried M119 Tunnel of Trees twice and neither time did it end up like the pictures you see. I'm cursed for M119.
Still for anyone interested in a cool place to ride a motorcycle, the U.P. of Michigan fills that bill quite nicely! GO!
