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Itinerary:

Day	Description	Mileage
Saturday	Spring Lake check-in	Check-in
Sunday	to Montague	48
Monday	to Scottville	71
Tuesday	to Frankfort	70
Wednesday	to Traverse City (3 day check-in)	60 or 100
Thursday	to Charlevoix	64
Friday	to Harbor Springs	50
Saturday	to Mackinaw City	44

Description:
The 7 day Shoreline West Bicycle Tour takes the scenic route from Spring Lake to the mighty Mackinac  Bridge. This year will include some new sites as well as our favorite sites. There is so much to experience on this ride- view historic lighthouses, pristine orchards and farms, swim at sugar sand beaches, climb the dunes...grab a fresh lunch and picnic along the route in "Michigan's playground" and ride through the Tunnel of Trees. The terrain is never mundane as it varies from flats, rolling hills, and many challenging climbs. With moderate mileage, this is great bicycling vacation to either ride with someone you know or someone you meet on tour. Choose from our 3 or 7 day tours. The 3 day tour joins in Traverse City on Wednesday and ends in Mackinaw City.

Saturday, August 2
After you’re settled in, check out the bike trail that circles Spring Lake. There is plenty to see and do in the area. Go to the waterfront and visit the beach and marinas. Grand Haven State Park (free to those on bikes) offers great views of the Grand River and Lake Michigan.  Watch volleyball at Grand Haven State Park. If there is any wind at all, check out the many kites. You might even see a kite surfer. Take a talking tour of Grand Haven on the Harbor Trolley or cruise the Grand River on a Paddlewheel River boat. Buy a kite, visit the Michigan Rag Co. and watch them screen shirts sold nationally. Sit back and have a ‘cold one’.

Also, Saturday, August 4th is the grand finale of the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival with between 50,000 - 100,000 visitors in town. There is a carnival with rides and food galore. It all ends with what is said to to be the best fireworks in the state. To learn more, go to: www.ghcgfest.org/

 

Sunday, August 3
Beautiful Hoffmaster State Park offers excellent nature trails as well as a wonderful Lake Michigan Beach. Entry is free to those on bikes. Continuing along, you will also pass Mona Lake Beach. Pere and Marquette Park. Continue on to the channel and see the lighthouses, Old Coast Guard Station. Tour the submarine. In NORTH MUSKEGON, slow down to admire the many lovely homes along Ruddman Drive.  You may want to stop at the beautiful beach at the corner of Scenic Drive and Blockhouse Hill. At the top of the hill, finish the climb on foot to the tower of the Blockhouse for a scenic view of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake.

With only a few miles to go, feel free to goof off at the beach at Duck Lake Channel where you can swim in the warmer water of Duck Lake or take a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan. At 41.7 on South Shore Drive, turn left to visit the White River Lighthouse and Museum as well as the excellent beach (additional 1.4 miles each way). On the Hart-Montague Trail, check out the world’s largest weathervane.

Monday, August 4
Today's route passes many lakes including Pentwater Lake, Bass Lake, Hamlin Lake, and of course Lake Michigan. You will find PENTWATER a bustling town. Mears State Park is at the north end of town. Since the Lake is only 0.7 miles west, you may wish to see the nice park on the channel or the State Park The route then follows Bass Lake to return to Lake Michigan. Swimming is great at Summit Township Park. Consumer’s Power Plant offers an impressive overlook and information on how a pumped-storage-plant works. Walk to the top for a more impressive view.

View the Father Marquette Shrine. The Waterfront Walkway in Ludington extends from downtown Ludington, Waterfront Park, to Stearns Park.  At Waterfront Park there is a wonderful Sculpture Park depicting local history. Ludington has 2 Fun Parks:  Adventure Island Fun Park and AJ's Family Fun Park.  There is also the beautiful beach and Ludington State Park.   

Tuesday, August 5
By now you are ready to experience some of our varied terrain. Today offers a few strenuous climbs that reward you with awesome panoramic views. You will also pass through charming towns with their own unique character.  You also pass the world class Arcadia Bluffs golf course.

Wednesday, August 6
Today you will ride through the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area. The rolling hills take you past coastal dunes and clear lakes, dense beech-maple forest and bluffs as high as 480 feet above Lake Michigan. Native Americans say that Manitou, the Great Spirit, placed a mound of sand where Mother Bear died waiting for her cubs after fleeing a huge Wisconsin forest fire.  Hike the Empire Bluffs Trail to overlook Lake Michigan. You will be beautifully rewarded for this hike. The North and South Manitou Islands just off shore are located where the cubs perished.

Options you might like to add to your day: an extra 7-mile, extremely hilly ride, on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, run up the sand at the Dune Climb, or relax on one of many beaches. The pass will also allow you to visit the Maritime Museum in GLEN HAVEN, which features an operating blacksmith shop and old general store. The beach by the Museum is outstanding.

There are restaurants, art galleries, resort shops, and ice cream parlors in GLEN ARBOR.  The Cherry Republic features everything made of cherries. Enjoy a canoe/kayak on the Crystal River. The water is crystal clear revealing many fish.

Thursday, August 9
There are many photo ops on the way today as you pass orchards and fields of sunflowers as you ride to ELK RAPIDS, another charming Northern Michigan village on Lake Michigan. We will follow Torch Lake out of Elk Rapids on our way to Charlevoix. Enjoy the beautiful summer homes and blue-green waters along Lake Charlevoix.  In Charlevoix, watch the boats go in and out of the channel in this harbor town.

Friday, August 10
From Charlevoix we travel around Lake Charlevoix through Boyne City on our way to Harbor Springs.  HARBOR SPRINGS hosts a wonderful combination of good restaurants, tasteful art galleries, interesting architecture, a large marina and a bike shop.                 

 

Saturday, August 11
Don’t miss the great view of the Harbor Springs from the bluff as you leave this morning. You will ride through one of Michigan’s most scenic drives, the “tunnel of the trees.” Visit the Thornswift Nature Preserve.  Explore wetlands, beaches, trails and a hands-on nature museum.   CROSS VILLAGE has the historic Leggs Inn.  Look at the gardens and view of lighthouses and islands in back.  Sturgeon Bay offers many scenic vistas of Lake Michigan.  Stop along the way for your last chance to swim in Lake Michigan.

In MACKINAW CITY visit the historic fort and lighthouse just under the famous Mackinaw Bridge.  The bridge is the 2nd longest suspension bridge in the world at 5.2 miles. Take home some pasties for the trip home.

If time allows, visit Mackinac Island.  Countless ferries offer a 20-minute ride to the island.  No cars allowed on the island.  However, there are plenty of bikes, pedestrians and horses.  The circular loop around the island is 9 miles.  If you walk or bike, make sure you see the Grand Hotel.  “Grand” is an understatement

• Average 53 miles/day with longer options
• Great sugar sand beaches
• Scenic orchards and farms
• Historic Lake Michigan lighthouses
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• Ride Old Mission Peninsula
• Tunnel of Trees
• Marked routes w/ maps
• SAG & mechanic support
• Showers
• Gear transport
• T-shirt
• Breakfast and dinner
• Optional massage service