July 22, 2018
Day 35 – Fond du Lac to Manitowoc, WI – 61 miles, 1,470 feet vertical
In honor of our upcoming rest day and four-hour ferry ride across Lake Michigan, we all went out for a really good dinner at a nearby Mexican Restaurant. By “really good”, I mean that the giant margaritas were out of this world. (Please note the plural – margaritas.) Therefore, this journal entry may be abridged and heavily redacted.
With a welcome short day – and by the way, we are all still amazed that 61 miles constitutes “short” – we had a lazy start time with an 8:30 load and go. No “early rollers” today, just one start time for everyone. The only problem? It was still raining and we were just getting tired of the rain and the wet. So, a few of us – Garry, Tami, Randy and I – stayed back in the hotel. We had been checking radar and the “green blob”, as Tami called it, was moving past us. We decided to keep an eye on the “green blob” and chilled on the comfy lobby couches at the Holiday Inn. We had to get special dispensation from Judy, but … she relented.
Around 9:30, we headed out and although the roads were still wet, it had stopped raining. So, we made the right decision. Still, … it was very w-i-n-d-y! Anyway, it eventually cleared up and we had a nice day.
Our ferry ride tomorrow departs at 2pm. But, we were instructed to be there at 12 noon, and on top of that, we lose an hour to Eastern Time. So all in all, it’s a seven-hour tour.
Sleeping in tomorrow, so I will bid you all adieu and point you to the photos from today’s “short” ride. See you in Michigan.
Good night folks.
…Jeff
Journey with Jeff 
Hi Jeff,
It’s such a pleasure to read your reports on your awe-inspiring bike tour! I’m quite impressed not only by your endeavor on the bike, but also by the quality of your writing after so many miles of biking (and extra-large margaritas!) – but maybe you use the hours on your bike to compose your elegant blog posts :). Good luck, and all the best from Switzerland!
Sarah
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Hi Sarah, How wonderful to hear from you. In terms of content, you’re right. I do sometimes ponder my journal entries while riding and quite often, in the meditative bliss of solitude, I come up with captivating stories, breathtaking plot arcs, and knee-slapping humor. Unfortunately, being old, by evening I’ve forgotten everything and I end up staring at a blank slate and bemoaning, “if only I had written some of that down”. So, then I have to start fresh. [sigh] Anyway, we will miss you in the violin section of the GVO next season and even more importantly, at our post-concert get-togethers. Thanks for writing, Sarah. Best regards, …Jeff
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Hi Jeff,
Well, you write great posts from scratch, so not to worry! Otherwise, a voice recorder might be the solution… Or even make a podcast, that would be awesome :). I certainly miss the GVO too, you guys have a great program lined up again (and an open concert master position, argh!). And if you ever consider to cross Switzerland by bike: let me know! It’s shorter, and, I would argue, more beautiful, but I don’t pretend to be objective :). Good luck in your last time zone!
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fond du lac can’t be far from Oublié
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