Well, summer is officially over and as proclaims the Traverse City Record Eagle, it was a Bummer of a Summer. However, everytime I got up there, including this past weekend, it was beautiful. Granted, I only made it up there twice this year, but let me tell you, I can pick the weekends to go!
It’s always a good time up there. Chillin with the fam, blasting old ladies with tennis balls on the tennis courts, running through the old cherry orchards, putzing around on the float boat, eating like kings. What’s not to like?
When I go up, I meet my parents in Grand Rapids, MI and then we carpool up to Leland, MI. Now, we went up on Friday and came back on Monday. Needless to say, on the way home, I wanted to avoid the I-80/I-94 Interchange mess, especially with all the returning Labor Day traffic. Instead, I took every back country road I possibly could through IN. I left Grand Rapids at 5pm CST, and didn’t make it home until 11:30pm CST. When I was going up to Grand Rapids, it only took me 4 hours. Needless to say, the trip home took a little bit more time. However, who knows how long I would have been backed up in Chicago.
Taking the back roads really makes you appreciate interstates. I was on the best state roads IN had to offer too: IN-25 and IN-231. Just the fact that you have to drive through every small town, and consequently have to slow down is enough to drive you mad. Add to the fact that it’s raining and that the road had just been repaved and the lines hadn’t been repainted, added to the fun. Let me tell you how nerve-racking it is trying to pass someone when you have no clue where the passing lane starts and stops in the dark and rain.
It was definitely an adventure though, and the fact that it only took 1 tank of gas both ways (~650 miles) makes it that much sweeter. I’d definitely want to have a companion in the car next time I do it though, that’s for sure.