No Jobs, No Home, No Worries. A Shared Journey by Bike and Support SUV Across the U.S.

Day 33 miles: 41

Total miles: 2,055

• 

Plot twist. After getting up at 4:20 a.m. to make the ferry we heard a prerecorded message that it was broken down. I took this time to get excited for a 5 hour trip with Lauren to Muskegon! We stopped at a restaurant, also called The View (same name as the one we ate with Julie in Milwaukee) for breakfast. Afterwards, it seemed to make more sense to go to South Haven, MI than to Muskegon as it was 41 miles from Kalamazoo.

And it did! South Haven seemed much more like a cute beach town and it was almost entirely bike trails to Kalamazoo. We ate at a nice restaurant called Taste for lunch and I headed out.

• 

• 

• 

During this time the scenery and the weather felt like the short but amazing Michigan summers I experienced in residency. I heard familiar sounds of bugs and birds that even reminded me of Virginia. I felt somewhat at home.

• 

I met up with Lauren at the Best Western.

By car:

As Matthew explained, we arrived to the ferry terminal at 4:30 am and waited for two hours before eventually being informed of the mechanical issues. The 6am ferry had been cancelled. We could either get a refund or wait to catch the 12:00 ferry.

Although we were really looking forward to a nice cruise along Lake Michigan, it made more sense to just drive down near Chicago and back up to Muskegon instead of waiting another 6 hours.

• 

We joined the group of grumbling travelers back to the ferry car lot and slowly weaved our way out. Matthew and I were actually pretty excited at the idea of spontaneous travel! We had no idea where we’d stop and what we’d see, which we’ve grown to embrace on this trip.

• 

After briefly debating a pit stop in Chicago, we decided the traffic wasn’t worth it and drove around the Windy City instead. As we entered Michigan, Matthew saw signs for South Haven.

“I remember people telling me South Haven is actually really nice. Maybe I should start at the coast of South Haven instead of Muskegon,” he suggested.

I’ve actually never heard of South Haven, but I’m always open to exploring new places. We both are extremely glad we made this decision! South Haven is wonderful.

I picked out a lunch spot so Matthew could fuel up before riding into Kalamazoo today.

• 

The weather was the best it has ever been with perfect winds for the direction Matthew would be riding today. We drove out to the beach and set up his bike so he could take off.

Despite the cancelled ferry and added drive time, today was surprisingly relaxing for the both of us. We’ve made it to Kalamazoo and look forward to Jackson, where I’ll meet Matthew and pick him up. From there we plan to head out to Ann Arbor to reunite with so many people we miss and love!!