Matt, Rosie and I had a fantastic reunion Saturday afternoon. Matt had booked us a hotel so I could rest. It was nice to not hit the ground running as soon as I returned. Hugs, love and rest was what I needed.

Sunday came quickly. We packed up and made it out around 1030am. After doing our best finding a good way out of the city, we decided to go back the way we came the previous Tuesday. At least we would have some downhills! As we entered downtown Grand Rapids, now making a beeline for a Biggby coffee, we came upon a Moosejaw outdoor adventure shop!

Rosie was trying to convince us she was a big unicorn and she needed her own hammock. We reminded her we were on our way to get an iced coffee from Biggby coffee and she quickly came down and jumped into my hand. She was ready to go!

Rosie and Matt were sharing a coffee. I think she needs her own. She can take some pretty long swigs off our coffee. Rosie reminds me everytime we get coffee that she has to stay awake long hours navigating from her observation deck. She needs her own coffee! Swish! Swish! 🦄🦄

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/therosecra1

On our way put of the city, we rode past the Gerald Ford Museum and his final resting place. https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/visit-museum.aspx

When we had finally made it out of the city traffic and hot asphalt, I was whooped. Overheated and thirsty, I pulled over in the shade and proceeded reign in my meltdown. Thankfully, Matt was way ahead of me and probably didn’t hear all my choice words for another hill. If he did, he let it roll off his back. We walked the final hill before getting on the Musketawa rail trail. Once on the trail, we found a shady spot for lunch along the trail. We broke out our hotel lunch and feasted. It was getting later in the afternoon, so we hopped back on the bikes and toodled down the trail looking for a stealth camp. We passed by a few spots that would have worked, but I insisted on pressing on. We came upon our spot late in the evening. Covered pavilion, long picnic table and places to hang our hammocks.

We made do with leftovers and were getting ready to call it a night when two cyclists stopped. They were the tail end of a church group ride. We chatted with them for a bit while their group circled back around. They said goodbye and we retired to our hammocks.

The next morning, we packed up and got back on the trail. I was still not feeling 100% but enjoyed riding next to Matt on the wide trail. We passed blueberry fields, wild concord grapes, Kentucky coffee trees and many varieties of apple trees.

Matt was ahead of me and met Ben, a cyclist from Rochester, NY. He was on a small tour and headed to Three Rivers that day. He was sketching his tour as he went along. It reminded me alot of my fellow touring cyclist and friend Caitlin McCauley. She also sketches the places she has been. Such talented people. I can draw stick figures 🤪

Matt and Ben were talking foraging and bikes. We traded a puffball mushroom for some stalks lemon grass, bid our farewells and continued into Muskegon along the Musketawa rail trail.

Matt and I needed to stop at the store to get some essentials. We made our way off the trail and resupplied at a Walmart. Back on the trail, we traveled further into Muskegon before we stopped for lunch at a community park.

After lunch, we set up camp and called it a day.