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Day 22 - August 10

Stayed in a motel in downtown Houghton last night and dried out all of the camping gear.  The motel was decorated in '60's era paneling with furniture to match. Clean, comfortable and the real bonus is that you register in the bar next door.  I have never had lodging and a beer all one one tab before.

Sleeping in a real bed along with being packed and ready to roll in the morning can improve your outlook on life considerably. Pedaling out of Houghton on a quiet morning along the shore of Portage Lake on the Michigan Tech campus was the perfect remedy for yesterday's case of optical rectitis. It is hard to believe that college students live here all winter and abandon it in the summer. If MTU engineering grads were as smart as that say they are, their breaks would start in January not in June.

It is in the 80's up here in the U.P. which is unusual. While I might prefer slightly cooler temps, the lack of rain in the forecast is welcome.  I have a 75 mile ride to Marquette but some big hills await the first 30 miles or so. It is unlikely that I can make Marquette in a single day so I reserved a campsite in Van Riper State Park on the shores of lake Michigamee for tomorrow night.

I've had casual conversations with the neighbors but no truly memorable characters in the last two days. I really hoped to run into Monte, who I met in Canada. Monte was touring the circle clockwise so theoretically we should have crossed paths in Michigan this week. Most circle bikers don't go all the way up into the Keweenaw Peninsula so I may have missed him while I was on that side trip. I also thought I might have seen my kayak/author friend this evening in this park but have not run into him.

Mileage today was 42 for a total of 1,163.  Had I left from Zimmyville heading south to Key West, I would now be in West Palm Beach.

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